Matala Ball

The ballroom scene and culture originated in New York in the late 1960's and early 1970's , where queer and trans Black and Latinx communities - excluded from mainstream pageants, created their own underground safe spaces to host ballroom competitions. In the early 2000's, Aotearoa began to recognize this culture, and in 2013 the first official ballroom scene was established in South Auckland, Otara. Since then, the scene has grown into a thriving ballroom community across Aotearoa. 

Village Collective has been hosting kiki balls since 2021, and this year our aim was to host a grand Matala Ball to bring the community together once again. This event was a collaboration between Village Collective and the Aotearoa Ballroom Council, with a group from the Council selected to help plan and organize the Matala Ball. 

What made this ball particularly special was the ballroom workshops held the evening before, led by our international Mothers from Australia: the legendary founding Mother Ella Alexander, and Jaycee Iman, the founding of the House of Iman. 

The Matala Ball itself took place the following evening, showcasing eight categories that celebrated creativity, expression, and excellence within our community. The weekend of providing festivities closed with a traditional Sunday ballroom toonai (brunch), providing a final moment for everyone to connect, reflect, and say their goodbyes before departing.