ABOUT US
BALLROOM WORKS is a community-powered platform uplifting queer and trans people of color through the legacy and future of ballroom.
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Community, Culture, Care
BALLROOM WORKS is here to honor the roots of ballroom. The culture was created by Black and Brown queer and trans people as a space to be seen, celebrated, and supported. We carry that legacy forward by investing in the people who shape the scene and building what’s needed for them to grow, both inside and outside of ballroom.
Our mission is to create safer spaces where queer and trans people of color feel at home, lift each other up, and shine. Our programs create space for people to grow and express themselves through weekly classes, workshops, community events, and special projects that bring people together and support their creativity.
Because when the community is supported, the culture thrives.
From humble beginnings to cultural movement
Since 2020, we’ve evolved from intimate gatherings into a force for change, opening new doors for the community.
2020
The first steps
It began with a small group of friends who wanted to practice Voguing in Utrecht. We started the Instagram account for Utrecht Ballroom Scene, and soon people reached out wanting to learn about ballroom. In October, we held our first socially distanced workshops with teachers from Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
2021
Forming a community
We began hosting weekly Vogue Fem classes by Typhoon Angels. A real community started taking shape as people came every week to train, connect, and join events across the Dutch ballroom scene.
2022
Ballroom is here
We organised our first kiki ball, the Epic Legacies Kiki Ball by Andre and Angelo 007. It was a milestone that brought the Dutch ballroom scene together.
This year we hosted a range of workshops in Vogue Fem, Old Way, New Way, Runway, Body, and Sex Siren, taught by both DBS and international teachers. We also added Old Way to our weekly class rotation.
2023
Our platform for activism
Alongside weekly voguing classes, we began partnering with other organisations. We organised aid fundraisers, activism for the trans community, the first queer self-defense course in the Dutch ballroom scene, a showcase at Utrecht Queer Culture Festival, solidarity actions for Palestine, and queer healing spaces. We received the COC Regenboogpluim 2023 for our work supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
At the end of the year, Mother Andrea Gabbana founded the Queer Culture Foundation, a registered Stichting, to grow and sustain our work.
2024
Growing our impact
With our first grant from the Gemeente Utrecht, we hosted 92 classes and workshops in seven ballroom categories with teachers from the DBS and beyond.
Mother Andrea Gabbana organised the Summer of Pride Kiki, which got voted as Ball of the Year and Ball Promo of the Year by the Dutch kiki scene.
We hosted the first-ever Dutch Kiki Scene Of the Year Awards Ceremony, ran another queer self-defense program, and organised 15 more community events with queer, trans, and POC-led partners. We participated for the first time in the Utrecht Canal Pride, and as the lead boat, we used our platform to stand in solidarity with Palestine - a message seen by tens of thousands in person and through national media. We launched THE LAB, our monthly open practice.
In total, we welcomed more than 1800 people at our events in 2024.
To top it all off, we won the Annie Brouwer-Korf Prijs, Utrecht’s highest award for advancing queer visibility and empowerment.
what GUIDEs US
Our values reflect the spirit and strength of ballroom culture.
They guide everything we do to support and uplift the community.
01
Community
In a world that often pushes us to the margins, community is our lifeline. We believe in building and sustaining networks of care, where we hold each other up and create joy even in difficult times.
02
IMPACTFUL
Our work is grounded in real needs and real lives. We focus on long-term growth and everyday support, investing in people and projects that strengthen our scene and ripple beyond it.
03
AUTHENTIC
Ballroom is a space where you can be your full, true self. We celebrate the beauty of self-discovery, the courage to be seen, and the freedom to live without apology.
04
EXPRESSIVE
We celebrate creative expression as a way to survive, tell our stories, and find joy. Ballroom gives us the freedom to take up space and be ourselves, without needing permission.
people behind the scenes
We are performers, activists, and community organisers with deep connections to ballroom culture. Together, we contribute to building a stronger and healthier ballroom community.
Andrea
Founder & Director
Andrea started the Utrecht Ballroom Scene in 2020 and is the Director of BALLROOM WORKS Foundation. She entered ballroom in 2019, is Mother of the Kiki House of Gabbana, and has walked and won across Europe.
Sharmila
Doll House
Sharmila is a member of the Kiki House of Gabbana, and helps to organise the Doll House workshops. Sharmila walks Vogue Fem, Hands Performance, and Realness.
Lionel
T4T Spaces
Lionel helps with the T4T Spaces events, including For the Boyz for the trans masc community. Lionel walks Old Way.
Greiss
Events
Greiss (The Real Miss Colombia) helps to organise events in the Utrecht Ballroom Scene. Miss Colombia walks Sex Siren and Body.
Elia
Design
Elia has created the brand and leads the visual design identity of Utrecht Ballroom Scene & Ballroom Works.
COMMUNITY VOICES
“I was very shy at first. Ballroom gave me the space to explore my sexuality, and to dig deeper into places in my life I didn’t think I would be able to get to. It gave me a lot of self-assurance, and an escape from a society that is often sexist and homophobic.”
Anonymous
“As a non-binary person, ballroom gives me the space to explore the limits of the binary and what being non-binary can mean. It has positively impacted my confidence by teaching me that I have value. Being part of a community of progressive queer people gives me a safe space and supports me with questions I have about gender and mental health.”
Anonymous
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