29th of May, 2024
The Philippine Ballroom Community Mounts Its Biggest Mainstream Ball
AS OF 20 MAY 2024
THE PHILIPPINE BALLROOM COMMUNITY MOUNTS ITS BIGGEST MAINSTREAM BALL "THE RAINBOW BALL AND GALA" PRESENTED BY TRAILBLAZER MOTHER XYZA MIZRAHI AND FATHER MISHA DE LA BLANCA, FEATURING 9 INTERNATIONAL BALLROOM LEADERS AND KEY PERSONALITIES FROM NEW YORK, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, HONG KONG, AND AUSTRALIA.
On Saturday, June 01 2024, The Philippine Ballroom Community will hold The 4th Annual Rainbow Ball and Gala, at the Podium Hall, 6th Floor Podium Mall, Mandaluyong City––presented by Trailblazer Mother Xyza Mizrahi, and Father Misha De La Blanca. This year’s theme is "PRIDE OF THE PHILIPPINES;" an invitation for the world to immerse in our Filipino culture through the culture of Ballroom, and a bright and colorful opening to Pride Month.
About Ballroom Culture. Ballroom Culture started in New York, created by Black and Latine queer and trans people in the 1960s, as a response to the oppression, discrimination, and violence they experienced as queer and trans people of color, with Ballroom’s House Culture providing care and support especially to displaced LGBTQIA+ youth, where Mothers, Fathers, and Parental figures in the Ballroom Houses taking them under their wing.
Through events called "balls," the Ballroom Community created a safe space to express their identities and essence by competing (or "walking") in categories often inspired by fashion and beauty. The unmatched creativity in these balls birthed many popular culture movements, such as Voguing; terms like "realness," "serving face," and expressions like "10s across the boards." The culture, as such, found its way into popular media as the community grew throughout the decades: from Madonna’s Vogue, to TV shows like Pose, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Album and Tour.
Ballroom Culture in The Philippines. In 2016, Ballroom Culture was brought to The Philippines by Mother Xyza Mizrahi, and has since grown in scale––drawing in dancers, artists, students, and many LGBTQIA+ people from all walks of life. In 2021, the first Virtual Rainbow Ball was held; and in the succeeding years, have also grown into a major annual on-ground event, drawing in walkers and guests not just from the local community, but internationally as well.
About The Rainbow Ball and Gala 2024. The objective of The Rainbow Ball and Gala 2024 is to create an impactful platform for LGBTQIA+ Filipinos to express their creativity and advocacy through Ballroom.
The event begins at 1:00PM with The Rainbow Gala, which will feature a showcase and mini-workshops about the LGBTQIA+ community and Ballroom Culture. Four designers from The Philippine Ballroom Community will be showcasing mini-collections: Brit Tripudio (the first designer to feature Voguing in her Manila Fashion Fest show in 2017), Oz Go (Ozkur Mizrahi of The House of Mizrahi), Dale Sarmiento (Mother Dahlia Cleopatra of the Kiki House of Cleopatra), and custom leather harness brand WOLFE+HUNTR. The mini-fashion shows will also feature a cast of models all from The Philippine Ballroom community.
Along with the Fashion Shows, the Gala will also feature mini lectures from Advocacy Partners Trans* Health Philippines, HASH, and Sail Clinic, to talk about important topics about the LGBTQIA+ community: trans health, SOGIE, and HIV Awareness. The Gala ends with an exclusive Ballroom 101 featuring important figures from the International Ballroom Scene, all from New York and active members sinc ethe 80s and early 90s: Icon Founder Jack Mizrahi Gorgeous Gucci, Pioneer Iconic Founding Father André Mizrahi, and Legendary Founding Father Julian De La Blanca.
At 5:00PM, The Rainbow Ball official begins, with 15 categories: Face, Beginners Performance, Runway with an Abanico or Baston Prop, Hands Performance vs Arms Control, Lip Sync Performance,
Realness, Cunt versus Cunt, Fashion Killa, Bizarre, All Styles to a Vogue Beat, Pop Dip and Spin Excalibur Performance, New Way Vogue, Vogue Fem, Body, and Sex Siren.
The Philippine scene is also privileged to have biggest panel of judges and talents flying in for The Rainbow Ball: Judges flying from New York are Pioneer Iconic Founding Father André Mizrahi, Legendary Founding Father Julian De La Blanca, and Legendary Founding Father Monster Babylon; from South Korea, Juju Xtravaganza and Father K Milan; from Hong Kong, Trailblazer Holie Ebony; from Australia, Trailblazer Mother Bhenji Ra. Talents for the ball include DJ Legendary Overall Mother Koppi Mizrahi from Japan (with Philippine’s DJ Ayel); and MC Icon Founder Jack Mizrahi Gorgeous Gucci from New York (with Lakan Mizrahi from The Philippines) on the mic.
How to Attend The Rainbow Ball and Gala 2024. Tickets and tables to The Rainbow Ball and Gala are available on Helixpay at rainbowball.helixpay.ph, with tickets for Gala Only ("Araw" Pass), Ball Only ("Buwan" Pass), and Whole Day Pass ("Bahaghari" Pass) on sale now. Special merchandise in collaboration with artist JER DEE are also available on the Helixpay storefront, along with opportunities to donate to The Rainbow Ball Community Fund. Special Workshops with The Rainbow Ball’s international guests are also available at weareshapeshifters.com/rainbowball.
The Rainbow Ball and Gala 2024 presented by Trailblazer Mother Xyza Mizrahi and Father Misha De La Blanca, is Co-Presented by BYS Cosmetics and GOMO!, In Cooperation With Y.O.U. Beauty, and Black Box Collab Inc; with Major Sponsors H&M, SIP Purified Water and Rosy Peel; Minor Sponsors Smart and Jagermeister; Official Media Partners IGotColors, ChristopherSyPhotographs, NYLON Magazine, Stylish Magazine, and ASIA TV. With Special Thanks to FIP, Events Co, HEER-o Curated, Prelude Philippines, Yellow Cab, Linden Suites and Balai Khaffa; LGBTQIA+ SME Partners We Are Shapeshifters, Barbierro, and Glorious Dias; and Advocacy Partners Trans* Health Philippines, SAIL Clinic, HASH, and Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
For more updates and information, follow The Rainbow Ball on Instagram at @therainbowball, or search for "The Rainbow Ball" event page on Facebook.