Van Vogue Jam (VVJ) was founded by Ralph Escamillan after witnessing Ballroom communities in Toronto, Montreal and New York, and being inspired to bring the power of Ballroom and Vogue to Vancouver. What began as a weekly space for queer folks to gather, learn about Ballroom and practice Vogue Femme and European Runway, led to our first ball - The Dynasty Ball in 2017, making it clear that there was a need and desire for Ballroom in Vancouver.
In 2019, VVJ became a non-profit organization. This milestone opened doors to arts funding while also creating opportunities to educate funding bodies, officers and juries about Ballroom culture. Through our advocacy, we’ve been able to offer free and by donation programming, subsidized workshops with international leaders, and accessible pricing for all our events. Helping to build the Vancouver Ballroom scene has been central to VVJ’s mission, and we are grateful to support local initiatives such as the BlackOut Collective, the Vancouver Kiki Ballroom Alliance and Annual Mainstream event “The Posh Ball”.
As our community grows, VVJ is evolving into a more expansive and modular organization supporting new Ballroom initiatives. With this growth, our organization is entering a new phase of development.On March 20, 2026, Van Vogue Jam Arts Society will officially become Vancouver Ballroom Arts Society (VBA). This name change reflects our evolution, and commitment to supporting the broader Vancouver Ballroom community. This transition will also be marked by a new visual identity. In alignment with the system of colour eras established by The Pioneering Icon Derrick Prada Ebony, VBA will be moving into the Pink era.
The new visual direction has been developed in collaboration with graphic designer and Vancouver’s first $1000 Performance winner Savina Juicy Couture, alongside Shi Shi 007, Savannah Sutherland, Ralph Escamillan and the VBA Board. Over the next few weeks, we are excited to share our new image, leading up to the Vancouver Ballroom weekend June 24-26, 2026.
We are grateful to our local Ballroom scene, the many volunteers and friends, our countless community partner organizations, and all of our out of town Ballroom community members and leaders, Legends, Icons and Pioneers, who have supported us and helped shape Vancouver’s Ballroom scene along the way. This new chapter reflects the continued growth of Vancouver’s Ballroom community, and VBA remains committed to being a resource for our thriving Ballroom scene.
With gratitude
Vancouver Ballroom Arts Society
LAND AKNOWLEDGEMENT
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