THE ARTS OF HOUSE BALLROOM

The Ghanaian concept of Sankofa teaches us that “we cannot know where we are going unless we know where we came from.” Documentary film is an important vehicle through which Sankofa is being manifest in the House Ballroom Community. In this short film presentation, we examine the lost history of Venus Xtravaganza (I’m Your Venus, 2024, excerpts) and the present-day story of Mermaid and Milan Garçon (MnM, 2023, 15 min.). The screenings will be followed by a discussion with filmmakers Legendary NYC Mother Jonovia Chase Lanvin and the Icon International Mother Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and moderated by Icon Dominique Miyake-Mugler.

Co-organized by City Lore, ArtsWestchester, The LOFT: LGBTQ+ Center, 

This program is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts - Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

SOCIAL MEDIA

@artswestchester

@simplytwiggy

@jonoviac

@loftlgbtq

https://www.facebook.com/twiggypuccigarcon/

https://www.facebook.com/michael.roberson.129

https://www.facebook.com/JonoviaC/

https://www.instagram.com/houselivesmatter/?hl=en

Featured Artist Bios

Icon International Mother Twiggy Pucci Garcon is an activist, creative director, event producer, culture curator, performance artist, and runway trainer. They have collaborated with Gucci, Coach, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, GLAAD, Adidas, Reebok, and more. Twiggy has worked at True Colors United for nearly a decade, protecting rights for young people experiencing homelessness. They are the International Mother of the Legendary International House of Comme des Garçons, the Chief Ambassador for the Center for Black Equity, and Co-Founder of All Tea, No Shade Productions alongside New York Times Bestselling author George M. Johnson. Twiggy was a featured subject in HBO’s THE OUT LIST (2013), was the co-writer and subject of Sara Jordenö’s award-winning documentary KIKI (Sundance 2016), and served as consultant and runway choreographer on Ryan Murphy’s Emmy-nominated FX series, POSE. Twiggy is the Executive Producer of the Emmy-nominated dramatic reading, All Boys Aren't Blue (Amazon Prime), and Director of MnM, an award-winning short documentary film slated to premiere on Criterion in June 2024. 

Legendary NYC Mother Jonovia Chase Lanvin is a community stakeholder, producer, runway legend, and creative within the House Ballroom and transgender communities. She is the co-lead representative of House Lives Matter, an international initiative created for and by the House community, and leads and collaborates with several organizations and community stakeholders on events and initiatives committed to intersectional social justice and activism. She serves as NYC Mother of the Legendary House of Xclusive Lanvin, a consultant with New York University, NYC Kiki Coalition, a member of Venus Pellagotti Xtravaganza's landmark committee, and the Ballroom Engagement Coordinator at the Hetrick Martin Institute. Jonovia has worked as a consultant for several Ballroom focused films, docudramas, and photo documentary projects including her role as the Ballroom Coordinator on Ryan Murphy's Hit series, Pose.