City of Toronto & TKBA Presents: Learn to Vogue - Kiki Ballroom Program

Come join us for the Kiki Ballroom Programs Learn to Vogue drop-ins hosted by the Enhanced Youth Spaces lead by instructor Father Jaws Siriano. There are beginner drop-ins offered for those who are learning how to vogue for the very first time, and advanced drop-ins for experienced voguers who are looking for a challenge. These drop-ins will help prepare you for vogue performance categories for the end-of-session Kiki Balls . All ages are welcome, and we encourage you to share this information with youth between the ages of 13 – 24 years old to give them an opportunity to connect with their community.

Please reserve a spot for each Learn to Vogue drop-in to assist us with managing capacity and making the appropriate accommodations for each drop-in as there are only 30 reserved spaces. Note that the schedule is subject to change upon extenuating circumstances and you will be notified by email if so.

Learn to Vogue drop-ins are a part of the City of Toronto’s Kiki Ballroom program which responds to the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Action Plan Action Item 2.1 “Consult on and invest in meeting the specific needs and aspirations of black queer and trans youth by providing black queer and trans youth with opportunities to learn about ballroom culture and connect with their community through the Enhanced Youth Spaces. This program builds on the highly successful Drag Masterclass program and will provide new opportunities for youth across the city, not just in the downtown core.

The Kiki Ballroom program offers Learn to Vogue Workshops where youth can learn the elements of vogue, Open House Practices where you get to practice Ballroom categories, and Kiki Balls where you can see it all come together at a fierce competition!

In March 2023 the Kiki Ballroom Program won the Access and Equity Award at the Parks & Recreation Ontario conference. The City of Toronto and the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance were recognized for championing equitable access to parks and recreation services through advocacy, infrastructure, and/or programming. The Kiki Ballroom Program demonstrated improved access for the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

For more programming information and locations please email [email protected].

Multi-Media Consent:

Please note that this event may have multi-media coverage which will be used to document the event for marketing and archival purposes. If you do not wish to be filmed, or photographed please email [email protected] to let us know. Participants of the open-house practice will have to fill out a Multi-media Consent Form upon arrival.

Accommodations:

If you are in need of accommodations, please email [email protected] with details of your needs to help us provide a barrier-free experience for you.

Wellesley Community Centre

Address: 495 Sherbourne St, Toronto, ON M4X 1K7

Day: Sundays

Start & End Date: Jan 31st – Jun 23rd, 2024

Beginner: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Advanced: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Father Jaws Siriano

Jaws is a professional dancer and vogue femme performer from the Supreme Kiki House of Siriano. They first made their entrance into the Kiki scene in 2019 winning Virgin Vogue at the AGO's 'The Red Ball'. Since then, Jaws has walked both Kiki and mainstream balls, creating moments with their performances and effects such as 'Harley Quinn', 'Calypso' and 'Pennywise' and is currently recognized as the TKBA's Women's Performance of the Year. Jaws is passionate about teaching and creating a class that will cultivate a strong sense of self-discipline, the elements of vogue and studying the artform of ballroom's femme queens and pioneers.

Host or Publisher Sheldon Dixon