Last week, we had the absolute pleasure to co-present the first IRL Voguing Ball in Berlin since the lockdown. It was hosted by the charming David Milan who already gave us the big Pride Ball and Ocean Ball last year that we also covered. The venue was once again the Säälchen at Holzmarkt – it’s just the perfect venue for a ball of this size!
The theme of this ball was Superheroes which was without a doubt the most specific and playful theme of the series. Of course there were a lot of classic superheroes and villains such as Spiderman and Catwoman. But the call for participation asked people to be creative, so you could also see everyday heroes such as nurses, single moms, activists – we even saw the first trans presidential candidate there.
As we are still living in a pandemic the circumstance for the event was quite different: Usually, over 1000 people show up for these balls, but to comply with the current legal safety measures this time only the participants and a few fellow house members were allowed into the venue. The usual spectators were able to watch a professional live stream of the ball either from the comfort of their homes or at the public viewing at Neuzeit Ost in collaboration with Mobile Kino. The required distancing and face mask rules also had to be respected, which was hard during the performances when the energy of the voguers was taking over, but I think the crowd did a fairly good job at complying.
It was a great ball, with a lot of stunning performances, great international participants, and a powerful audience. Of course, we took some impressions for you which you can enjoy below!
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by Frank | Party, Photos
On Saturday the Ballroom scene of Berlin came together for a very special charity Ball hosted by the lovely David Angels Milan and Oliver Jopke. Following his super colorful and fun Pride Ball back in July, this was only his second Ball here in Berlin, but a massive one at that with around 1000 guests attending! The theme of the night was the ocean. In a time of climate awareness, it was a poignant gesture to this important ecosystem. But it was not just a gesture, in fact, all proceeds at the door were fully donated to the Ocean Now organization that campaigns for the protection and recovery of the oceans. We hear that it was the proud sum of 4.800 EUR that came together for this purpose.
The ocean theme, of course, saw many Voguers come up with their best oceanic outfits – we saw mermaids in fishnets, penguins, starfish, lots of shimmering scales and flowy blue fabrics. Commenting on the tragic state of pollution of the oceans there were also a couple of outfits assembled of bottles, bags and other plastic trash. The photographers of fabulous Tush Magazine were in the house as they were media partners of the event and they had quite a lot to photograph with all these crazy looks. The winners of each category did not only take home their trophies but also the latest issue of Tush as well as goodies by sponsors Bumble BFF, Weekday and The Moxy.
If you want to learn more about all the different categories and rules of Balls you should check out the recent Ballroom guide that we photographed with some members from the House of Angels. Below you’ll find our photos and GIFs from the Ocean Ball. Enjoy!
If you’re wondering when the next Ball is taking place check out our Events page and look out for the Black Magic Ball at Gorki.
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by Frank | Party, Photos
The Ballroom scene of Berlin is on fire right now! Never have there been more balls happening with new events popping up every other week. It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm of the young generation and how they rise up to create their own gatherings.
After we had so much fun at the last ball hosted by the charming David Angels Milan during Pride, we teamed up with him for his next ball Voguing for the Ocean that is happening this coming Saturday at Säälchen. The oceanic theme is not just meant as a dress code for the outfits of the Voguers, the event is also a charity fundraiser for the organization Ocean Now that is campaigning to protect this important ecosystem. Voguing for a good cause!
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by Frank | Stories
The Ballroom scene might very well be my favorite thing about Berlin’s nightlife right now. I’m so happy there is a lot of movement going on at the moment with multiple voguing workshops taking place and balls happening more regularly. If you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about you can read up on the ballroom culture and voguing in some earlier pieces of us here and here.
This last Friday the magnificent David Milan from the House of Milan hosted his very first ball here in Berlin at Säälchen in conjunction with Pride Week and with support by Coca-Cola and Eastpak. It was a beautiful spectacle that united all the colors of the rainbow (literally and metaphorically) under one roof. The runway was on fire that night with some of the best outfits and performances I have seen in a while. I just love how regular outfit rules of Berlin’s club scene are totally turned upside down with people going for bold, colorful, extravagant and camp instead of the trendy, sporty all-black style. For me, the voguers are like the coolest people that I can imagine, but at the same time they are very welcoming and accepting of all kinds of people, so you will see a very diverse crowd embracing different identities, cultures, and shapes at their events.
The crowd of the Pride Ball was no exception, so much beauty, my camera could not have been happier. Of course, I took tons of photos and I created probably the biggest series of animated GIFs that I ever did for an event. I’m already excited for the next ball (which is happening at Schwuz on August 23) and also look forward to more movement in the ballroom culture of Berlin.
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by Frank | Party, Photos
