Nana sits down with award-winning dancer, storyteller, mentor and trailblazer Chantal Bala, who has graced the stage with artists like Jessica Mauboy, Neyo and Baker Boy and Snoop Dogg.

Chantal explains the history of ballroom and voguing, including its origins in the 1960s-70s in Harlem, where it was created by Black and Latinx LGBTQIA+ people who were resisting violence. Chantal unpacks how ballroom continues to be a sacred space of resistance and celebration for queer communities. Chantal breaks how battles work, the art of her preferred style, Vogue Femme, and reflects on how “ballroom found her.”

Chantal, who is also a dance educator and choreographer, touches on how she approaches classes, the importance of Black-led dance spaces, and how teaching others to surrender to movement and can be a powerful guiding force in the dance studio and beyond.

Keep up with Chantal Instagram and Tik Tok.