While the disenfranchised youth of our time choose not to dance in the school homecoming because they're "too edgy" to get down, the only dance moves we have are mainly known for their sleaziness, sex appeal or memorable music video for the dance's one-hit-wonder. Yet, like most fashion and culture trends, the LGBT+ community in the US had their own, beloved dance move years before young people could even imagine a dance other than the foxtrot or the waltz.
Whether it is used to show attitude, agility, synchronization or the power of house music, the Vogue dance style is a true art form that has branched out into many different genres. But in order to learn about them, and maybe pick these moves up yourselves, it is extremely important to first explore the fascinating history behind the movement and the eccentric figures behind the most en vogue dance movement of the 20th century.
The History
Voguing was first noticed in 1960s Harlem under the names "presentation" and "performance," and is believed to have been created as early as the 1920s, with Langston Hughes as one of the dancers. The movement really gained steam in the 1980s in the "Ballroom" scene that commenced in gay bars in the majority of America's major cities -- garnering the most attention around Harlem and other parts of New York City. The dance craze earned the name "Vogue" due to the inspiration of modeling seen in Vogue Magazine that contributed to the various posing techniques used by dancers.
Both of the most important outlets to Voguing in the public media came in 1990 with Madonna's hit song "Vogue." There was also the release of the documentary "Paris Is Burning," a detailed and fascinating look into the vibrant Ballroom community in New York's Black, Latino and transgender community (to name a few), from "butch queens" to the art of "reading." The documentary also makes sure too compliment the safety and familiar bond felt by those who attend, in contrast to the persecution they face during the day.
One of the most important characters in the documentary is the late Willi Ninja, who is mainly known as the "grandfather of Vogue," with his heavy influence in both the Harlem Ballroom scene and the Vogue dance movement. In one of the most memorable moments of the film is when he talks about how he hopes that the art of Vogue reaches every part of the world, with himself in the driver's seat: "I want to take Voguing not to just 'Paris is Burning,' but I wanna take it to the real Paris and make the real Paris burn. And that's what I wanna do. Not just there, but to other countries as well."
Tragically, Willi Ninja passed away in 2006 from heart failure related to AIDS. But both his House of Ninja and the art of Vogue have made his final wish come to light, setting the whole world ablaze and growing into an umbrella of creative styles used in different cultures and countries.
The Styles
First thing's first: the two mains styles of Voguing are called Old Way and New Way.
Old Way Voguing represents the Vogue of the '80s that focuses more on grace, precision and well-executed posing. For example, if Madonna's music video for "Vogue" came out in 2016, the dance moves in the video would be characterized as Old Way Voguing.
The difference between Old Way and New Way isn't only in the generational gap. New Way Vogue focuses less on the posing and more on the rhythm with the "clicking" of the house music narrating the choreography. New Way also demonstrates more of the flexibility and limb contortions seen in modern street dancing, and even works with the art of mime in terms of symmetry. One of the best examples of New Way comes from the Japanese dancers and engaged duo, Aya Sato and Bambi (also referred to as AyaBambi), who have made a viral name for themselves for their goth-industrial style and on point symmetry with one another. The best way to describe watching these two dance is hypnotizing.
The most well known style of Voguing is Vogue Fem, which is popular with females (cisgender and transgender) and drag queens and is split into two genres -- Dramatics and Soft. Vogue Fem is described on Wikipedia as "fluidity at its most extreme with exaggerated feminine movements influenced by ballet, jazz and modern dance." Moves included in every Vogue Fem routine include the duckwalk, catwalk, floor performance, dips and the crowd-pleasing death drop (recently made popular by "Rupaul's Drag Race" alum, Laganja Estranja).
Soft Vogue Fem pays more attention to an easy, feminine flow and grace, while Dramatic Vogue Fem focuses far more on stunts, speed and tricks. Either way, Vogue Fem is by far the most popular style of Modern Vogue. It's also the style that brings on the fiercest "Ballroom" style battles, the most notorious of these battles coming in 2013 between French Vogue matriarch Lasseindra and Finnish dancer Inxi Prodigy. I'd highly recommend you watch the battle on YouTube if you want to really get into Voguing; these ladies know how it's done! Plus, they're dressed up as Sailor Moon and Wonder Woman, so what more could you ask for?
With the art of Vogue being so universally loved by people around the globe, and so historic in LGBT+ culture, it's pretty disheartening to see this dance movement ignored by our generation. Whenever I see another drunk white girl twerking, my heart breaks a little for those who have perfected the duckwalk and death drop and are so talented and yet so ignored by our current media.
Vogue is a real form of modern dance. It involves every part of you body, from your fingers and wrists to your legs. Even your hair can be used in Voguing. But the most important part of Vogue is its strong, vibrant personality. It releases the dancer into showing their true colors in every aspect possible, which for some could be something they have to hide due to a still bigoted and judgmental American society.
If you want to learn to dance, as well as learn about yourself, Voguing is the best way to do so. Now do some stretches and strike a pose!
