Culture through the Lens of Public Practices
One of the locations in which I contemplated the design of my research project in Dissertation 1 was the Public Practices managed by the House of Apocalipstick[1] in Mexico City. However, once I got into the fieldwork, I could trace the origin of the various transmission practices of Ballroom culture categories[2] by the entire Mexican community.
In an interview with Oscar Sánchez[3], a professional photographer who managed to track and briefly archive the House of Apocalipstick from its origin, he argues that the birth of Public Practices in 2015 occurred in Mexico City in one of the middle-class neighbourhoods where Franka Polari[4] (Founding Mother of House of Apocalipstick) lived. According to Oscar, “These practices were carried out in the afternoon, and then they smoked marijuana at Polari’s house and spent the entire afternoon eating pizza or simply relaxing” (Personal Interview, 2023).
Before my fieldwork, I investigated the House of Apocalipstick website,[5] previously managed by Polari, where two types of Practices are mentioned: Open and Public. The website clarifies that there are traditional workshops, Open Practices in Mexico City, and Public Practices in the City of Monterrey.
The difference that is established between this type of dance transmission practices is radically diametric; as we know, the workshops focus on short periods or with specific dates to carry out teaching focused on spaces and conditions suitable for carrying out the transmission, in addition to requiring a prior registration by participants.
In the case of Open Practices, it is understood as a practice where a specific House[6] manages it to offer training and teaching to its members. In this kind of practice, guests from other Houses or potential candidates may be recruited to recruit them. It generally takes place in private or self-managed spaces and is completely free.
Finally, Public Practices are understood as practices in public areas where the participants come from different Houses or are simply interested people without prior experience. It is one of the main bridges of initiation or access to Ballroom culture categories for the public.
Thus, I focused on Public Practices in Mexico City because a single House does not manage them. Still, instead, it is a community transmission system that gives space to different community members to teach, from their perspective, their speciality in the Ballroom culture categories. The practices are held every Tuesday from nineteen to twenty-one hours in the city centre. Each week, a different member leads the session, which seeks to allow most of the community members to practice transmitting their knowledge and achieve a symbolic economic income due to the requested voluntary payment at the end of the practice.
The Public Practices have a controversial background. Thus, according to Oscar Sánchez, “It was in the city of Monterrey, led by Franka Polari, had a double intention: on the one hand, the transmission of Ballroom culture categories; and on the other, the generation and adherence of new people to grow the Ballroom community in that city” (Personal Interview, 2023). However, according to Suspiriorum Apocalipstick[7], current Xadre of House of Apocalipstick chapter Mexico City, affirms “the practices were not accessible to everyone, the social marker made a differentiation between the social strata to which the participating people belonged” (Personal Interview, 2023). Because, unlike Óscar Sánchez, according to Suspiriorum «these practices were intended to hunt talent instead of the categories’ dissemination» (Ibid).
Nonetheless, this clearly shows that they have been effective today due to their results. Many of the interviews conducted with community members have spent some time in Public Practices before being able to take the next step towards their first immersion in a Ball[8].
Synchronised Souls: Navigating the Vogue Femme Experience at the House of Karnalas
Because our text must focus on the corporeal experience, I will focus on the description of the session offered by the House of Karnalas on July 6, 2023. Kristen Genesis Karnala[9] directed the practice, which is currently considered the 2023 revelation within the community. I know Kristen comes from Monterrey City. Monterrey is regarded as the second most important city in the Mexican Republic. I remember talking to her during my visit to the Xavier Villaurrutia Centre with the House of Apocalipstick. In an informal interview, she explained, «Mexico City has a considerable Ballroom scene; many Houses have different practices, and it is possible to find at least a Ball once a week” (Informal Interview, 2023). Kristen explained, «In Monterrey, it is not the same situation; in my city, it is possible to go to a Ball only once a month” (Informal Interview, 2023). Therefore, she was exhausted because June demanded a lot of effort because of Pride month.
Her session focused on the Vogue Femme[10] category, one of the most widespread Ballroom categories globally in the last 20 years. This practice was one of the first public practices I attended as a practitioner. However, due to this category’s physical dexterity demands, I was unsure if I should follow the practice or be an active observer.
Description and analysis
Overall, the atmosphere was quite friendly. Therefore, I decided to take this moment as an opportunity, as everyone attending knew each other. It was an opportunity to have some proximity with the community members. According to the notes from my detailed description, in combination with the observations extracted from the video recordings of the practice, people placed their things near the glass wall of the building, turned on the portable speaker, and Kristen connected her mobile phone.
