Bringing Vogue Back to Connecticut
On June 22, 2024, Sky Casper Entertainment produced our first mini-ball with our official ballroom partner, Mother Xiomarie LaBeija, and started bringing LGBTQ+ ballroom culture back to Connecticut. Our mini-balls are sanctioned by the New England Kiki Scene, with grand prize winners entered into the Ball of the Year. We honor the queer pioneers and houses who built the culture, and we keep it moving by teaching the 5 elements of vogue and growing the Kiki scene here in Connecticut.
Rooted in Legacy. Built on Community.
Ballroom culture was forged in Harlem in the 1960s and 70s by Black and Latino trans women and queer icons like Crystal LaBeija, who founded the legendary Royal House of LaBeija in 1968, the first house in ballroom history. As ballroom grew into a global competitive culture, the early 2000s gave rise to the Kiki scene, a vibrant, youth-led, and community-centered space where new performers can learn, practice, and shine.
For years, Connecticut had no ballroom events. Xiomarie LaBeija and Rodd Juicy have had a lot to do with bringing the ballroom scene back to life in Connecticut, each paving their own way, and it is with their help and support that we are able to create these authentic mini-balls. On June 22, 2024, we produced our first mini-ball with Mother Xiomarie LaBeija, putting up $100 grand prizes for every category winner. Most of our mini-balls are rooted specifically in the Kiki Scene, giving Connecticut an authentic, welcoming space to experience the culture firsthand.
Recognized by the New England Kiki Scene
Our mini-balls are approved by the New England Kiki Scene as official mini-balls. That means they are recognized by the regional ballroom community, judged by authentic standards, and count toward real ballroom records. Grand prize winners in each category are entered to win awards at the Ball of the Year (OTY) at the New England Kiki Scene People's Choice Awards Ball.
The Pioneers, Partner & DJ
The people who brought ballroom back to Connecticut and keep the floor moving.
Xiomarie LaBeija
Mother and founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the iconic Royal House of LaBeija. A body-positive force, plus-size AfroLatina, and drag artist, Mother Xiomarie is a long-time friend and our official ballroom partner. We produce our mini-balls together, bringing authentic ballroom culture back to Connecticut.
Rodd Juicy
Holding the title of Monarch of CT, Rodd Juicy is one of the two pioneers who brought ballroom back to Connecticut after years with no ballroom events. Rodd is someone Sky Casper recently met, but he has quickly supported what we are trying to do. An official judge at most of our mini-balls, he brought ballroom back on his own separate path, helping lay the groundwork for the scene we are building today.
DJ Edgewood
The renowned local DJ who orchestrates the music for mini-balls alongside Mother Xiomarie. DJ Edgewood drops the essential ballroom beats, ha's, and house tracks that drive vogue performance, duckwalks, spins, and dramatic dips on the floor.
Categories at Our Mini-Balls
Sky Casper's mini-balls feature four core categories, each with a $100 grand prize.
Face
The judges take a close look at facial structure, teeth, lips, eyes, and nose. Serve face and prove you were born for the camera.
Runway
The catwalk. Confidence, rhythm, and presence from one end of the floor to the other, judged on walk and presentation.
Sex Siren
Sensual performance and magnetism. Command the floor with body, energy, and undeniable appeal.
Performance
Vogue Fem performance judged across the 5 elements: hands, catwalk, duckwalk, floor, and spins & dips. Walk your 10s to advance.
Our Home in the Kiki Scene
The Kiki Scene is the community-centered, youth-led heart of ballroom, focused on practice, mentorship, and accessibility. It is where new performers learn, build confidence, and earn their 10s. Most of our mini-balls are Kiki balls, creating a supportive floor where emerging dancers can walk, battle, and represent Kiki Houses or walk unaffiliated.
The 3 Styles of Vogue
Vogue has evolved into three distinct performance styles over ballroom history. In the Kiki Scene, dancers explore and practice across all three.
Old Way
Characterized by graceful, fluid lines, precision formations, posing, popping, and dabbing inspired by fashion magazines, martial arts, and Egyptian hieroglyphs. Traditionally a symmetrical duel between two rivals.
New Way
Defined by sharp, geometric arm control, tutting, wrist illusions, clicks (joint contortions), and intense flexibility. Dancers create imaginary geometric boxes and shapes with their arms and bodies.
Vogue Fem
An exaggerated, hyper-feminine style birthed by trans women (femme queens). It centers on 5 core elements: hands performance, catwalk, duckwalk, floor performance, and dramatic spins & dips.
The 5 Elements of Vogue Fem
Vogue Fem performance is judged across five core elements. New to the scene? Learn them all at free workshops at A Place To Nourish Your Health.
Hands Performance
Sharp, controlled hand and arm work. The storytelling of vogue, where every finger, wrist, and line carries meaning and throws shade.
Catwalk
An exaggerated runway walk. Legs crossed over each other, hips thrust side to side, hands thrown in opposition to the legs.
Duckwalk
The signature low-to-the-ground shuffle. Squatting on the heels and kicking the feet out while moving forward on the beat.
Floor Performance
Groundwork that shows control and creativity, rolling and twisting across the floor to capture the judges' attention.
Spins & Dips
The exclamation point. Fast spins and the iconic vogue dip, a sudden, dramatic drop to the floor on the HA. Dips are not death drops.
Free Vogue Workshops at A Place To Nourish Your Health
The free vogue workshops are run by A Place To Nourish Your Health (APNH), and they are where Sky Casper first fell in love with ballroom. Thanks to Xiomarie LaBeija, APNH brings in big names from New York City to teach vogue classes, giving the Connecticut community a real on-ramp into the culture. We are not involved in running the workshops, but we will always point people their way.
New to the scene? The free workshops at APNH are the best way in. Come learn the 5 elements, meet the community, and build the confidence to walk a mini-ball.
Visit APNH for WorkshopsBallroom Terminology
A quick glossary for anyone stepping into the culture for the first time.
10s Across the Board
All judges give you a 10. You get your 10s and advance to the head-to-head battle. Anything less and you get chopped.
Chopped
Eliminated. A judge cuts you from the category. The opposite of getting your 10s.
The HA
The loud metallic crash in ballroom music that signals the dip. You dip on the HA, not before, not after.
Walking a Ball
Competing in a category. You walk for the judges, serve your category, and battle for the grand prize.
No Mini-Balls on the Calendar Yet
We do not have any ballroom events scheduled right now. In the meantime, check out the free vogue workshops at A Place To Nourish Your Health to learn the craft and meet the community. Be the first to know when we announce our next New England Kiki Scene sanctioned mini-ball.
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