Paris is Burning + KIKI Screening

Join us for a special double feature screening of Paris is Burning and KIKI, two powerful documentaries that explore the evolution, resilience, and creative brilliance of the Ballroom community across generations.

Paris is Burning (1990) is a seminal documentary that introduced New York’s 1980s Ballroom scene to mainstream audiences. It serves as a critical reference point for The Breakdown media arts program, offering insight into the legacy, aesthetics, and lived experiences of Black and Latinx queer communities — while also raising complex questions around authorship, gaze, and representation.

KIKI (2016), co-created by Swedish filmmaker Sara Jordenö and Ballroom icon Twiggy Pucci Garçon, picks up the narrative 25 years later. It follows a new generation of LGBTQ youth-of-color in New York’s Kiki scene. Through intimate portraits of seven young people, the film delves into themes of self-determination, political organizing, HIV awareness, and gender affirmation, all while centering the powerful motto: “Nothing About Us Without Us.”

Together, these two films offer a dynamic look at how Ballroom culture has evolved and how today’s artists, activists, and communities continue to shape it on their own terms.

Following the screenings, we'll hold a facilitated discussion exploring how Ballroom has been portrayed across time, and how contemporary creatives can respond, remix, and reclaim their narratives. We’ll also reflect on how Calgary's Ballroom community is building its own legacy through lived experience, creativity, and self-representation.

This event is part of The Breakdown media arts program, but all House members and the broader QTPOC community are welcome to attend, engage, and be inspired.

Proudly supported by Calgary Foundation, SpanicArts, Calgary Arts Development, Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Canada Council for the Arts.

Event Schedule

Workshop: Old Way Vogue (Pop, Dip & Spin) by Vogue YYC
🕒 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Kick off the evening with a high-energy Old Way Vogue workshop led by special guest Godfather Krackle Old Navy from Toronto. Whether you're new to Ballroom or a seasoned performer, this is an opportunity to learn foundational elements of Old Way — Pop, Dip & Spin — from one of Canada’s leading Ballroom figures.
This is a Pay-What-You-Can workshop and open to all members of the community.

Community Social: Music, Food & Networking
🕔 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Join us for a casual community gathering with food, music, and an open practice space. Connect with House members and meet special out-of-town guests who will be judging, DJing, and commentating at Vogue YYC’s Broadway Kiki Ball the following day. A chance to relax, rehearse, and build community.

Film Screenings & Discussion: Paris is Burning + KIKI
🎥 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Experience a rare back-to-back screening of Paris is Burning and KIKI. These films will set the stage for a rich, facilitated discussion exploring themes of visibility, legacy, representation, and authorship in Ballroom culture. This conversation will directly inform your creative work in The Breakdown and inspire new forms of storytelling from within the community.