LGBT2Q+ athletes demonstrate 7 signature moves.
When Jack Mizrahi came out in the early 90s, he had only heard about vogue, the style of dance created in Harlem in the 1980s, popularized by figures like Madonna. With a long-standing history in the LGBT2Q+ community, it draws inspiration from ballet, martial arts, and gymnastics.
During his first visit to a gay club, Jack sat in disbelief: There was a room full of people just like him. That same night, he received an invite to a ball two weeks later. That’s how he was first introduced into the culture of the House Ballroom Community in which different houses compete at balls in vogue battles. At that particular ball, the House of Mizrahi, founded by Andre Mizrahi and named after fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, was born. Two weeks later, Jack became a member, taking the house name of Mizrahi as his own.
Legendary Asia Balenciaga
Master element: Hand performance
How-to: Move your hands to music by focusing first on your fingers (as you would if you were doing “spirit fingers”) then bring the movement to your wrists as if you were bending them back and forth against a wall (almost like ‘breaking’ at your wrist joint). Glide your hands around to tell your story.
Performance secret: “I run so I can have the ability to go back-to-back in performances and not be out of breath. It’s a good way to prepare yourself. You could say you're building your stamina.”
Legendary Chyna Prodigy
Master element: Spin
How-to: Before moving, pick a spot by looking at one thing in the room. Then, slowly start to twirl, spinning around while looking at your spot so that you don’t get dizzy. You should stay in one place while spinning.
Performance secret: “To physically and mentally prepare for a role, I stretch, work out, and drink a lot of water.”
Icon Leiomy Maldonado
Master element: Dip
How-to: Start standing up then using your leg strength, crouch down into a curl, lowering yourself down onto one knee with the other leg back behind you. Sit back and let one leg straighten out in front of you while bending upper body back on floor into the dip.
Performance secret: “Sometimes as dancers we just want to get out there and enjoy the music but I definitely like to do warm-ups. Warm-ups are very important because you don't want to hurt yourself.”
Icon Sinia Alaia
Master element: Catwalk
How-to: Start standing up then pop your hip while crouching your knees. Take one step after another, swaying hips. Speed up to match movement to a beat.
Performance secret: “I love cardio. I love indoor cycling. Cardio is a big part of voguing. You sweat like a dog. You’re moving around, striking different poses, holding those poses, strengthening your muscles, and using your muscles.”
Legendary Tamiyah Mugler
Master element: Floor performance
How-to: Lying on the floor, move as an expression, like you’re dancing on the ground.
Performance secret: “Yoga relieves all the muscles and stress by stretching and just being calm.”
Up n Coming Legendary Tati Finesse
Master element: Hair performance
How-to: In a crouched position, incorporating your whole body, sway neck and hair side to side, in ‘figure 8’ motions, or whip it, moving to music.
Performance secret: “I do back-to-back rehearsals and then yoga to really center myself and get my mind mentally prepared. I have to give it my all.”
Legendary Veronika Mugler
Master element: Duck walk
How-to: Before doing this move, prepare by balancing a book on both your palms and crouching up and down, trying to stay in one place as much as possible. Once you feel balanced, in a crouched position, take small ‘steps’ moving hands and arms to music.
Performance secret: “The duck walk is very hard to do. You need to have a lot of balance and strong legs and calves.”