In January 2025, the iconic House of St. Laurent celebrated a special anniversary House Ball, The Last Train to St. Laurent, in New York. Additionally, the international chapters of the House of St. Laurent hosted a panel talk at NYU’s Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life, with members of the House of St. Laurent from Mexico, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Korea. Invited American Ballroom-Figures included the host of the Panel, Legendary Tabytha Margiela, and Guests Pioneer Robert St. Laurent, European Grandfather Catalyst Archie Ninja, Nekia Zulu, and Quana Balenciaga, who shared their experiences and perspectives on the international growth of Ballroom culture, bridging Ballroom, academia, and the arts.

In continuation, we invite you to The Legacy Continues, honoring the foundational work of Ballroom, which has developed into a largely growing worldwide phenomenon, providing spaces of empowerment and expression for many Queer and BIPOC Communities internationally. Throughout the evening, together with Pioneer Robbie St. Laurent, one of the founding members of the House 1982, other Elders will share their experiences of the founding times in the Ballroom. Consecutively, European Ballroom Members from Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium, will come together, creating an international exchange across generations.

Part 1: Ballroom Across Borders: Transmission, Memory, and Preservation drawing from personal work on preservation and transmission of Ballroom history, from the pioneering era to documentation of international scenes, participants will reflect on how Ballroom has evolved across cultural contexts while remaining connected to its roots. Subjects include: Role of archival footage and the lasting influence of those materials, shaping Ballroom scenes overseas, the evolution of Ballroom archiving practices and the contemporary approaches to preserve cultural knowledge, challenges associated with the increasing visibility in mainstream platforms, including processes of cultural dilution, misrepresentation, and decontextualization.

Part 2: The Foundation of Ballroom: the Legacy of the Pioneering and Trailblazing Era:

Focusing on Ballroom’s formative decades, from the 1970s through the 1990s, this panel highlights the vital role of elders as custodians of cultural memory. Together with Pioneer Robbie St. Laurent, founding member of the Iconic House of St. Laurent, participants will share first-hand reflections on the early years of Ballroom culture.

Subjects include: Research, archiving, and documentation of active and inactive Houses, Systems of kinship, lineage, and intergenerational transmission within Ballroom culture.

Banner Photo: Carolin Windel