Singapore's Ballroom Scene Is Getting Bigger And Breaking More Boundaries

It’s a Friday night in late October and 20 or so people have gathered at a studio on the second floor of Block M within Goodman Arts Center. They’re from all walks of life and range from students to working adults. They share at least one thing in common though: Everyone’s present to delve – or, should we say, dip – into the world of ballroom. And, no, we’re not referring to what you see on Dancing With The Stars.

Leading the session are the co-founders of KikiHQ, a collective formed 10 months ago that's been conducting free monthly classes on what’s also referred to as ball culture (the kind better associated with shows such as the hit Ryan Murphy series Pose) as well as its moves since July. Anyone who’s interested in the scene is welcome – both the initiative and venue are supported by Dance Nucleus, a National Arts Council-backed scheme that aims to grow the field of contemporary performance here and help independent artists develop their skills.

The KikiHQ team is made up of Father Irzie Kasicunt and Diamond Kasicunt from the House of Kasicunt; Lil Vexx Marciano from the Legendary International Kiki House of Marciano; Fellix Nangfa Sun from the International Kiki House of Sun; and Father Glenn Obsidian Mizrahi, who hails from both the Kiki House of Obsidian and Iconic Major House of Mizrahi. If the names sound grandiose, it’s a bittersweet reminder of what “houses” in the ballroom community are meant to do: provide an alternative form of strength and family support – and when you can christen your own clan, why hold back? The goal of this exuberant posse: to create a safe space for the emerging ballroom scene in Singapore. 

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Indeed, this subculture has been steadily growing since the group Vogue In Progress (VIP) staged The Crystal Ball – the first vogue ball to be held here – back in April 2019, Covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding. For example, VIP staged the sophomore edition of The Crystal Ball in January 2022 then followed it up with two kiki balls – more casual, less competitive versions of balls – last and this June. Local houses have also taken things into their own hands. Take, for instance, the House of Kasicunt – Singapore’s first ballroom house – teaming up with the Gen-Z multidisciplinary art platform 0rbit to throw its own kiki ball at Kult Kafe this February (tickets, FYI, sold out).

Prior to that inaugural Crystal Ball organised by VIP over four years ago though, there was no real common space here to learn about ballroom culture, which can come across as intimidating especially to newcomers, says Lil Vexx Marciano. For one, Irzie Kasicunt – considered to be among the trailblazers of the local ballroom scene – admits to having learnt about the ins and outs of ballroom on his own through platforms such as YouTube and the pop culture phenomenon that’s RuPaul’s Drag Race. (At the same time, the KikiHQ team is quick to point out that the reality series often misappropriates elements of ballroom; what it usually refers to as a death drop – a move in which participants drop their backs towards the ground – is really a dip, for example.)

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Says KikiHQ’s Fellix Nangfa Sun: “With more and more balls happening in Singapore, we feel that people have been expressing a lot of curiosity about the scene and KikiHQ is meant to be a non-judgmental haven for even complete beginners.” 

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More recently, Beyonce’s glittery, sold-out Renaissance World Tour – one of the year’s biggest live music events that spanned 56 shows and 10 countries over nearly five months – has further boosted ballroom’s visibility. Anyone who’s seen even a glimpse of it on social media would know that throughout, the pop-slash-R&B diva paid heightened homage to the scene – evident in her extravagant costumes; lyrics (“tip, tip, tip on hardwood floors / tens, tens, tens across the board”) and, most significantly, roping in of actual members of the ballroom community as star performers. These include the dancer Honey Balenciaga of the House of Balenciaga and ballroom commentator/artist Kevin JZ Prodigy with this entire spectacle continuing to live on in the concert film Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce out in theatres on Dec 1.

So Queen Bey might be doing the big gestures through her platform, but locally, KikiHQ can be said to be doing the same and arguably more, given that its pro-bono classes are open to everyone and anyone. After all – at its beating heart – ballroom is where marginalised members of the LGBTQ+ communities find a supportive and safe environment to express their identities beyond the confines of daily life. (It explains the sub-culture’s rich and specific rules and language that sees queer individuals “walk” or compete, perform, dance, lip-sync and model, and in doing so, lampoon gender constructs and social conventions that have traditionally excluded them.) Queer individuals naturally take centre stage, but the team behind KikiHQ hopes to bring more people into the conversation. 

Says Irzie Kasicunt: “I think there’s this common misconception that ballroom is only for queer people. Sure, there are still those in our community who feel that way and I can’t speak for them. For us at least though, we’re trying to advocate that humanity should come together. As long as participants learn the history of this culture and are respectful of it, it’s fine and you’re welcome here.” 

Here, three members of KikiHQ – Father Irzie, Lil Vexx Marciano and Fellix Nangfa Sun (the others were not available for our interview date) – offer an insider view of how Singapore’s young ballroom scene is developing and what this says about our city as a whole. 

For starters, tell us more about what made you decide to start Kiki HQ?

