“(Ballroom) came off the blood, sweat and tears of trans women of colour and has survived and thrived throughout the years.”

The House of Alexander is limbering up to dance, dazzle and draw on a 60-yearlegacy of queer black ballroom communities across two huge productions at Brisbane Festival.

Injecting sparkle and substance into the 2022 program, Meanjin's trailblazing ballroom house celebrates self-expression, identity and family as it showcases the city’s thriving ballroom scene.

“Ballroom was that one space where we could help young trans women gain confidence to even just walk out the door, something as simple as that.”

The world premiere of The House at South Bank Piazza weaves the cultures of 26 Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) artists with the highly stylised art form of voguing.

Then, The House of Alexander closes out the Festival in glamorous style when The Alexander Ball returns to The Tivoli for a night of extravagance, fierce competition and jaw-dropping runways.

“We are talking as loud as possible and walking as proud as possible because there are communities that heavily rely on us.”

In this episode, House of Alexander “mother and father” Ella Ganza and Joshua Taliani share their motivation for founding the House in 2019 to create a family for Meanjin’s queer BIPOC community.

They draw parallels between ballroom’s underground roots in Harlem, New York and the new culture the movement is creating locally; the sense of responsibility they feel to empower and nurture their young, queer BIPOC “children”; and how ballroom is bringing greater visibility to “the minority of the minorities”.

“It’s about opportunities and representation, that’s the big part. In order for our community to be uplifted, we need to see ourselves reflected.”

Brisbane Festival returns to fill the city with three weeks of wonder, delight and celebration from 2 – 24 September 2022. For information and tickets, visit brisbanefestival.com.au

Beginners’ Call records on Turrbal and Yugerra country in Meanjin, Brisbane. Brisbane Festival recognises the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples play in our creative, artistic and celebration spaces and pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

Podcast Curator: Louise Bezzina (Brisbane Festival)

Podcast Guests: Ella Ganza and Joshua Taliani (The House, The Alexander Ball)

Podcast Host: Adam Brunes (Aruga)

Podcast Producer: Gilberto Castillo (The Podcast Boss)