BALLROOM

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I was scrolling on Instagram, as I usually do to find fire events in the city for my group Queens of Charlotte, when I happened upon a flyer by the one and only Davita Galloway. If you don’t know, not sure how you wouldn’t if you live here in Charlotte, she is the GOAT. She is a fashionista who hosts the BEST events in Charlotte. She is the co-owner of Dupp & Swat with her brother. Let me tell you something, if you haven’t been to one of their events or their space, you are definitely missing out. But, I digress. 

So, I saw the flyer for a fashion show at The Mint. Another fabulous establishment. FYI, they have free events each Wednesday. And, if you’re a BOA cardholder, they offer random free visits throughout the year. The Mint Museum is Charlotte’s version of New York’s Met. Of course, I immediately replied, “In there like swimwear.” Not really, I wrote, “I cannot wait.” I try to look semi-professional online.

So, I informed my girls and we made a plan to attend. Last year, I attended Davita’s fashion show Haute Asiko and had to sit close to the middle because I arrived sorta late. I learned my lesson. I arrived a solid thirty minutes early. And, I’m so glad I did. There were only two rows of seats and half of them were reserved. Plus, I was wearing these beautiful boots. They’re gorgeous, but I cannot stand up for long in them. 

The show began with a fabulous introduction and a spirited host. The thing I loved about him the most was, he taught us about respect, dance, and the proper vernacular for the BALLROOM. Here’s what I picked up. The different groups were known as houses. There were five or six houses there last night. The host’s house was known as Teflar. If you’ve ever watched ‘Pose’ on FX, then you’d understand the culture a little more. He did throw out some other shows that explained it better, but I cannot remember their titles. I should have written it down like he suggested. 

He taught us that the dance where a person falls flat on their back with one leg slightly angled up is called a dip, not a death drop. Next, he taught us the five elements of Vogue: catwalk, duckwalks, hands, spins and dips, and floor performance. For each element, he had the houses come out and demonstrate. It was fantastic. 

At the end of the night, the host had a panel where guests could ask questions to leaders in the industry. It was so insightful to get inside knowledge of this aspect of life.

A bonus, I met DJ Fannie Mae. Other bonus, I saw Dutchess from Black Ink Crew and Ohavia, also known as O. I had such a fabulous time! Make sure to support the arts, physically and fiscally.

Thanks for continuing to read about my adventures. If you hear about an event or class that I should take, leave it in the comments!