When the word “Vogue” is mentioned, some may think of the iconic beauty and fashion magazine. Others might think of Madonna’s song “Vogue”—and they’re partially right. However, “Vogue” now has a whole new meaning at Moanalua High School.
Moanalua High School’s “Haus of Menes” founder and president, Kaikane Kauhi (11), is a two-year voguer who’s beginning a club that’s rare to see in a high school setting. Kauhi performed in the 2024 Homecoming Floorshow and is now officially in an international ballroom house called “The House Of Juicy Couture”.
“The Ballroom Club is all about spreading the ballroom scene in Hawai’i and educating those who are misinformed, especially due to popular media, which has whitewashed the culture I’m a part of,” said Kauhi. “I’m creating it not only to help spread the scene but also to give a space for queer youth, anyone who likes Vogue Fem, and to clear up any misconceptions.”
Vogue is a [dance] style that falls under the Modern House umbrella, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, arose from African American Harlem ballroom cultures, and got attention after Madonna’s song, Vogue, showcased in a documentary called “Paris Is Burning”. [1] The dance has evolved into what it is today and continues to inspire people in and outside the culture.
“I’ve been voguing for 2 years, but I’ve been in the ballroom community for a year now. I couldn’t find anyone who was in the ballroom scene. I thought I was the only one on the island, so it took me a whole year to find other people in the community, but also in my hometown,” Kauhi said. “I want to share the resources to other people who join the club so they can use those resources to further their life inside the ballroom community.”
Vogue is growing in social media; some mimic the motions without doing the research, which is called “Noguing” in ballroom terms. This term is only used when dancers think they’re doing the motions correctly, but aren’t.
“In the words of Leiomy Maldonado, “The Wonder Woman of Vogue”, she said, and I quote, ‘There’s a huge difference between Virgin Vogue and Nouging. Virgin Vogue means you’re studying videos, and attending classes to learn from Voguers. Nouging is more so someone seeing voguing and imitating voguing however they feel it just because they’re dancers.’ That is what we call a chop,” Kauhi stated.
Chop, in ballroom terms, means that the performance wasn’t what the judges were looking for, or that “it wasn’t giving.” For example, a judge could say, “One chop,” and then move on to the next person. Another popular term in the ballroom community is “10s across the board,” meaning the performance is exactly what the judges were looking for. Is it a one, or a ten? Is it very bland, or is it adding flavor to the performance? [2] There’s so much more in this community that students can take time to understand, but with the new club fresh out of the kitchen, students could learn more about the community, slang, genres, and more.
“I want to help grow this club and have a lot of people coming here and just create a positive environment,” Kauhi said. “Not only do I want it to grow, but also use it to educate and carry on, because I’m a junior, so I want to find a person who can help continue the club and not just let it die along with me, you know?”
If the new Ballroom Club catches your interest, follow @hausofmenes on Instagram to find out when their meetings are held!
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