ballroom culture

American  

[bawl-room kuhl-cher] / ˈbɔlˌrum ˈkʌl tʃər /

Also ball culture also ballroom scene

noun

1. a subculture centered on competitive events called balls, featuring categories of fashion, performance, and dance: originating primarily among Black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities in the United States during the 1960s–1970s.

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Example Sentences

He died near the start of Beyoncé's career from an Aids-related illness, but her embrace of gay and ballroom culture on Renaissance can be traced back to him.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2023

The 2005 documentary “The Aggressives” provided a novel view of ballroom culture, or the underground pageant scene which emerged as a haven for queer Black and Latino youths in the 1980s and ’90s.

From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2023

Voguing, and ballroom culture more broadly, has evolved into a radical expression of protest, with performers using their bodies to “challenge the binary, challenge heteronormativity,” said Lavender Rights Project Executive Director Jaelynn Scott.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 5, 2023

The 16 tracks in “Renaissance” draw from house, disco and bounce music, genres that hark back to underground ballroom culture from the 1970s.

From Washington Post • Jul. 29, 2022

Season 2 of HBO Max’s voguing competition ‘Legendary’ shows that ballroom culture is not limited to New York.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2022