Daniel Vidal Soto
An Interview with Grandfather Hector Xtravaganza: NYC Ballroom & Fashion Icon
This weekend, NPR’s Latino USA published a feature on Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza from the House of Xtravaganza, which created “vogue” and was the House featured in Madonna’s 1990 iconic video. It seems that “vogue” is back in vogue, but like the NPR piece said, the roots are much deeper and go beyond Madonna videos from 25 […]
Texas Police Racism: A Brief Modernity
Police-on-Police Racism Last year, a Black Fort Worth police officer discovered a noose on a snowman dressed as a policeman holding a banana on his desk. That launched a series of exposés on the institutional and blatant racism at the Forth Worth PD, which led to the city’s police chief resigning. Earlier this week, in McKinney, […]
An Interview with TATS Cru, ‘The Mural Kings’
I spent a couple of days with TATS Cru —”The Mural Kings” who began writing (what media would later call “graffiti”) in the South Bronx during the1980s— talking about their origins, gifts and blessings, as well as the act of creation. Entering The Point felt like walking through a temple. There is something sacred not […]
NYC’s Underground Ballroom Scene, Queer Identity and Finding Home
The Background Shortly after its December release, I interviewed filmmaker Seven King about his documentary The Rebirth of Paris. King’s documentary is an homage to Paris is Burning. The Interview I asked King a few questions centered on the state of the ballroom scene, the connection between the “older” and “newer” generation of artists, as […]
Gentrification, Gestapo, NYC’s B-Boys and Spain’s Flamenco Dancers
Meet D, Texas and Tay, three breakdancing B-Boys from New York City’s underground. A few weeks ago, D and Texas arrested for dancing (not for the first time). Tay has also been arrested for dancing as well. This video, however, shows that plainclothes police (Gestapo) were used in their arrest. The criminalization of artists —particularly […]
Gentrifying New York City’s Underground
Gentrification —the influx of residents, usually middle to upper class, into an urban area who in turn cause an uptick in property values and rent— is nearly as old as human history: historians note incidences of gentrification in Ancient Rome, when wealthy residents and commercial property owners bought out poorer areas to build large markets and […]