At the beginning, she explained her warm-up. This warm-up consisted of mobilising different body parts, but it was not a long enough period. We did 30 minutes of warm-up and arranged ourselves in a cypher dance so that everyone could see each other and possibly take up more space. The practice was in a public space where passers-by could walk without problems. However, this vast space was shared with other physical practices such as breakdancers, skaters, skateboarders, and pre-Hispanic dancers.
It was a diversified environment of corporeal practices saved from the rain. So, I started to practice with the group. I did the warm-up, and methodologically, I decided to rely on my physical memory to write my notes because sometimes, while taking field records, I get distracted. Besides, the fact that many people consider it strange for someone to write while doing an activity exclusively in the field.
The rest of the participants arrived as the warm-up went on; consequently, our circle grew steadily. During the first stage of the class, Kristen proposed to start with a round of improvisations to get to know each other, but this intention privileged two questions: How do you feel today? What makes you think in this context?
Kristen’s proposal integrated these questions to create awareness during the practice. With this preparation, Kristen seems to know how to lead Vogue Femme and body culture practices. Thus, each participant moved to the circle’s centre to introduce themselves through movement. In the beginning, it was difficult because of the shyness of the participants, but little by little, this exercise was completed. This allowed me to meet new people and recognise others from past Balls.
The conditions of the public practices are not the best. For example, it is difficult to hear the music, it is hard to dance on concrete, there are many distractions, and finally, there is no protection against bad weather. However, despite all these drawbacks, it was possible to keep the practice going thanks to the interest and energy of the participants.
Kristen used a recurring pedagogical strategy to counteract the circumstances, reminding us of the actual Balls. She always encouraged us to keep clapping during the practice of another person or persons. Clapping generated an energetic interaction in the body of those who clapped and integrated us in the binomial: «observer-observed». That is, keeping the rhythm helped to focus our attention on the dancer.
Although Kristen only indicated clapping, what does it mean to clap to the rhythm of the tempo? What results does it have on those who clap to support those in the middle of a performance?
It is possible to respond when Ingold (2001:142) paraphrases James Gibson as saying that learning amounts to an «education of attention» (1979:254). Keeping rhythm with the clapping in public practices, Kristen attempts to develop a micro-environment that treats the perception of the participants as the core activity of the whole practice in public space.
However, despite these intuitions, there was a palpable sense of what was mentioned in several interviews as a kind of recognition of new people, also known as «babies». This recognition and motivation are promoted through applause and clapping. Many of the interviewees stated that this is intended to make newcomers feel a sense of welcome and openness to participation.
The relevance of this point can be illuminated when Ingold (2001:21) quotes Gibson as saying, «We learn to perceive not by incorporating mental representations or schemes to organise the raw data of bodily sensations, but by fine-tuning or sensitising the whole perceptual system, comprising the brain and peripheral receptor organs together with their receptors, neural and muscular links to particular features of the environment» (1979: 246-8).
Kristen proposed «Soul Training» as a second phase of the practice. This exercise consists of creating two lines to work on in pairs, one in front of the other. The aim is to maintain eye contact with your partner for 16 bars. Once one person dances, the other responds, creating a constant dialogue. According to Kristen, it is an opportunity to learn about your partner, get to know them and train your timing. I experienced this exercise and tried to keep eye contact and timing simultaneously. It was fun. We repeated this exercise by adding a question: What do I want to communicate?
So, in a sense, constantly observing what my dance partner does could be called a copycat action. According to Ingol (2001:130-131), «the architecture of the mind is the result of copying; however, that copying is not an automatic transcription of cognitive devices (or instructions for constructing them) from one head to another, but a matter of following, in one’s actions, what other people do».
In this sense, «Soul Training» developed the format of working in pairs, although not in a competitive spirit. The spatial arrangement of the other participants produced a kind of cypher dance, but one that was not entirely clear. During this exercise, Kristen pointed out that «it is necessary to steal each other’s pose». Therefore, more than an action of imitation, it would be an action of transcription. As Ingol (2001:131) argues, «copying is an aspect of a person’s life in the world, involving repeated tasks and exercises or what Whitehouse (1996: 113) aptly calls the labour of maturation«.
Thus, eye contact was not just about observing the opponent but about stealing ideas and poses and using them to continue the dance. If not, as Ingol (2001:131) states, «it is through the work of copying, then, that the neurological foundations of human competencies are established». By pointing this out, it is possible to understand one of the basic principles that differentiates a workshop from a public practice. Public practice is not based on the transmission of steps or choreographic structures but on the transmission of strategies and the development of performative competencies through collective doing.
As the third phase of the practice, we repeated «Soul Training» with the same measure, only 16 bars, but this time a DIP[11] movement was integrated. Every 16 bars, one DIP movement. This aims to study your pose, be aware, and try to find different modifications.
