VOGUING – STRIKE A POSE!
by Archie Burnett
“In 1980 I was introduced to Vogue by accident. I met Willie Ninja in Washington Square Park after coming from the LOFT, (Club founded by David Mancuso). We all back then just danced in the street after the party was over Sunday afternoon. David Mancuso took me to my first Gay Club. The dancing was real electric and I said to myself: ‘I gotta learn this shit!’. And I’ve been Voguing ever since.
Life is the Club. The Club in my day was the safe haven for all us ‘misfits’ that just didn’t fit in society’s mould. I was fortunate to realize that you can be ‘In’ the scene, but not ‘Of’ the scene. All urban Dance is important and relevant It is the voice of today’s youth as it was generations before. Because it is real, it will have real perils if one doesn’t pay attention. My quest, so to speak, is to share a little of my life with you and hope that one will enjoy the beauty of being connected in the spirit of being free.
The focus of this class will be on proper posture, correct body vocabulary, motivation (meaning individual characterizations), the control of being in the moment, and organic musicality. I will introduce old way vogue (male vogue), new way vogue (beginner) and vogue femme (beginner).”
Voguing is a style developed in the 1980ies and is characterized by poses, similar to the ones of photo model poses with some influences from the Harlem ballrooms of the 1930ies. Characteristics are formation of lines, symmetry, and precision in the execution of such formations and graceful, fluid-like action. Since the founding of Vogue Evolution in 2008 in New York, Voguing became very popular.
Biography:
Archie Burnett is a highly respected underground club dancer in New York City who was one of the prime dancers during the late 70s and 80s, becoming well known for his individual freestyle of Waacking and Voguing. He was a close friend and assistant of the grandfather of Voguing, the legend Willi Ninja, and is up until now a striving force in the NYC dance scene. He is invited as a judge for battles, such as for the “Funky Stylez” 2009 a.o. He appears in the documentary film “Check Your Body at the Door” (2001) by Dr. Sally Sommer, (Professor of Dance at Florida State University), that explores the movement vocabulary of legendary NYC house dancers, including Archie Burnett, Willi Ninja, Ejoe Wilson, Marjory Smarth and Conrad Rochester. Made possible in part by contributions from the National Endowment of the Arts, Dr. Sommer interviews dancers from the local NYC scene and captures now-vintage footage from the late 1980s and early 1990s. “Check Your Body at the Door” now stands as an historical document and testament to the early years of NYC’s house dance culture.
Times:
14.00 – 17.00
Price:
150 Euro
Registration fee of 80 euro required (as part of the 150)
