RuPaul’s Drag Race is one of the most influential queer TV shows of all time. With 29 Emmy wins and a sprawling network of global spin-offs, it has catapulted drag into mainstream pop culture and redefined how queer art and expression is consumed by the world.
However, it is no secret that the relationship between the House & Ballroom Scene and RuPaul’s Drag Race has encountered certain challenges. Over the years, concerns have arisen regarding the utilization of terms such as “Reading” and “Realness,” in addition to apprehensions about the mainstream depiction of voguing. Specifically, there is a perception within the ballroom community that the show’s emphasis on the “Death Drop” over the “Dip” contributes to the commodification of ball culture through skewed lens.
For years, the ballroom community has asked an increasingly urgent question: Where Are the Ballroom Gurls?
The ballroom scene gave birth to much of the lingo now casually dropped in pop culture: reading, realness, shade, trade, You Better Werk, and the often-misused deathdrop (officially known as a dip). These terms have become catchphrases and marketing hooks on Drag Race, but often without acknowledgment of their roots—or the people who created them.
For years, RuPaul’s Drag Race has been praised for weaving in niche queer pop culture references—from underground music to cult films, including iconic moments from a 1990 documentary about NYC’s ballroom culture, notably with the yearly “Reading Challenge”. However, modern ballroom culture has yet to receive its full due on the program.
RuPaul, who got her start performing in Georgia before becoming a fixture of New York City’s vibrant Club Kid scene, never competed in ballroom categories herself. While she made appearances at legendary events like Susanne Bartsch’s Love Ball, her role was more adjacent than embedded in the ballroom world. In a 2020 NPR interview, RuPaul was asked directly about ballroom culture and his connection to it. He said:
“I went to balls. But, you know, the kids at the ballroom were from a different — they weren’t the children of Warhol. They weren’t the David Bowie kids. They were kids who were shut out with society and wanted to emulate what society was doing — right? — or what high society was doing. We were the kids who were making fun of high society in a knowing — in a conscious way, if that makes sense.”
This quote highlighted a sense of distance—RuPaul acknowledging ballroom as something he observed, not something he belonged to. While his roots were in the art and fashion underground of Club Kid culture, his framing of ballroom as aspirational rather than subversive underscored a cultural rift between Drag Race’s glamorized drag performance and ballroom’s survival-born realness.
In contrast, Michelle Visage, a longtime judge on the show, has been vocal about her personal connection to ballroom. She spent time voguing in the early ’90s alongside ballroom legend Caesar Valentino, offering one of the show’s more direct links to the culture it so often references.
RuPaul’s Drag Race received its first official ballroom representation with the arrival of Mariah Balenciaga, who competed in Season 3 and later returned for All Stars 5. A celebrated member of the House of Balenciaga, Mariah is known for walking the Face category—bringing poise, polish, and ballroom camp to the Drag Race stage.
Vjuan Allure, the groundbreaking ballroom DJ and producer, made a significant impact on RuPaul’s Drag Race when he served as a musical consultant during Season 9. His sonic influence is most notably felt in the track Category Is…, which brought authentic ballroom rhythm and energy to the Drag Race soundtrack—offering one of the show’s most genuine musical nods to the culture it so often borrows from.
While these moments were significant, they were isolated. In more recent seasons, however, we’ve seen a noticeable shift. Keiona Revlon, a standout from HBO Max’s Legendary, made history by winning Drag Race France Season 2.
All Stars 10 features two contestants from the iconic House of Miyake-Mugler: Aja Miyake-Mugler and Olivia Lux Miyake-Mugler.
Here is a list of the gurls who have graced the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race—and lusted to walk the ballroom floor:
Mariah Paris Balenciaga (Season 3, All Stars 5)
Known for walking Face in the House of Balenciaga. She was the show’s first official ballroom representative.
Carmen Carrera (Season 3)
Known for walking Face with the House of Mizrahi.
Kennedy Davenport (Season 7, All Stars 3)
Known for walking Best Dressed & Drags Face in the House of Ebony
Aja (Season 9, All Stars 3, All Stars 9)
Formerly Aja LaBeija, she now with House of Miyake-Mugler. Walks FQ Runway & Performance.
A’Keria Chanel Davenport (Season 11, All Stars 6)
Known for walking Drags Face with the House of Chanel
Olivia Lux Miyake-Mugler (Season 13, All Stars 10)
Known for walking Drags Face with the House of Miyake-Mugler
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx (Season 15)
Known for walking Performance with the House of Ebony
Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige (Season 16)
Known for walking OTA Performance with the House of Ebony.
Keiona Revlon (Drag Race France Season 2, Global All Stars)
A star of Legendary, Keiona brought ballroom to the global stage and became the winner of Drag Race France Season 2.
Organzza (House of Cosmos) (Drag Race Brasil Season 1)
Winner of the first season of Drag Race Brasil, Organzza is from the Casa de Cosmos and deeply rooted in Brazil’s ballroom scene.
La Grande Dame (Drag Race France Season 1, UK vs. The World 2)
Kiara Schatzi / Kiara Benetton (Canada’s Drag Race Season 1)
If Drag Race truly wants to celebrate queerness in all its forms, it’s time to give the ballroom its 10z—not just its phrases.
Tags :
rupaul's drag race
