Come on - Vogue...
Darren's Vogue dance troupe, House of Suarez, invites you to take part in Runway - The Justice Vogue Ball, which takes place at Nation (Cream), Liverpool on October 29. If you think that you have what it takes, organisers want to hear from you. The show, revived after its stunning debut at the Adelphi in 2008, features six heats before a panel of judges, all with cash prizes - and the opportunity, apparently, to put the bass in your walk. There's a huge back story to the glamour of the Vogue - made famous by Madonna in 1990, it has a long and colourful history, from its beginnings in the dancehalls of Harlem in the 1930s, to its adoption by the NY gay performance scene. A real dance from the streets that aims to emulate the classy poses of timeless movie stars, Liverpool is surely unique and stylish enough to be an ideal adopted home for the art form. Interested in giving it a go? The six categories are: BIZARRE - Offering the widest range of creativity and display. From futuristic to fantasy, the objective is to always present an elaborate costume and effect. Judges say they want club freaks, creatures and a whole new species of humanity to be born - goodness me. SOLOS - This section will give individuals the chance to show off their dance skills and work the Runway. Creativity is the key. Freestyle or set choreographed routine, themed or un-themed. FEMME REALNESS -The aesthetic imperative of the ball culture, "realness" is the ability to pass on the Runway as something you are not, as in rich for poor, female for male, straight for gay. CLUB FREAK - The clubs and gay bars of Liverpool come head to head in this section to be crowned Club Freak of 2010. This section is open to solos and groups. Each club will show us just how freaky they can be through any artistic medium they choose. EROTICA- This is strictly for the beautiful people. This section brings shallowness into fashion. Judges warn - you have to have the XXX factor for this section. CHOREOGRAPHY - This section is one of the crowning glories of the ball. Judges want to see the best of all the Houses - vicious Voguing, wonderful whacking, and hardcore house dancing. In addition, there will also be a competition to find the OUTSTANDING HOUSE. Here's the small print - every performer has to belong to a House to compete. A House is a family of voguers with names taken either from haute couture designers (Houses of Chanel and Armani) or from the "Mother," the most powerful member of the family, a surrogate parent to the "ball children" who compete against one another for trophies. If you don’t belong to a house you are classed as an Orphan and can walk at the end of the show. Any group of people can enter from bar staff at one venue, to sales assistants at a shop to a group of friends or colleagues. There is no limit to the number of sections one house can compete in. Darren Suarez, artistic director of House of Suarez said: ‘We want to see people from all walks of life and every scene taking part at the Vogue Ball, especially Liverpool’s very own gay quarter which has given House of Suarez so much support during the growth of the company. It’s going to be an incredible evening, we’ve got so much planned, it’s definitely going to be a night to remember." “RUNWAY” The Justice Vogue Ball is one of Culture Liverpool’s 10 For 2010 commissions, and is also a major highlight in the calendar of the LEAP 2010 year of dance. To register your interest in taking part and to receive a performers pack, email runwayvogueball@googlemail.com, or visit www.houseofsuarez.co.uk for more information. And here's a taste of them from the 2008 event: Rather just watch? Tickets to the event are £15 and available from the Echo arena box office, or News From Nowhere and Resurrection on Bold Street.
