Glossary

Definitions from Redbull’s “Here's everything you need to know about the ballroom scene.”

The Ball: An event where competitors face off against their rival houses for money and glory.

Haus: A team that rehearses and competes in balls. Can also act as a family unit.

Kiki Scene: A ball scene or haus that is geared towards younger people that prepares them for larger balls.

Butch Queen: A gay man. Performance categories with this description are usually for cis-gendered gay men only.

Category: Categories are created based on various themes, skills, and techniques. Some are open to all performers to compete in, depending on the type of ball. (Kiki balls are known to sometimes have open categories).

Chop: To be eliminated in a ball as a contestant. Judges will often say “Thank you, but that’s a chop”.

Femme Queen: A trans woman. Categories with this description are for trans women only.

Realness: The ability to blend into a group that’s not your own. For example, if a category for a ball is executive realness, the challenge will be to present your most high class business attire on the runway.

Serve/Serving: Bringing 110% attitude and confidence to your performance. If you’re “serving” an outfit, you’re strutting your stuff and living your best life.

10’s: Receiving perfect reviews from the judges in a ball, which means you’ll proceed to the next round of the competition.

Virgin: A first-timer, who’s never walked or performed in any category before.

Vogue Femme: A dance style that adds a twist to femme queen technique. Execution can be very soft or severe.

Walking: Is simply the act of competing in a certain category at the ball.

Discussion Questions

In the movie, you heard several voices highlighting the special qualities of house and ballroom culture. Which voice stood out to you the most? What was the biggest lesson you are taking away from the film?

Practice makes perfect. Each practice was another chance for the dancers to bring their all to the dance floor. Do you think that hearing the creative directions given by Merci helped give you a better understanding of house culture?

We tried to use a lot of b-roll in this film. Were there any elements that you wanted to see that weren’t added?

Sound is a key aspect to telling the story of the Haus of Mulan. What sounds stuck out to you? Were there moments of dance music that you felt connected with the movement of the dancers?

The art in movement is a key component to battling in their competitions, but there are others sprinkled in the film. What other strategies or tactics did you see the Haus of Mulan use to win?