DANCE FOR PRIDE
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2019
The first Dance for Pride happened as a result of casual scheming between dancers Carly Mattox and Crystal Song, who have both championed same-sex dance partnerships and advocated for the protest against BYU’s discriminatory policies. On New York’s 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the city was ablaze with rainbow attire and the first Dance for Pride social was held at the former studio Ballroom Hub.
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2020
Despite the limitations of the pandemic, both Carly and Crystal were adamant that Dance for Pride should once again occur. However, the politic aims were refocused after the Black Lives Matter protests and COVID made financial struggles of dance teachers even more clear. Though entirely virtual, Dance for Pride was expanded to include a series of three different events.
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2023
After a long three-year hiatus, Dance for Pride returned to New York City and to a brand new studio which shares our passion for advocacy, Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine Dance Studio. We were able to host a film screening of Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning (1990), as well as introduce the concept of intimacy coordination to partner dance. This week’s events culminated in a collaboration with Friday Night Fever, for a dance social and featured raffle.
dance for pride 2019
The Inaugural Year
Our first Dance for Pride event wasn’t planned far ahead of time; it happened spontaneously, and as a result of the generosity and participation of the New York ballroom dance community. To benefit the North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association (NASSPDA), and to make dance competitions more accessible and affordable for everyone, the event raised money while also celebrating the diverse identities often ignored by the heteronormativity that so rules the ballroom dance industry. The event was hosted by the studio Ballroom Hub, which our organization has since cut ties with, and with Gateway Dancesport Festival, a competition created with queer identities in mind.
DANCE FOR PRIDE 2020
THE VIRTUAL YEAR
The year after our inaugural event was a tumultuous one: BYU allowed same-sex dancers to compete for the first time, but this competition was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, which would end up derailing many dance competitions, partnerships, and careers. After a serious reckoning within the ballroom dance community in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, Dance for Pride was organized around these continuing conversations. Entirely over Zoom, we hosted a film screening, a hustle dance lesson hosted by Kristine Bendul and Abdiel Jacobsen, followed by a panel discussion, and finally queer-themed rounds. The event raised over $1,500 for The Okra Project, a mutual aid collective which supports the Black trans and gender non-conforming community.
DANCE FOR PRIDE 2023
The Comeback Year
Dance for Pride returned in 2023, stronger than ever after studios in New York have reopened — and thrived — post-pandemic. Taking as inspiration the queer culture of the city in the seventies and eighties, the event centered disco music and drag balls, featuring a film screening of Jennie Livingston’s 1990 film Paris Is Burning in the studio itself, followed by . The event also featured the first ever collaboration between ballroom dance and intimacy coordination, through a workshop on community guidelines and physical connection. A social cohosted by local collective Friday Night Fever, with a raffle benefitting the Black Trans Travel Fund, served as the culmination of the week’s events.
