PORTLAND — Aquarius Funkk and Prismatic Productions present The Lover’s Ball at Mayo Street Arts at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28.
Aquarius Funkk & Prismatic Productions pay their last respects to St. Valentine with a mini ball for the lovers. Taking inspiration from the Lovers’ Card, spectators and participants alike are invited to become the living embodiment of what this card represents.
The Lover’s Ball will be hosted by Aquarius Funkk with DJ Ben Spaulding and Judges DB Greene, Thazra, G-Spott Bvlgari Funkk.
Aquarius’s work is influenced by Afrofuturism and Black culture, high fashion, sci-fi, speculative fiction and their own queer and non-binary lived experiences. Known as The Interplanetary Extraordinary, their work is an amalgamation of movement, ritual, body intelligence and layering of multi-sensory elements; shaped by the practices and traditions of vogue ballroom, neo-burlesque, street performance and experimental dance & theatre.
Aquarius is a deep believer in the signs and synchronicities of the universe. They corporeally deconstruct the politics of gender, race, sexuality, identity and class. They build (and destroy) layered personas and worlds meant to be experienced as static images, cabaret performances and durational installations.
In the tarot, the Lovers’ Card isn’t solely interpreted in the romantic sense. It represents choice, integration and moral alignment. It connects to Gemini, the sign of duality and polarity. It is an invitation to unify your mind around truth and unity, creating harmonious alignment between the hemispheres. This card is about wholeness and the result of that wholeness – love for oneself.
Ballroom culture is an underground queer subculture, founded by black trans and queer folks. Anybody in the audience is invited to “walk” (i.e. compete) the runway for one or multiple categories/themes which are designed to simultaneously epitomize and satirize gender constructs, occupations, and social classes, while also offering an escape from reality.
Competitors are judged on their abilities, “effect” (costumes, appearance, theatrics, presentation), and perceived “realness” (embodied and/or visual believability, authenticity). Ballroom is a countercultural phenomenon, rooted in the necessity of community and safety, and the defiance of oppression.
Categories:
Best Dressed – Theme: Date Night
This category is calling for your best date night outfit. Impress your potential boo and the judges with an elevated look that will guarantee a second date — and make sure you include a splash of red or pink in your effect!
Sex Siren – Theme: Divine Figure
Model yourself after a god, goddess, goddexx figure. Think sensuous fabrics, opulent jewelry and accessories and a radiant face that will make mere mortals tremble with insatiable desire. Deliver a slow, sensual performance that the whole room will feel in their loins.
Runway – Theme: St. Valentine
Embodying the man himself, create a fashion look inspired by St. Valentine and bring it to the catwalk. Both styles — American & European runway — are invited to play with gender and show us a version of Valentine that transcends the past and brings us into a hot & sexy future.
Tag Team Face – Theme: Twin Flame
Partner up and create a complementary look that lets the judges know you came together and you’ll be leaving together … and you might take some others with you when you go! Give us a twin flame face effect that undoubtedly shows partnership and connection and teases us with the question, “What do they like to do behind closed doors?”
Body – Theme: The Breakup
Everything good comes to an end eventually. But you won’t let that stop you from being the hottest, the baddest, the 10’s across the board babe that you are. Show us how you rebound from a breakup and show us that body. Include broken heart imagery in your effect and performance, and let self-love reign supreme.
Mayo Street Arts is a welcoming community arts center in the heart of Portland’s Kennedy Park neighborhood. The organization’s building serves as a performance venue, gallery, and gathering space, and offers affordable studios and rehearsal space for artists. Mayo Street Arts’ programming embraces variety, with a particular focus on puppetry and folk music and dance.
Tickets to see The Lover’s Ball are available for $20 in advance, $25 at the door and $35 for preferred seating. Pay-what-you-can options are available to support accessibility. Visit www.mayostreetarts.org for ticket links and more information.
