WARM UP FEEL IN VOGUE
Freestyle Villette
1h30
In anticipation of Kiddy Smile and his community’s upcoming event on November 29–30 at La Grande Halle de La Villette, workshops are offered starting in October to highlight Whacking and Voguing.
Intermediate and/or advanced level workshops only.
SUNDAY 12.10
Whacking workshop with Sofia Stanić
1:00 – 2:30 PM
Co-organizer of the international event Waack in Paris at the Gaîté Lyrique, dancer Sofia Stanić focuses her classes on technique and musicality while fostering good energy and sharing. The goal is to explore the essence of Whacking through posing, travelling, footwork, musicality, and arm technique, all to the sound of Disco Underground classics.
© Anna Jot
Voguing workshop with Voguing International Godmother Matyouz Gorgeous Gucci
3:00 – 4:30 PM
The first double European legend, international godmother Matyouz Gorgeous Gucci is a dancer, MC, and a key figure in both the Parisian and international Ballroom scenes. They have won numerous major international awards in hand performance, Old Way, and Runway categories. Matyouz is also a musician, a fashion lover, and the creator of the Fashion Killa category.
© Papaours
SATURDAY 15.11
Voguing workshop with THE VOGUE FEM EXPERIENCE – The Legendary Supreme Gorgeous Madame B Gucci
1:00 – 2:30 PM
Originally from the island of Martinique, Madame B is a performer who joined the Ballroom scene in 2012. More than ten years later, she continues to shine with energy and joy in several categories, including Vogue Fem. Throughout her still-active career, she has had the opportunity to work with artists such as Kiddy Smile, Aya Nakamura, and Ibeyi.
© Alexis Limousin
Whacking workshop with Fanny Figols
3:00 – 4:30 PM
Fanny is a Black queer artist who expresses herself through Whacking. This (life)style, born in the 1970s in Los Angeles clubs, known first as punking/whacking, emerged from the struggles and affirmations of gay, queer, and racialized communities. A performer in choreographic works (by Mounia Nassangar, Kiddy Smile, and Les Delacrème), Fanny also takes part in numerous battles across Europe.
© Xavier Murillon
Born in the LGBTQI+ Afro and Latino clubs of Los Angeles (USA) during the 1970s, Whacking is a dance of expression and empowerment inspired by the glamour of Hollywood cinema and fashion. It combines attitude, posing, and dynamic arm movements. It can be danced to all kinds of music, though disco remains the most traditional and iconic choice.
Voguing, an expressive dance born in the 1970s–80s in New York, emerged primarily within the Afro-American and Latino LGBTQ+ community. It is characterized by angular, stylized, and geometric movements, reminiscent of fashion model poses in magazines like Vogue, hence its name. Voguing is also a performance art, a competition, an act of self-affirmation, and a way to build a chosen family within the ballrooms, underground events where houses, true queer artistic clans, face off.
Practical information
Freestyle Villette
Metro (subway)
Line 7 - Porte de la Villette
Metro (subway)
Line 7 - Corentin Cariou
Tramway
Line 3b - Porte de la Villette
Bus
Bus 139, 150, 152 - Porte de la Villette
Bike Chap
Vélib' docking points
Bike racks
Bike racks are available inside the Espace Chapiteaux area. You may leave your electric bike there with the battery attached.
Parking
Q-Park
Philharmonie
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - La Villette
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - Conservatoire
Parking
Cité des Sciences
- Workshops are intended for intermediate/advanced level participants only.
- Several dining options are available in the park before or after the show, discover them HERE.
Access to the venue is subject to a security check.
- Prohibited items: all glass containers, sharp or blunt objects, weapons of any kind or replicas, animals (except guide dogs), large bags or luggage, and electric bike or scooter batteries.
- Security staff have the final say on which items are permitted inside.
- Bringing food into the performance hall is not allowed.