The House That Vogueing Built

Take a look into the world of New York's queer vogue ballroom scene with our new VICELAND show MY HOUSE, Mondays at 7.30PM from June 4 on SKY Channel 13.

The stars of MY HOUSE dance and live in New York, vogueing’s spiritual home, but the movement has gone international. In Aotearoa it is spearheaded by the inimitable FAF SWAG—you can watch our Zealandia episode on the arts collective here. The local scene is still in its infancy, but it continues to gather momentum.

We listened in as Akashi Fisi'inaua (MC Queen-Kapussi) and Pati Solomona Tyrell (TAMATOA), stars of the local scene, spoke with My House star Alex Mugler by Skype. They sought advice on how to keep the movement—local and international—growing, the process of filming the VICELAND series, and why, ultimately, it’s passion that matters the most.

Alex: How long have you guys like been doing the scene out there?

Pati: We’re really young. Like we only first kinda started in 2013.

Akashi: The scene started in 2013 but I think like we’re a generation of the internet, so a lot of our references came from YouTube and that was our connection to ballroom culture first and foremost. And this was like high school, like 2007, 2008, when vogueing came into our consciousness. It wasn’t until 2013 that we held our first ball. Then there was a lot of trial and error here and there, but it was about building the culture, nurturing that culture.

Pati: Our scene is mostly Pacific Islanders. I’d say only like 30 real voguers at the moment. A lot of our vogue culture is a mix of what we learned from the internet and then our own Pacific cultures, so Samoan and Tongan, and trying to weave our indigenous knowledge into what we do with our vogue.

Alex: Oh, that’s so dope. I’m happy that you guys like have a scene there. Like that you have a place that you can call your own and you can even make your own, you know what I mean? I feel like that’s really important.

Akashi: Yeah, definitely. I think that vogueing came for me personally at a time when I most needed it. Like, it was at a time where I was struggling through a lot of identity politics, a lot of bullshit from society, and it was just a way that I felt very empowered politically and as a person. And I’ve seen the power of vogue transform my community here, but how have y’all like sustained that momentum?

Alex: For me personally it’s the passion. If you have a great passion for this culture, for this dance, you are going to make sure it survives, know what I mean? You’re going to make sure you’re teaching, you’re gonna make sure that you’re training, you’re gonna make sure that you’re getting all the information that you need, know what I’m saying? Now that you have my contact, I’ll definitely help out in any way that I can, but for me I feel like it’s the need to have it. The need for this self-expression. For me, it’s like self-expression in its highest form. Anything that I could do to help out others, I’m totally ready because I have such a big passion for this dance and this culture.

You’re going to run into a lot of trials, a lot of trials, but you have to keep going. Because being from New York and it being like the Mecca, it was super established already. But going to places like Paris, places like Germany and Belgium, it wasn’t such a big thing. And this was probably like five/six years ago because I was travelling a lot, dancing with a contemporary company, and I was like ‘Woah, I’m not gonna just not vogue.’ So I needed to find a scene, I needed to help them throw balls, I needed to teach classes, you know what I mean? For me, I felt like if the people were genuinely passionate about it and really wanted to learn and really wanted to share, then it was gonna progress. So my advice to you is keep doing it, keep pushing. Keep having your functions, keep teaching.

Akashi: How has it been being, as you say, from the Mecca, the centre of it all, and seeing the ripple effects that vogue has on the rest of the world, for yourself personally? How does that feel?

Alex: It feels amazing! Now other people are starting to see and they are starting to feel like how I feel. When I’m vogueing, I feel empowered, I feel like, yes I am that bitch and nobody can’t tell me nothing. And to see other people feeling like that, it does something to you.

Pati: I wanted to know, how was the process of filming the VICELAND docuseries?

Alex: It was really fun. There were a lot of shady moments, sometimes, which you guys will see as the stories unfold. Ultimately, I feel like if you have like a genuine love for somebody, even if they’re not in your house per se—well in your house anymore—because like me and Tati, I brought her to the house but then she had left. We have a genuine love for each other, so even though she’s not in my house, she’s still like family to me. So you’ll see our relationship go on this up-and-down kind of roller coaster, but it’s definitely going to be interesting to watch for sure.

Akashi: Well, we got like a sneak peak of it and we’re hooked.

Pati: It’s totally relatable.

Akashi: Totally relatable, but in a different context.

Pati: It’s also a totally different vibe from what we see on Ballroom Throwbacks.

Alex: That’s why I love the show so much, because it gives you a third dimension. You have this image that you see of the balls and what goes on, but on this show you see what happens when we leave the ball, when we hang out with each other, when we talk to each other. You get a deeper insight of what it’s like to be in the ballroom and outside of the ballroom. Very much so. I need to make a trip over there, to New Zealand!

Pati: It’d be nice to show you some of what’s happening over here in New Zealand.

Alex: I’d love to see.

Pati: We’re really small. I think we have three houses at the moment and the biggest house is like 13 members.

Alex: Keep going! This is how you spread, you share the energy. When you go to the club, you carry. That’s how we recruited a lot of members. Like when I was in Paris and the scene was really small, what me and my friends were doing was going to the clubs and vogueing down, jumping off the stage until eventually people were like, ‘What is this? I wanna learn it.’

Akashi: We should totally take his advice and go throw down after this.

Alex: That’s how the scene really grew, because we were in the clubs doing the work. We’d go home, get down, we were practicing, trying to sharpen our craft. And then people would just be like ‘I need to learn that’ or ‘Bitch that looks fun, can you teach me?’ Then you have a new house daughter.

Akashi: I would imagine that you have done things for galleries, you have done things for TV, and you’ve done things on stage. Is it still the same kind of energy, like do you still feel renewed every single time you do it?

Alex: Only because I have a purpose. I know why. And that’s a big thing that really want to have instilled in you no matter where you’re vogueing. You wanna know why you’re doing it. For me, it’s how I tell my story, it’s how I express myself. If you truly know why you’re doing it, then it’ll be the same, you’ll have the same energy. I hope that the next time you go to the club, you carry. And show what New Zealand vogue is like.

Akashi: I’m just like sitting in the moment right now. I’m really starstruck and I can’t believe that I’m getting like words of wisdom from you. I’m really appreciative of this moment right now.

Alex: Thank you guys so much. It’s my pleasure to share and talk with you guys. This is like the highlight of my day. What are you guys, like 22 hours away from me? Are you kidding, this is amazing.

You can watch MY HOUSE on VICELAND, SKY Channel 13, Mondays from June 4 at 7.30PM. And check watch Auckland's Underground Vogue Scene below.