Fellix Nangfa Sun (FNS): “It started with the five of us – each representative of our own kiki house in Singapore – wanting to create safe spaces here for the LGBTQ+ community and those interested in ballroom culture… We aim to grow the ballroom scene by holding sessions in which people can learn about its history, practice moves and find a network of friends and mentors.

Shout-out to Dance Nucleus – if not for it, we wouldn’t even have the space to stage our sessions and we’re very grateful for that. We submitted a proposal in March this year and it eventually gave us a residency at its space, allowing us to hold our first session this July. Our intention ultimately is to give back to the community and to expand it to include people who might not be familiar with the scene… We also aim to use KikiHQ to hold workshops with parents from international houses as well as delve into non-performance categories such as commentating or DJ-ing (that are still intrinsic to ballroom).”

There’s plenty of discussion online both for and against the adoption of ballroom culture into mainstream pop culture. What are your opinions on this?

FNS: “Our queen mother Beyonce has really pushed the culture into greater prominence by using actual ballroom members like Honey Balenciaga and Carlos Basquiat on her Renaissance tour… Of course, shows such as Pose and Legendary have also helped to glamorise aspects of ballroom on the small screen. I’m glad more people are seeing parts of ballroom culture and it’s up to them whether they want to find out more beyond the glamour and runway... What I’m personally more interested in and concerned with is the real lives of ballroom people – what do they work as or do in the day, and how do they survive? We frequently hear stories about ballroom members being kicked out by their own families, which was how the idea of kiki houses came about: to provide shelter for outcasts and give them a space to belong to. To me, that’s where the heart of ballroom culture really lies.”

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What can people expect to learn at KikiHQ’s monthly sessions?

Lil Vexx Marciano (LVM): “Ballroom is a very personal journey for anyone who participates. Everyone has his or her own way of interpreting things and a category he or she leans towards. The first hour of each session is usually spent going through ballroom’s history and cultural legacy while the second is devoted to going through the movements of ballroom. We try to create an environment that simulates a real ballroom to let participants have a small taste of what walking in a real ball might feel like.”

What makes Singapore’s ballroom scene unique?

FIK: “Shout-out to VIP – the group (which organised Singapore’s first ball back in 2019 and comprises nightlife veteran Bobby Luo, drag personality Vanda Miss Joaquim, choreographer/singer Amin Alifin, dancer Rachel Lee and writer-slash-comedia Jess V) made our ballroom scene unique by introducing local aspects to their balls. For example, their balls have included a lot of references to Singapore culture – even Jurong Bird Park and Haw Par Villa… It’s also unique in the sense that we’re really focused on being very tight-knit and family-based instead of recruiting more people senselessly. I think this is important because when new people arrive on the scene, they can see that the bond we have as a community is genuine.”

FNS: “I think Singapore being a multi-racial country means we pull inspiration from everywhere – east and west – and that seems to be something more specific to us as compared to the ballroom community in other regions.”

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In more mature ballroom communities such as New York, ballroom members have become celebrities and even worked with major brands such as Mugler. What’s been the response of the greater community towards the ballroom scene here in Singapore?

FIK: “From what I know so far, there haven’t been many mainstream brands here that have engaged with our community in a significant way. There are private gigs – usually nightlife events – that some of us are invited to perform at, but these generally remain within the realm of our community. Please hire us!”

LVM: “Ballroom started in New York so it makes sense that the scene there is much more evolved. Also, the houses in New York’s ballroom scene are literally named after fashion brands – think the House of Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Gucci and more – lending naturally to collaborations with the fashion industry. And ultimately, New York is a city where the arts scene is very liberal. The ballroom scene in Singapore is still very young and would definitely benefit from more networking with major houses in cities where ballroom is more established.”

What does this slow but steady development of the local ballroom scene say about Singapore today? 

FNS: “While things are not perfect, there is some space for artistic expression in Singapore. I recently helped organise a ball in a nearby country – its first ever – and while a lot of work went into ensuring the participants’ safety, I could sense a lot of fear that the authorities might come and there’d be repercussions on everyone. Here at least, people can participate in our balls without feeling that way and I think that in itself says something.”

How do you see our ballroom scene evolving in the near future?

FNS: “In the span of the past three years or so, four kiki houses have emerged. Before that, there was only one (the House of Kasicunt). The community is not huge, but there’s growth, making this an exciting era to be in. We’re of the opinion that things are only going to go up from here.” 

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What would you say to those who are thinking of joining a ball, but are too shy or scared to do so?

FIK: “Don’t rush into things. I know everything can be super exciting when you’re just starting out, but don’t feel like you have to emulate someone else in the community. Instead, discover yourself and what you really like as a ball participant. We say the same thing to participants who get ‘chopped’ (not make the cut at a ball): You may be bitter for a bit and that’s okay, but you need to keep moving forward. There will always be another ball!”

FNS: “Staying authentic to yourself may be difficult in real life settings, but that’s all the more reason for you to try ballroom – it’s here where you can find the solidarity that you may not even know you need.”

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR CLARITY AND BREVITY.

Portrait Photography Athirah Annissa Art Direction Jonathan Chia Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Beno Lim

This article first appeared in the Dec 2023 This Great City Edition of FEMALE