EDITOR’S NOTE : Oakland to All is a Spring 2023 CA$H grantee. This article highlights their funded activities and vision. WH EHLYLTAH E HI SY PMHOYR EB AT LHLA N JUST A BALL by TREMAINE WHEATON O AKLAND TO ALL began in June 2021 as a meeting of the minds. Three ball- room participants wanted to create a safe space for queer youth during the pan- demic—at a time when ball- room had begun to wane in the Bay Area. We came together and hosted free, renegade vogue sessions out- side at Lake Merritt Pergola. Through the work of Shea 007, Ashlee Basquiat, and myself, and our regular collab- oration with venues Public Works and Fluid510, Oakland to All is becoming more than just a safe space for ball- room participants to express their authentic selves. It’s becoming a hub for ballroom experience. Ballroom is a whole culture. It can’t be summarized just by dance, though expressing one’s self through music and vogue is intrinsic to ballroom. At balls even those who don’t “walk” vogue categories—who don’t compete— vogue on the sidelines, vogue at home with friends, vogue
at clubs outside of balls. Those who are a part of the cul- ture have that ingrained in them. We express ourselves through movement significantly more than our words. Even in non-dancing categories like Runway or Face, movement is key. In addition to hosting balls and parties we hold classes for ballroom participants to learn to vogue or to walk Run- way. Oakland to All also always tries to give back to the community. We regularly book ballroom participants for paid gigs as they vibe up, like performing on the main stage at San Francisco and Oakland Prides and participating in the annual Gilead Pride event. Furthermore, we offer some free events, like our annual Hella Hyphy Ball held during Oakland Pride weekend at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater. We always wanted to throw a ball that celebrates the Bay Area as a whole: its culture, its landmarks, the people. One of the most significant cultural movements for the Bay Area was the Hyphy movement. The Hyphy Era is a moment in time from the late ‘90s to the mid 2000s where the Bay Area was having a sort of Hip Hop renaissance. It bred a new sound, new dance moves like “going dumb,” and opened the world up to artists like E-40 and Mac Dre. Hyphy energy still per- meates through Bay Area natives like us, from the slang we use, to the way we dance, and was a key influence in
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In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
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