MUSIC: An Interview With Leiomy Prodigy via 1MSQFT It was a warm Friday night in New Orleans at the
MUSIC: An Interview With Leiomy Prodigy via 1MSQFT It was a warm Friday night in New Orleans at the French Quarter; the city pulsed with energy, bars and restaurants glimmered in the distance, and a marching band played down the street as an added bonus to what looked like the finale of a gay wedding. Upon arriving to the Wax Museum we were greeted by a stunning live window installation filled with people dressed to the nines. Inside the party the was ball was just beginning. Every type of costume, over-the-top neon weave’d decoration, masquerade mask, wig, and makeup look your brain can think of was inside of this room, creating the perfect atmosphere to set off what was to be a wildly fun night. photo: Patrick Duffy The show finally begins and the dancing is non-stop, all night from there. On the mic, Kevin JZ Prodigy makes this non-touching cat-fight reach fever pitch with demanding, high-energy chants and take-no-prisoners commentary. From bouncing to twerking to cheeky contests like ‘best dressed’ and 'most sexy’ - the ball had it all! In the back of the stage sat a row of beautifully decorated thrones for the bounce and vogue elite judges of the night. Always a very passionate part of NYC clublife, the ballroom and vogue underground has thrived for several decades in gay clubs, rented halls, and ballrooms mostly to the tune of disco and house anthems. One of the judges of the night, as well as one of the few pioneers in bringing vogueing to the mainstream, is Leiomy Prodigy! You may remember her as the front-woman of the oh-so good dance group Vogue Evolution that placed third on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew back in 2009. You’ve definitely seen her signature Leiomy Lolly dance move which has been used by pop music’s greats - from Britney to Beyonce to Gaga and the list goes on. WTU: It’s so amazing to see you in the flesh! Tell us about your time here in New Orleans so far. LEIOMY: Well I came here to be apart of the ball at the Wax Museum - which was so epic. It was the first time the bounce and vogue scenes have done a collaboration like this and it was beautiful. The way everything was put together, the energy of the people that came out - it was just a good time! People came definitely ready to shake their butts (laughs). WTU: What was it like being apart of something so culturally relevant to you but new at the same time? LEIOMY: It was epic for me! I felt like we definitely learned something different and saw things we weren’t used to, but at the same time, I feel like we shared a bit of our culture that they could hopefully take from and enjoy as well. It was amazing! WTU: What are your thoughts on the vogue scene as a whole right now? LEIOMY: I love that it’s growing but still kind of tight knit at the same time! I feel really blessed to be apart of such a unique, upbeat culture. WTU: And how has New Orleans as a whole been for you? LEIOMY: I really love it! You know, I live in New York so I’m used to the whole party thing, but here… it’s constantly! I love it! The night capped with a happy, danced-out audience that just witnessed two cultures coming together in a way that has never been done before (and we hope it’s not the last). As for the future of vogueing, we can only see it going up from here. The mere fact that a wonderful initiative like 1MSQFT played a major role in bringing this to life this says a lot in itself! Learn a little bit more about the history of vogue by clicking here and definitely peep that Leiomy Lolly here! -- source link
#1msqft#leiomy#prodigy#new orleans#bounce