On May 31, New York City-based choreographer Kemar Jewel attended a Black Lives Matter protest where the police tear gassed protesters. As him was leaving the march, one white cop told him to “Move!” and then pushed him to the ground.
Jewel used his angry after experiencing police brutality firsthand to make a dance video that would present voguing as a form of protest.
He then set out to work on “Voguing 4 #BlackLivesMatter,” a stunning dance video that showcases “Black queer and trans people who use voguing as a form of protest, and a source of joy in this political climate,” according to Jewel. It was released just a month later, funded with the help of 60 GoFundMe patrons.
The video, set to Byrell the Great’s 2016 track “Bubble Drip,” features dancers from New York’s ballroom scene (Daphne Winter Midnyght, Harun “Hayden” Jones, Otis Pena, O’Shae Sibley, and Antonio Mugler) who dance and dip literally in the face of the police. They raise their fists in unison to Byrell the Great saying, “I can’t breathe!” — a tribute to George Floyd’s last words before he was killed — and hold up signs that say, “Protect Black Trans Women!” It’s a very powerful piece that you will want to watch time and time again
