Ballroom, We Care is proud to host its 2nd Annual FREE Community Ball, a celebration rooted in Resistance, Unity, Awareness, and Support in response to our community's challenges today.
As always, BWC will offer valuable information and resources on substance use, mental health, harm reduction, and HIV prevention. The event will also feature guest speakers, food, and refreshments.
This is more than just a Ball; it is an opportunity to come together, educate ourselves, access resources, uplift one another, and remind ourselves that we can rise above adversity through unity.
************************CATEGORIES**********************
1. Realness with a Twist
“Surviving the Stigma”
You have been misjudged, labeled, and dismissed—but you are still here. Bring us your Twist that challenges HIV stigma. Use red as your base color to represent undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U). (Trophy and cash)
Judging Focus: Realness, confidence, message clarity, and symbolism.
2. OTA Runway
“The Resistance Is Styled”
Think protest meets fashion!. Bring a runway look inspired by historic LGBTQ+ uprisings (Stonewall, ACT UP, etc.). Must include a flag with one visible slogan or statement on harm reduction or mental health awareness. (Trophy and cash)
Judging Focus: Walk, execution, fashion construction, and alignment with theme.
3. OTA Performance
“Crystals, Not Crystal”
Light the floor up with a performance that represents the fight against crystal meth in our community. Your effect should sparkle, but your story should be clear. Include a creative sparkling element for healing or recovery. (Trophy and cash)
Judging Focus: Storytelling, elements, creativity, and energy.
4. OTA Face
“Face of RESISTANCE”
Mental health struggles don’t always show, but tonight, your face tells the story. Walk in your glow, carrying a mirror with one empowering word on it that helped you survive.
Let your reflection be resistance. (2 trophies, 1 cash)
Judging Focus: Creativity, skin, symmetry, and empowering glow.
5. OTA Sex Siren
“Pleasure with Protection”
Seduction meets sexual health awareness. In all red, bring safe sex to the stage in a bold, tasteful way. Must include a visible reference to HIV prevention (PrEP, condoms, or testing). (2 trophies, 1 cash)
Judging Focus: Sex appeal, confidence, and public health creativity.
6. OTA Best Dressed
“Designer's Delight for Mental Health”
Design a look inspired by the emotional rollercoaster of managing mental health as an LGBTQ+ person. Must incorporate colors that represent joy( yellow), and recovery(purple). Tonight, fashion meets advocacy. (Trophy, 1 cash)
Judging Focus: Artistic depth, creativity, fashion construction, and storytelling.
7. OTA Bizarre
“Altered States: The Battle Within”
Create an avant-garde look that expresses the chaotic relationship between substance use and mental health. Think abstract and outside the box! Channel your creativity, but include a prop that represents hope. (Trophy, and cash)
Judging Focus: Shock value, creativity, look, abstract thinking, depth of concept, and message clarity.
8. Old Way vs. New Way:
“Movement of RESISTANCE”
Through classic or innovative movement, channel protest energy. Come in all black, but make sure that you have something to reference your activism, e.g have posters, fists, and caution tape. Your body is the battleground. Your form is the fight resistance. ( 2 trophies, 1 Cash)
Judging Focus: Technique, musicality, grace, style, originality, interpretation
9. OTA Commentator vs. Commentator:
“Mic Check: RESISTANCE Reads”
Step up and deliver a 60-second freestyle calling out injustice—whether around crystal meth stigma, anti-trans violence, or healthcare inequality.(Trophy and cash)
Judges Focus: Read the system, uplift the people, shake the room.
10. OTA Team Realness (1 MF and 1 FF):
“RESISTANCE Looks Like Me”
In a world that questions our existence, realness is resistance. Tonight, step forward in your truth and show us what it means to walk through this world unapologetically, you.
Bring it in your ACT of RESISTANCE, look fighting for a cause!!! Your look must include one visible item or statement that speaks to your form of resistance (e.g., HIV awareness, harm reduction, anti-racism, trans justice, mental health awareness, advocacy, etc.). (2 Trophies, 1 cash)
Judging Criteria:
• Authenticity & confidence
• Strong category presentation
• Integration of resistance symbolism
• Ability to narrate your look, if asked
**********************GRAND PRIZE**************************
FQ Performance!
“RESISTANCE in Every Step”
For far too long, femme queens have carried the weight of this community on the frontlines of resistance, survival, and healing. Tonight, your performance is a tribute to that legacy.
Using the trans colors, bring it in an effect that represents the intersection of femme power and protest. Whether you are calling out anti-trans violence, fighting for HIV justice, or dancing through the pain of recovery—make every element an act of RESISTANCE.
Your look must also include one visible element representing transformation—a butterfly, flower, phoenix, mirror, etc., symbolizing growth through struggle.
Judging Criteria:
• Storytelling through performance
• Clear connection to the theme
• Precision, technique, skill, and emotional impact
• Personal expression of resistance and resilience
To RSVP For FREE tickets, click on events tab of the home page at www.ballroomwecare.org
Also check out other Health & Wellness events in New York, Arts events in New York.
