The House of Naphtali

Ball Slang, Categories, and Everything About Vogue

Home
Joining Naphtali
Categories
Ballroom Q&A
Ball Slang, Categories, and Everything About Vogue
Who We Are
Naphtali Children
Naphtali Family
Naphtali News
Linx

 

Courtesy of The house of Enigma

VOGUE - CABULARY

Angel
A Vogue Femme performer with softer and daintier execution

Arms Control
A category solely dedicated to the dexterity and coordination of ones "slight-of-hand" arm and wrist movements; hand tricks and illusions

Battle
When one voguer challenges another, in or out of a ball

Box Dip
A floor pose that consists of positioning the forearms flat on the floor, legs over the head, with feet planted to the floor in front

Cat-walk
Upright Vogue Femme sashaying

Clicking
A contortion involving the arms manipulated up over the head and down behind ones back, keeping the hands locked together.

Devil
A Vogue Femme performer with dramatic and stunt-filled execution

Dip
In vogueing, a ground-level stunt

Duck-walk
Crouching, foot-sliding and scooting movement requiring balance on the balls of the feet. Sashaying in a squatted position

Hairpin
An extreme backbend dip where your butt touches your head

Hand Performance
Illusions, precision, or flamboyant interpretation executed through that part of the body; see also
Arms Control

Kansai
An "Old Way" dip, inspired by a mannequin in a Kansai Yamamoto boutique window (NYC, circa '70s)

Locking
Jerky, tense movement of the body, also Popping; also, in a vogue battle, pinning or restraining an oponent with part of your body while performing

Lofting
A dance performed by banjie or straight boys that combined vogueing arm movements with break dance floor work, named after the now defunct New York dance club where it was practiced (The Loft)

Makeveli
A "suicide" dip, requiring a fall to the floor, landing on the back, using one leg as a lever; a prat fall

New Way
The vogueing styles starting in the 90's. Includes Arms Control, with body contortions.

Old Way
The vogueing styles previous to the 80's. See also Pop, Dip and Spin

Popping
Freeze frame, staccato-like movement

Pop, Dip and Spin
An earlier name for the dance now called vogueing, with a style leaning toward graceful acrobats, and transitions that alternate between standing and floor positions; also "Performance"

Pyramid
Several voguers performing together, tiered one in front of the other

Scorpion
Martial art inspired Old Way dip, requiring a prone position, with one leg dangling over the head

Shwam!
Exclaimed by an emcee when a contestant executes a suicide dip.
See also Makeveli

Verbal Vogue
A category created to test your sharp wit in the art of insults. Contestants are often made to sit in separate chairs and exchange turns at the mic to "roast" each other. Thin-skinned patrons need not apply! Also "Reading", or "Deadly Daggers"

Vogueing
A more recent name given to a dance that has been evolving since the late 60's. Not to be confused with drag, lip syncing, or posing (all separate categories)

Vogueing Femme
A dance style that takes the femme queen technique and exaggerates it even further: pronounced hip movement, cha-cha-based footwork (often in stocking-feet for maximum slide), peppered with classic striptease gestures. Execution ranges from soft and dainty to dramatic and severe

For the sake of fair competition, the contestants themselves are categorized as such:

Butch Queens (BQs)- gay males, regardless to which end of the masculine/ feminine scale they choose to identify with (the category specifics determine which way to lean).

Femme Queens (FQs)- males at varying stages of gender reassignment; from the time they starts taking female hormones, they are no longer BQs. When you have a biologically androgynous male, there exists the flexibility to compete in categories designated for either BQs or FQs, provided there aren't any additional prerequisites.

BQs in Drag- gay males that do drag, but have not started taking female hormones. They may have their own categories, or compete with the FQs in some instances.

Women (or Female) - biological. This division does not demand a particular sexual orientation, but does lean toward a feminine demeanor.

Butches- sometimes referred to as "male illusionists", are generally classified as masculine lesbians, but any female possessing manly appearance and mannerisms can qualify, regardless to sexual preference.

Men- denotes contestants from the "straight" pool of patrons that still attend these functions. "Male" is used in other cases where sexual preference has no bearing on a particular category's fairness, such as with "Best Dressed Male" or "Male Muscular Body".

