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Nicolas Jenkins

Walk!

Documentaire | hdv | couleur | 12:0 | Canada, USA | 2015

Voguing is a form of dance that was created on the streets and drag balls of Harlem by a subculture of young mostly poor, gay, trans, black and/or Latino’s in the 1980s. The Ballroom scene in which Voguing exists in is an art form that’s closely linked with ideas of fashion, luxury, and social and economic mobility. In the past few years the Voguing and Ballroom scene has seen a resurgence in its popularity spreading across the globe. No longer limited to members of American urban black and Latino gay communities it can be found as far away as Russia now. Historically the Ballroom scene included society`s most marginalized: minorities within minorities within minorities. In a world where they have been rejected, ballroom not only accepted these people for who they were, it celebrated them! While this resurgence in popularity is celebrated by many there is concern by some that with Voguing’s success in crossing over into the mainstream to communities of the "non marginalized" that there is a risk the dance may slowly be losing its connections to its roots. Featuring archival footage shot by the filmmaker himself from legendary Balls from the late 1980’s to the 2015. With the House of Pendavis, House of Chanel, House of Fields, Love Ball, House of Latex, and the House of Xtravaganza.

Nicolas Jenkins (a.k.a. Sterile Cowboys & Co.), is a filmmaker and former underground warehouse party promoter based in New York city. His films and videos have been shown extensively across North America and Europe. His work has also been broadcast on PBS television and screened at the Paris Pompidou Center and his experimental video “The Bridge” is part of the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada. While living in Montreal he established a name for himself as a pioneer in the underground warehouse party scene. Between 2000-2004 Jenkins produced a monthly cable show in New York going by the name PRODUCT (Diary of a Disco Dolly). Conceived as an anthropological urban study, PRODUCT became a public outlet for how fringe culture is produced and redistributed to the masses. Between 2005-2007 Nicolas collaborated with Genesis P-Orridge and PSYCHIC TV (PTV3) creating videos for their album and world tour. Between 2010-2013 he collaborated with modern dance choreographer Mei-Yin Ng creating visuals for her multimedia dance performances. His most recent collaboration has been with the House of Ladosha. He is currently working on a video installation centered around people in the LGBT community who do not assimilate.