Learn How to Vogue at the Frost Art Museum “Paris is Burning” Screening

Jesse Fraga/Staff Writer

Attendees of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum’s Flaming Classic’s screening of “Paris is Burning” will also learn how to vogue.

In collaboration with the Frost Art Museum, the Miami-based queer film initiative, Flaming Classics, will be presenting the documentary this Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Graham Center 140 theater.

During the 1980s ballroom era, circles within the queer community were thriving but many were under attack.

Ballroom is an underground LGBTQ+ subculture where contestants compete for prizes based on their elaborate categorized catwalks.

The film depicts how houses in this time period were deeply impacted by social, financial and political setbacks.

A house is made up of a group of queer people, usually people of color, who are considered to be an alternative family. The houses are brought together at these balls to compete for the crown.

Just like how houses offer an outlet and support system for individuals to feel free to live as their authentic selves, The Frost’s Education Specialist, Emily Afre said, “We knew that we wanted to build engaging, inclusive and fun programming,” in anticipation of the event.

“Paris is Burning” is a historic piece of queer film that has left audiences inspired and open to education within Harlem, New York’s underclass queer scene.

Following the showing of “Paris is Burning”, FIU students and faculty will have the opportunity to participate in a voguing workshop taught by queer creatives.

Voguing can be categorized as a stylized campy form of modern house dance that includes artistic modeling and performance.

As voguing is one of the main forms of ball performance, Flaming Classics felt this would be a perfect event to highlight such an art form.

Drag performer and FIU biology freshmen Dariel Rodriguez, often known as Juicy Opium Love, defines voguing as, “A form of bringing out your best self, feeling glamorous and cunt, all-in-one, when you don’t always feel like that.”

From what started as a tradition distinct to Harlem, ballroom culture has progressed throughout various parts of the world today. However, it remains an underground festivity that is mainly shared with those claimed by a house.

While no experience is needed, Afre said the session does require audience participation.

In an effort to expand FIU’s exposure to the queer continuum, Flaming Classics and The Frost Art Museum hope their collaboration will leave students with a greater understanding of the LGBTQ+ community’s role in pop culture.

For more information on the event and to RSVP, visit https://frost.fiu.edu/exhibitions-events/events/2019/11/flaming-classics-paris-is-burning.html.