Open To All (OTA)- does not designate gender or persuasion, but you may have to meet other requirements, such as a specific prop or costume.

Amazon
For runway contestants, the tall division, regardless to gender

Banjy (adjective)
The street-savvy look; also, looking like "rough trade"

Battle
A tie breaker; a chance for the contestant to show up his opponent. (See also Vogue-cabulary)

Big Boy/Girl
A class of ball competitors, usually 250 lbs. and over; "Luscious" for the ladies

Bring (It)
A challenge; call of defiance; "Come on down, you're the next contestant..." Sometimes contestants are allowed to "call out" a rival

Butch
A masculine female, usually lesbian

Butch Queen
A gay male, ranging from "straight acting" to flamboyant

BQ in Drag
A gay male in women's clothes that is not taking hormones. Some can actually pass for women, but this is not required unless specified by the category

Chants
Clever rhymes and raps used by the emcee to liven up an competition

Chop
To disqualify (as in contestant); process of elimination..."Thank you, have a nice day." Also "pack"

Come (for)
To challenge; "Don't come for me, 'cause you don't want it..."

Craft(ed)
Obtained by illegal means- credit card or check writing scams usually; "Miss Thing, that Galliano gown was crafted..."; also Stunkus

Cunt(y)
Ultra feminine; also, interchangeable with "ovah"

Designers' Delite
A category for aspiring designers and home sewers. "The garment must be made by YOU!"

Father/Mother
A house leader (without regard to gender)

Feel (it)
To be totally absorbed in the moment

Grand March
The opening ceremonies. The hosting house's members are introduced, along with the categories they represent. Mother and Father are introduced last, for maximum effect

God(dess)
A title paired with a particular category winner, either currently or consistently. Examples include: label god (always "serves" this category- head to toe, and often layers), and face goddess (dare anyone defy her?)

House
A social group, clique, club, posse, family, fraternity (usually gay)

Icon
A ballroom history maker; beyond the status of a Legend.

Judy
Noun: a close pal; adjective: characterized by favoritism, as in a judge that gives high scores based on friendship.

Legend(ary)
A multi- trophy winner, with a ballroom history; A veteran

Live(verb)
(Rhymes with "give") to enjoy oneself immensely; "I lived at that last ball!"

Midget
For runway contestants, the petite or short division; anyone shorter than male/female model industry standards


Shoplifting Model's vs. Luscious (Body)
Two separate female or FQ categories, the later leans toward full-figured

Model's vs. Muscular (Body)
Two separate male categories, the later leans toward bodybuilding

Ovah
Variation of "over", meaning "very impressive", also "cunty" or "sickening"; "legendary" on occasion

Pay (it)
To ignore and move on, as in an unfavorable judges' decision; "Pay it. We'll get her after the ball"

Peeling
A runway stunt in which you remove garment layers gracefully, down to your best ensemble

Prince(ss)
That son or daughter most likely to take the lead as mother or father, should the current parents not continue their role; "Heir to the Throne"

Punish
To greatly surpass in performance. Also "destroy"

Reading
The art of insults; finding a flaw in your opponent and verbally showcasing and exaggerating it (also "Deadly Daggers"); giving someone a "piece of your mind"

Ruler
Someone currently known for winning a particular category. Rulers come and go, but Legends are forever!

Seed(y)
An undesirable person, or described as such; low rated

Shade (Throwing)
Underhanded dealings, where usually the "jokes on you"; "Judge number two threw me shade..."

Snatch
To win

Star
An up-and-coming Legend; a frequent winner that is making a name for themselves

Statement
An up-and-coming Star; not always winning, but frequently "getting your tens".

Stunkus
See Craft(ed)

Turn (it)
To make a grand show; bring the ballroom to its feet; also "work", "sell" and "serve"(all usually accompanied by "goddammit" or "bitch")

Uglina
Fictional character created to represent unfavorable elements of the ball scene: excessive shade, petty bickering, etc.

Virgin
First-timer, never walked (a particular category) ever.


Walk
To enter a category; "Miss Thing, you should not walk for "Face"...

 

 

                           "A CUT ABOVE THE REST"
                                
              WEBSITE DESIGN BY MOTHER EMILEO NAPHTALI