Category Is: Attending Your First Ball - Portland Mercury

"Two hours and 10 categories later, I felt completely different. I left in awe—ballroom is exhilarating, inspiring, and profoundly queer. I loved the diversity of body type and gender I saw. And I loved how competitive it was! To quote Daniel 'Papi' Giron, our founder at the Rebound: "Ballroom is like gay sports.""

"A ball is a series of short competitions (called categories) that performers participate (or 'walk') in. Classic ballroom categories include vogue (also called performance), runway, face, and body. "Ballroom gives queer folks the chance to compete that a lot of us didn't have growing up," says Papi."

"Like many sports, ballroom has a lot of rules. With ballroom, these rules often go unspoken! I think this is why I felt nervous attending my first ball—would I do something wrong? Would my presence be frowned upon? It's not like you can look it up online!"

"Come to Observe First. It takes years for a performer to prepare to walk for their first time! There are outlets in Portland to learn ballroom, but the ball itself is for those that have spent a lot of time practicing their category. Respect the Culture. People that walk ballroom have an incredible dedication to it. It takes a lot of practice and tutelage to successfully walk."

A first ball can feel intimidating, but attending can become exhilarating, inspiring, and profoundly queer. Ballroom consists of short competitions called categories where performers walk in styles such as vogue, runway, face, and body. Ballroom provides queer people opportunities to compete that were often unavailable during childhood. The event includes many rules that may not be clearly explained online, which can create uncertainty for newcomers. After attending as a supporter, involvement can grow into administration for a nonprofit advancing ballroom in the Pacific Northwest. A forthcoming ball and a Gaymer Ball create motivation to share guidance for first-time attendees, emphasizing observation, cultural respect, and preparation for an environment with unspoken norms.

Read at Portland Mercury