During the practice, at some point, Kristen commented: «The pose is looking for a twisted form rather than a neutral one». She pointed out that it is essential to create multiple variations of the same pose because, in Vogue Femme forms, there are only five elements, so your creativity and awareness retain a basic pattern but with different variations.
This made me reflect on what Ingol (2001:134) mentions about the notions of capacity and competence, where, according to him, they are closely linked to each other: «While the former implies an inherent willingness to accept certain types of rules and representations, the latter is inherent in this received mental content (Ibid)».
Therefore, I tried this exercise, but my right knee gave up and got injured, so I preferred to change my positioning from this point onwards to record the practice of the rest of the participants. A salient moment was the participants’ awareness of my presence during the filming. One participant came directly to me to perform and included gestures from the category in a simulation as if she were competing. At the same time, the rest of the participants notice his action and take pleasure in it. This reaffirms Ingold’s statement, «The movement of the skilled practitioner, by contrast, responds continuously and fluidly to perturbations in the perceived environment» (1993a: 462).
In the last stage of this practice, Kristen led an exercise called «I can do that too». This exercise consisted of giving four poses before a DIP movement. The work was done in pairs to show the other person your best skills, and the opponent tried to improve the observed movements. This exercise brought many encounters with different participants in a big circle, creating expectations, emotions, and energy to keep the practice alive.
During a demonstration by Kristen Genesis Karnala and Emma Mvtante 007[12], while the rest of the participants performed cypher dance, it became evident that working in pairs where a question-answer is performed and concluded by including the DIP movement. Therefore, as Ingold (2001:135) mentions, «This is possible because the body movement of the practitioner is, at the same time, a movement of attention because he observes, listens, and feels even while working».
The dialogue they established contained the imitation or copying of the other person’s gestures, but not necessarily. Gradually, the conversation becomes the basis for what could be a battle. Thus, the first pair who performed the exercise showed a pattern similar, but not identical, to that performed by the people who did the demonstration. In doing so, they reaffirmed the action of imitation and competence that develops a more flexible choreographic discourse. As Ingold (2001:136) quotes Nicholai Bernstein, «‘The essence of dexterity lies not in bodily movements themselves but in the tuning of the movements to an emergent task, whose surrounding conditions are never precisely the same from one moment to the next (Bernstein 1996: 23, original emphasis)».
Meanwhile, audience participation increased with excited shouts at the moments when a movement phrase was closed with the DIP movement. The improvisations were governed by dialogue, play and the speech’s closing with a DIP movement. In this cypher dance, the rest of the participants entered a dynamic of interaction with singing, clapping and voices, identical to what happens in a Ball. The movements that made up each participant’s speech were freely chosen, with a mixture of elements typical of the Vogue Femme category.
Finally, the practice ends at 20:47 hr with economic cooperation directly to Kristen. The class was dissolved at the end of the practice as the socialisation between members of the House is accompanied by dancing, battles, and some marijuana. Usually, it is part of socialisation to consume some drugs. I decided to leave and rest my knee.
Conclusions: Perception Management and Guided Rediscovery
Rather than recounting the exercises that have made up public practice, it is worth highlighting practitioners’ use of perception management to concentrate when there are multiple distractions. It is worth highlighting the use of perception management by practitioners to be able to focus at times when there are numerous distractions. The combination generated by the clapping during the introductory stage and maintained throughout the practice directly corresponds with the context of the Ball—the multiple connotations of clapping help in some way to generate this education and practice of attention.
However, what is relevant and full of information are the verbal indications made by Kristen. The act of stealing, copying, imitating, and improving on what has been learned is closely linked to the recurring theme of fieldwork. Ingold (2001:141), paraphrasing Gatewood (1985), states that «copying is not the automatic transcription of mental content from one head to another, but rather a matter of following what other people do. The beginner observes, feels or hears the movements of the expert and, through repeated rehearsal, attempts to align his own body movements with those of his attention to achieve the kind of rhythmic adjustment of perception and action that is at the heart starting point of fluent performance.»
Therefore, the relevance of public practices for the Mexican Ballroom community lies in the constant transit of information between practitioners and facilitators from different houses. As Merleau-Ponty has observed, according to Ingold (2001:141), we do not copy other people, but we copy their actions and «find others at the point of origin of these actions (Ingold, 1964:117)”.
Remembering what Kristen mentions, «it is necessary to steal each other’s pose», reminds us that «it is not a process of copying or transmitting information but of guided rediscover» (Ingold, 2001:138). The skills learned during these practices involve a mixture of imitation and improvisation. According to Ingold, it would be better to understand them as «two sides of the same coin» (Ibid).
