Strike a pose: vogue balls go mainstream in New Zealand

"In a large gallery at New Zealand's national museum in Wellington, a 600-strong crowd cheers ecstatically as a group of fabulously dressed performers take to the stage. In impossibly high heels, the predominantly Maori and Pasifika (Indigenous people of the Pacific Islands) performers twist their arms into geometric forms and spiral to the ground, contorting their bodies into outstretched shapes. Other performers parade their highly stylised costumes, while some embody the struts, poses and attitudes of supermodels."

"This is a vogue ball, a form of performance and self-expression developed by a queer Black and Latinx subculture in 1960s Harlem that has found life in New Zealand's Maori and Pasifika queer communities and is now winning over the mainstream. There is something really visceral about seeing black, brown, queer, indigenous bodies so authentically and unapologetically be themselves, says Cypris Afakasi, who is known as Fatheir Fang of the Auckland-based Kiki House of Coven-Aucoin."

"Performances have elements of drag, dance and fashion, and often centre around a ball where performers walk in front of judges. The Kiki House of Marama, based in Wellington, held the city's largest ever ball at Te Papa Tongarewa in 2025. Photograph: Lewis Ferris Vogue balls arose in New York as an act of resistance against racism in the local drag scene."

At Te Papa in Wellington a 600-strong crowd cheered as fabulously dressed performers, predominantly Maori and Pasifika, executed vogue movements, high-heel walks, geometric arm poses and contortions. Judges scored performances like royalty, awarding tens or eliminating contestants. Vogue balls, developed by queer Black and Latinx communities in 1960s Harlem, have been adopted by Maori and Pasifika queer scenes as a form of performance and self-expression. Houses serve as chosen families led by mother or father figures who coach and compete together. Performances blend drag, dance and fashion. The Kiki House of Marama staged Wellington’s largest-ever ball in 2025. Ballroom culture influenced mainstream entertainment and resisted racism.

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