Aotearoa Ballroom
Carym Wharerau (AKA Trailblazing Founding Mother Karamera Marama) delves into the rich history of Aotearoa Ballroom and its journey from once being an underground community to stepping into the mainstream spotlight.
Originating from Black and Latinx queer communities in the United States, Ballroom culture forges spaces for cultural survival, creative freedom and collective care.
From humble beginnings to mainstream stages, the journey of the Aotearoa Ballroom scene is a testament to the resilience of queer Māori, MVPFAFF+ and POC communities.
From Harlem, New York to Tāmaki Makaurau
The expansion of the media and internet in the mid-1990s introduced Ballroom language, aesthetics and politics to new audiences worldwide.
Pepper LaBeija, still image from documentary Paris is Burning, 1990. Director Jennie Livingston, lead cinematographer Paul Gibson. University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
In Aotearoa, stories portrayed in documentaries such as ‘Paris is Burning’ and Youtube clips of Ballroom events and figures reflected the histories of local Māori and Pasifika queer communities. Shared experiences of resistance, performance and communal identity connected them to Ballroom culture and its people.
Founding members of ‘Pacific Sisters’ Rosanna Raymond, Suzanne Tāmaki and Nephi Tupaea recall memories of their peers voguing in Auckland nightclubs ‘The Staircase’ and ‘Alfie’s’ in the mid-90s. They described the late Pussy Galore (Witoria Drake), famed drag queen and resident of the iconic ‘Marae in the Sky’, as a House Mother figure.
Pacific Sisters, 2018. Photo by "Jo Moore". Te Papa (119582)
Left to right: Nephi Tupaea 1 , [name: Lisa Reihana?], Ani O'Neill 3, Suzanne Tamaki 4, Rosanna Raymond 5, and Feeonaa Wall 6.
Russ Flatt, now a photographer who has worked across fashion and fine arts internationally, is identified as the main voguer at the time. Flatt recalls attending the premier of ‘Paris is Burning’ in 1991 at Civic Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurauwhich left him and his peers feeling enlivened.
A screening of ‘Paris is Burning’ was also said to have been curated by community members. This opened doors for queer folk who sought new means of expression and collective care. While there had not been an official scene at the time, the essence of Ballroom was seen and felt.
Voguing in High schools
Between the mid-2000s and 2010s, Ballroom’s presence was reignited by queer Māori and Pasifika high schoolers after learning more through social media, peer networks and online communities. High school fields, community halls and youth centres served as incubators in which the local Ballroom scene would grow.
Many of Aotearoa’s first Ballroom community members attended all-boys or co-ed schools. This posed challenges in safely expressing their queerness due to prejudice they faced. Therefore, much like how Ballroom started in Harlem, students gravitated to each other and found chosen families and life-long sisterhoods through the creation of Houses-like groups.
Mrs Edith Amituanai, Julie Public, 2016-2021. Kelston Kweenz, 2016-2021, New Zealand. Te Papa (O.050882/036)
The ‘Sistrahs’ from St Peters College, ‘Kelston Kweenz’ from Kelston Boys High School, ‘De La Salle Divaz’ from De La Salle College and members from Auckland Boys Grammar School are groups who filmed themselves voguing on rugby fields during lunch periods. They continued to engage with Ballroom beyond the school grounds, showcasing vogue fem at community events like ‘Big Gay Out’.
At the same time, Stephen Paquier-Grey formed Vogue Dance Crew NZ whose members were connected to the high school groups. This iconic dance group is recognised as the first crew to bring voguing to mainstream street dance competitions and stages in Aotearoa.
St Peters Sistrahz, Voguing on the rugby field. Early 2000s. Photo supplied by OVĀ Collective.
Community halls and night clubs
The Aotearoa Ballroom scene continued to grow under the direction of FAFSWAG- a South Auckland-based queer Pacific arts collective. Co-founders Tanu Gago and Pati Tyrell also sought to forge spaces that celebrated queer brown identities and challenged gender norms through Ballroom (and many other artforms).
On October 31 2013, ‘The FAFSWAG Ball’ was held in Te Puke Hall in Ōtara and was the first competitive Ballroom function in Aotearoa. The judging panel consisted of artists like Richard Kereopa and Cat Ruka, with the late Yolande Ah Chong as the MC. FAFSWAG continued to host successful Ballroom events and other community leaders emerged to host their own functions in the following years.
From 2013 to 2019, balls and vogue nights occurred in iconic Karangahape Road venues like ‘Family Bar’ and ‘Raynham Park’. The scene’s growth ultimately led to the emergence of Aotearoa’s first Ballroom Houses.
The House of Coven-Aucoin (previously Coven-Carangi) was founded in 2015 by Legendary Overall Mother Mistress Coven-Aucoin (Moe Laga, also a member of FAFSWAG). In 2019, The House of Aitu (Fale Aitu) was birthed by Legendary Father Tamatoa (Pati Tyrell) and Legendary Mother Falencie (Falencie Filipo) Aitu, alongside with The House of Iman which was established by Legendary Overall Mother Jaycee and Godmother Envy Iman.
These form “the big three” Houses in Aotearoa, each with their own unique aesthetic and perspective on Ballroom.
In March 2021, the 3 Fem Queen Mothers collaborated to host the ‘Legacy Vogue Ball’ at Auckland Town Hall. This was a breakthrough event which shed light on the local Ballroom scene on a major level.
The first Wellington-led Ballroom event ‘The Fictional Ball’ Poster, 2022. Hosted by Founding Mothers Karamera and Romé Marama.
Ballroom across Aotearoa
Up until 2020, Ballroom in Aotearoa was primarily confined to Tāmaki Makaurau. South Island Chapter Mother Ashira Coven-Aucoin (Shawn Zapanta) changed this by hosting the ‘Primera Kiki Ball’ at The Compound Studio on 19 March 2020 and establishing the Ballroom scene in Te Waipounamu.
There was an instance in March 2018 when FAFSWAG hosted the ‘Wellington Vogue Knight’ to coincide with Pati Tyrell’s show ‘FA’AAFA’ at Bats Theatre. However, the ballroom scene in Te Whanganui-a-Tara was not established until The House of Aitu hosted the ‘Aitu Ball’ at the City Gallery Wellington in October 2020.
It was at this Ball where now- Mothers Karamera (Carym Wharerau) and Romé (Jerome Burton-Mclean) were inspired to build a community in Wellington and later establish the ‘House of Marama’ - the first of its city.
The Grand Kiki House of Marama Ball poster, featuring The Trailblazing Kiki House of Marama, 2025. Photo by Hohua Kurene. Image supplied by OVĀ Collective.
In October 2025, to honour their 5 year anniversary, they hosted ‘The Grand Kiki House of Marama Ball’ at Te Papa. This was a major milestone for Aotearoa Ballroom as the first event to host international Ballroom leaders (Icon Arturo Mulan and Icon Matyouz Royalty) who shared valuable knowledge about Ballroom culture and taught workshops.
As of March 2026, there are currently 7 active Kiki Houses and thriving 007 communities across the motu.
Carym Wharerau (AKA Trailblazing Founding Mother Karamera Marama)