Manalagi Residency Weekend: Strike a Pose and Learn to Vogue with Kiki House of Marama

Joining us for the Manalagi Project Handover Weekend, meet Pōneke’s very own award winning 'Kiki House of Marama' (established in 2020 by House Mothers Karamera and Romé) - a collective of 17 performers and artists who compete together within a queer subculture called Ballroom.

Our facilitators will teach you the technique of Vogue Fem and Runway and you can participate in a Throwdown to test your sassy skills. An empowering, high energy and fun way to learn about our Rainbow Pacific, honouring Pride Month and learning about the histories and stories of our Communities. 

The Kiki House of Marama are known to deliver high-energy vogue and fashion performances that are sure to leave you GAGGED and wanting more. With over 50 Grand Prizes won competitively across the Oceania Ballroom scenes, the Kiki House of Marama holds a strong presence within the local and international Ballroom community respectively. 

Venue: Te Papa Museum, Amokura, level 4

Workshop Elements

Ballroom History - A talanoa session/presentation about the history and origins of Ballroom culture and its presence here in Aotearoa. An opportunity to get to know the foundations and structures of Ballroom as a culture and its competitive element.

Vogue Fem Workshop - A movement-based workshop covering the history and foundations of Vogue Fem, a dance style embraced by popular artists such as Beyoncé, Madonna, Megan Thee Stallion, and more. Led by Mother Karamera Marama, one of the top and highly awarded Vogue Fem performers in both Aotearoa and Australia, this workshop will teach you the five elements of Vogue Fem and how to seamlessly combine them to tell a story without using words.

Runway Workshop - A movement-based workshop covering the history and foundations of Runway, a category within Ballroom that highlights one's ability to command attention with a strong walk that exudes attitude, confidence, and grace. Led by Mother Romé, a top contender and highly awarded Runway diva across Aotearoa and Australia, this workshop will teach you the elements and styles of Runway in Ballroom culture and how you can serve it all by simply just walking.

Community Throwdown Session: Jam session at the end to practice your skills from what was learnt from the workshop

* Ballroom is a queer subculture and safe space created in the late 1960's, forged by the Black, Latinx and queer Americans in protest against the racism and queerphobia that they faced from the non-queer community and white queer community. It is a space built to protect trans womxn of colour, so as guests and participants within this culture it is imperative that we all do our best to respect and honour this sacred space. Homophobia, Transphobia, and any discriminatory language and/or beliefs will not be tolerated. Remember to check your privilege at the door.