Origins of Vogue Femme Dance
Although Madonna’s hit song “Vogue” introduced the mainstream media to a dance form that mimicked posing and modeling, the vogue femme dance or vogueing, actually began in the 1960s in Harlem and later incorporated several styles of dance. Among many others, vogueing is mainly inspired by martial arts, modern dance, gymnastics and yoga. Through improvisation, voguing requires dancers to keep track of the beat of the music, while displaying distinct arm and head movements.
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History
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Originating in Harlem, vogueing began as an artistic outlet for African-American and Latino men dressed in drag at Harlem ballrooms. This style of vogueing, then called Presentation, was performed in elaborate costumes and was inspired by Vegas showgirls. According to "Time" magazine, voguers spread the craze by practicing their steps in downtown discos. However, by the 1980s, vogueing focused more on movement and artistic individuality.
Structure
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The bond created through vogueing is often irreplaceable, and voguers who dance together consider themselves family. Voguers refer to dancers that often perform together as a “house.” The voguers within each house are affectionately called its “children,” who sometimes change their last names to signify their houses. The houses compete in various “balls” to gain recognition among other houses. The balls are important competitions, and each voguer is expected to represent his house by putting on a great performance.
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Style
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The vogue femme style of vogueing refers to a style in which voguers dance in dramatic and feminine styles. This style of vogueing incorporates runway walking, sashaying and even dips. The vogue femme style is a new generation style and focuses on flamboyancy and individuality. In competitions, this style of vogueing is divided into the soft and dainty category and the “drama queen” category. The soft and dainty performers have a less dramatic style, while the drama queens focus on stunts and harder expressions.
Misconceptions
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Since the mainstream media was introduced to vogueing by Madonna’s hit song, many people believe that vogueing is based on simple posing and modeling. Vogueing incorporates gymnastics and acrobatics, as well as rhythm and improvisation. Voguers express themselves through their calculated movements and advanced gymnastics. Since its inception, vogueing has been mimicked in movies and music videos.
Significance
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Vogueing inspired many musicians and artists to incorporate vogueing in their work. Jody Watley, an American singer, was one of the first artists to features voguers in her videos “Still a Thrill” and “Friends,” which were both released in the late 1980s. Madonna made vogueing popular with her song “Vogue,” which featured two professional voguers, Jose and Luis Xtravaganza.
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