Kristen’s constant questioning makes us reflect deeply on the transmission of the categories of Ballroom culture in the Mexican community. Questions focus more on subjective aspects to which no specific answer exists. As Ingold (2001:141) mentions, leaving other options open, «copying is imitative, insofar as it is done under direction; it is improvisation, insofar as the knowledge it generates is knowledge that beginners discover for themselves».
Bibliography:
Bailey, M. (2011) Gender/Racial Realness: Theorizing the Gender System in Ballroom Culture. Feminist Studies. 37 (2): 365–386.
Ingold, T. (2001) From the Transmission of Representations to the Education of Attention in In Whitehouse, H. (ed.) The Debated Mind. Evolutionary Psychology versus Ethnography. Oxford: Berg, pp113-154.
Ramirez, B. (2022) I have the right to show my sexuality, my dear! The intersectional identity in vogue dance forms. Master’s Dissertation 1. Choreomundus: International Master in Dance Knowledge, Practice, and Heritage. Unpublished.
Wikipedia (2022) Performativity. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performativity#Performance_theory_and_gender_perspectives (Accessed: 28/12/22).
Wikipedia (2022) Vogue (dance). Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_(dance) (Accessed: 28/12/2022)
[1] House of Apocalipstick was founded by Franka Polari and Vyctoria Letal to promote Ballroom culture in Mexico City. Since 2015, the group has organized Balls with judges and awards, attended by other houses from the Mexican scene. In addition, they have organized public practices to introduce interested individuals to Ballroom culture.
[2] In 1981, Paris Dupree (1950-2011) organized the first Paris is Burning Ball, which introduced several categories closely linked with ‘performativity’ (Butler, 1990). According to this concept, gender is a social construct influenced by everyday verbal and nonverbal communication that shapes and maintains identities (Wikipedia, 2022). The categories introduced at the ball included Realness, Beauty, Runaway, Sex Siren, and Vogue Performance, among others, and have since become an essential part of the ballroom culture. Lawrence (2013) has extensively written about this event and its significance in shaping the LGBTQ+ community.
[3] For more information: https://fromamindonfire.blogspot.com/
[4] Polari, also known as Omar Feliciano Mendoza, was a renowned artist, activist, and founder of the House of Apocalipstick. He played a significant role in shaping the Latin American ballroom culture and had close relationships with key figures of the culture in the United States. He also travelled to South America, leading talks, and workshops in countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.
[5] For more information, consult: https://tipographo.github.io/
[6] Houses function as alternative families, primarily consisting of Black and Latino LGBTQ+ individuals, and provide shelter for those who feel ostracised by conventional support systems. Houses are led by «mothers» and «fathers» who are experienced members of the ballroom scene, typically drag queens, gay men, or transgender women, who provide guidance and support for their house «children.» The children of a House are each other’s «siblings».
[7] For more information: https://www.instagram.com/suspiriorum.apock/
[8] Balls are events hosted by a House, which provide a structured and safe environment for the ballroom community to socialize, compete, and recognize its members. These events have different categories, where community members demonstrate their performance and dance skills. The key figures involved in organizing a ball include the Master of Ceremonies (MC), DJ, Chanter, Floor Manager, Judges, Performers, and audience members.
[9] For more information: https://www.instagram.com/kristengk_/
[10] According to Jay Jay Revlon (2018), ‘Vogue Fem (derived from the French word femme, meaning ‘woman’) is fluidity at its most extreme, with exaggerated feminine movements influenced by ballet, jazz, and modern dance’. Vogue Femme is perhaps (after globalisation and transnationalism) the most popular style worldwide. The Vogue Femme category aims to exalt femininity to the fullest, taking the choreographic grammar of the Old Way to the extreme. Jay Jay Revlon (2018) mentions, ‘styles of Vogue Femme performances range from Dramatics (which emphasises stunts, tricks, and speed) to Soft and Cunt (which emphasises a graceful, beautiful, and easy flow of continuations between the five elements)’. In conclusion, Vogue Femme has broken down Vogue Femme Dramatics into fast, angular movements, and Vogue Femme Soft and Cunt with much slower, sensual, and deliberate movements.
[11] A dip is a dance move where the individual falls or descends backwards onto their back with one leg bent underneath. There are two main ways of performing a dip. The first way is slower, where the dancer slightly bends on one leg with their back on the floor and the other leg up in the air. The second way is flashier and involves a quick action, with the dancer seemingly jumping into a dip and hitting the floor in one movement. This move is usually performed after several spins to make it more spectacular. Legendary judge Leiomy Maldonado is known for creating the 360 Dip, where dancer spins at a 45-degree angle before landing the Dip.
[12] For more information: https://www.instagram.com/im.just.emma_/
Bruno Ramri 