How Saskatchewan's new ballroom scene is creating a fresh community for local street dancers

Multi-disciplinary creative person Aldeneil Españ olla has spent tierce years edifice Saskatchewan's dance hall scene.

“It almost feels like a bootstrap type of business,” said Española, who as the founder of SK Ballroom has juggled securing funding, networking and advertising local workshops to bring the province's inaugural "kiki ball" to life in Saskatoon. 

“You’re like, OK, I have an idea," they said. "I need to find the right people who believe in this idea that will help me find the resources for this idea.” 

Ballroom culture traces its roots to Black and Latino 2SLGBTQ+ communities in New York in the late '90s. Since then, queer communities across the world have built up their own scenes. Members of the ballroom community form "houses" that battle each other through dance, drag, runway and other art forms at balls.

On the Prairies, organizers like Española are carving out a unique footprint.

With the local community's inaugural "kiki ball" — the term for the smaller balls that happen before entering a bigger ball — this Sunday at Remai Modern in Saskatoon, Española wants to show there's a creative and accepting third space for queer people in Saskatchewan.

"It's going to help me, it's going to help my community," they said.

"People are in need of third spaces, and not even only that, ballroom in general functions as this place where discourse happens and discourse gets solved through dance, fashion and performance."

In his quest to build a true provincial network resembling the early ballroom houses of the '80s, Espanola connected with street dancers in Regina looking to revitalize the local dance ecosystem.

“The street dance community seems to be hanging on by a pulse," said Eddy Alvaro, an instructor with Vibes YQR and Collective Studios in Regina.

Alvaro says ballroom is unique in that it represents a return to the foundational roots of styles like house and waacking, which emerged from urban queer spaces.

“The culture of street dance as a whole is to bring people together who are unable to get together otherwise,” he said. “There are literal families that develop out of these.”

The intersection of these styles has allowed local dancers to explore new facets of their identity.

For Regina dancer Laura Milligan, whose primary style is breaking, ballroom has allowed her to unlock a different side of her artistry.

“Breaking is very masculine and almost hard energy, where vogue is very soft and feminine,” Milligan said. “It’s fun being able to explore those sides of myself.”

That openness is what drew in Stephen Nhan, who started dancing with limited exposure to ballroom outside of mainstream television. 

“You can just be yourself, and just dance and move how your body feels,” Nhan said. 

“It’s great overall. I’ve gained so much confidence.”

The momentum is culminating in The Prairie Kiki Ball in Saskatoon, the city’s inaugural ball and an end to Pride Month celebrations.

To lower the barrier to entry, Española is featuring local themes such as The Bunny Hug, Saskatchewan Water Creatures and the Calgary Stampede.

“I want them to have something familiar to them, because it’s scary to walk a ball,” he said.

”Part of the process of participating in the balls, you can have a bit of a laugh about it.”

The weekend features workshops on Saturday before Sunday’s official ball, hosted by Canadian ballroom figure Twysted Siriano and featuring visiting houses from Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

For dancers like Milligan and Nhan, travelling up from Regina is a chance to make provincial history.

“I just want to be a part of that,” said Nhan.

In the long term, organizers hope the event creates momentum and inspires participants to form permanent independent balls and ballroom communities.

“The vision after the ball is to continue to facilitate spaces where the street dancers can grow and explore and just build up the scene here,” Alvaro said.

”Once you’re in it, you’re going to find that you’re going to love it. It’s contagious in the best way.”

Reporter & Associate Producer

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