By Elizabeth Gargano
Last week, voguing, death drops, and duckwalking dominated Hughes-Trigg thanks to the Dallas-based dance group, the Kiki House of Nike. The performance kicked off “All About Ballroom,” an annual event sponsored by SMU’s Fashion Media Program and the Women & LGBT Center. Ballroom is a competitive dance style created in the late 20th century by the gay community of color in New York City, and it consists of many different competitive groups, competition categories, and innovative techniques, all inspired by fashion and family. Towards the end of the event, students were invited to compete in two ballroom categories – runway walk and face – and winners took home tote bags filled with prizes.
The event included a panel discussion led by fashion media professor Jenny Davis, where members of Kiki House of Nike, including its founder, educated the audience about the history and culture of ballroom. Members also shared their individual stories of how they made names for themselves in the world of ballroom.
“We are fortunate that the Kiki House of Nike is able to come to our campus and share this art form with students,” says Davis. “We are also appreciative that its members are willing to share their personal experiences and to explain why Ballroom matters – to them as individuals and to the culture.”
This was the second “All About Ballroom” event held at the SMU student center; however, last year was different as there was no actual competition.
“Last year, students loved participating and learning Ballroom moves, so this year we built on that to incorporate an actual competition complete with prizes, and we will definitely be doing that again for the event next year,” says Davis.
Plans for the third annual ballroom event are already underway, and is expected to happen sometime in the early spring of 2025.
Images by Elizabeth Gargano
