When the sun goes down, come exactly as you are. Some of us slip into bed, some step into the club, some clock in for the night shift, and some get ready to join someone else under the covers. After dark, every iteration of you is indulgent.

The House of Vlam presents The After Dark Ball: Come As You Are

Categories:
Best Dressed OTA — Come As You Are
European Runway OTA
American Runway OTA
Face — Nighttime skincare, done. Clean face only. No makeup.
Bizarre — Show us the monster under your bed
Sex Siren — What are you doing at the hookup?
Vogue — You’re feeling the ecstasy of the club, give us the 5 elements.

#TheAfterDarkBall #TheHouseOfVlam #THOV

DJ: DRAGMOTHER
Ballroom Culture Overview

Ballroom culture was born in New York City’s Black and Latinx queer communities in the 20th century. Facing racism and exclusion in mainstream drag pageants, Black and Latina drag queens and trans women created their own underground balls where they could celebrate their authentic selves. At these events, known as balls, participants “walk” or compete in categories from vogue to runway fashion to “realness” (embodying specific genders or social archetypes). They organise into houses, essentially chosen families of friends led by “mothers” or “fathers”, that provide support, mentorship and a sense of belonging outside traditional family structures. Over the decades, ballroom became a vital safe space of resistance, expression, and community for LGBTQIA+ people of colour, especially for trans and gender-nonconforming individuals. It offered a world of glamour, family and freedom where they could be themselves without fear. This influence has spilt into mainstream culture (from dance and slang to fashion), but balls remain a proudly underground tradition forged in resilience and creativity.

In South Africa, ballroom culture is blossoming in its own vibrant way. Cape Town’s scene began taking root in the late 2010s, sparked by trailblazers like the late Kirvan Fortuin – a dancer-activist who founded the House of Le Cap (the country’s first ballroom house) in 2017 and hosted South Africa’s first vogue balls. Since then, the local ballroom community has grown into a tight-knit, dynamic family. Regular functions, such as the Legacy Ball and annual Kewpie balls, have emerged, where Cape Town’s houses and performers come together to showcase incredible style, music and dance with a uniquely South African twist. Today, the ballroom scene in Cape Town is thriving and ever-evolving, driven by a spirit of inclusivity, defiance and joy. It offers queer and trans Capetonians a joyful, empowering space to express themselves freely, a celebratory arena of fashion, fierceness and solidarity that continues to grow and reinvent the city’s nightlife.