Intro Vogue Femme Workshop & Hands Performance + PUMP THE BEAT
VogueYYC
Esker Foundation is proud to partner with VogueYYC for a special event, including Intro Vogue Femme Workshop & Hands Performance led by Mother Katria Gvasalia + PUMP THE BEAT vogue jam and the Premiere Screening of VogueYYC’s video: IT WAS JUST A KI.
6-11pm
Intro Vogue Femme & Hands Performance led by Mother Katria Gvasalia
Free, please DM Vogue YYC to reserve your spot via Instagram: @vogueyyc
Sunday 27 August, 6-8pm
No experience required for either classes.
Knee pads and comfortable attire recommended.
Born in Calgary and based in Vancouver, Katria Phothong-McKinnon began her dance journey at a young age beginning with Traditional Thai dancing. Now trained in HipHop, Popping, Voguing and Waacking; she is currently the Mother of the Kiki House of Gvasalia (Western Canada’s Premier Kiki House) and a co-founder and co-owner of Vogue YYC alongside partner and daughter Sen Gvasalia (Shandie Ta). Constantly training and working towards mastering her craft with hopes in creating a scene for Ballroom and Waacking/Punking within Alberta while pursuing her post secondary education at Emily Carr University of Art + Design.
Visit @vogueyyc on Instagram for more information!
Followed by
PUMP THE BEAT
The Premiere Screening of the VogueYYC video: IT WAS JUST A KI
+ DJ Catfish The Wizard
8pm-11pm
Re-established in 2018, Vogue YYC initially came together as a diverse group of individuals sharing a love and enthusiasm for Ballroom culture – an underground LGBTQ+ subculture created in the late ‘70s in New York by Black and Latinx gay men and trans women. Wanting to bridge a generational gap from the last Ballroom events in Calgary hosted by Bad Girls Club YYC, Vogue YYC continues to host balls, events, workshops, parties and more to bring Ballroom to Calgary. With roots in the Ballroom community within Canada, Vogue YYC strives to connect Calgary to the national scene, making connections with Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, with larger dreams of connecting internationally.
The video IT WAS JUST A KI is a snapshot of their local community in 2022. It was intended to be a journey through a typical gathering, a behind the scenes look at their reconnection, and why they love coming together – especially after a period of global isolation. After being separated for so long, they felt a dissonance between the current circumstances and their need for connection. To bridge this gap, they rebuilt relationships with their peers and the places they occupy, to regain the closeness they had as a community before the pandemic.
The full video, entitled IT WAS JUST A KI, will also be available on the Sled Island YouTube channel at 8:30pm the same evening.
IT WAS JUST A KI was produced for Postcards From Sled Island video series.
