Ballroom culture gets its own reality competition show.
XA'PARIIS EBONY ON “LEGENDARY”
Ballroom has existed, and blossomed, for decades throughout mainstream culture. (And no, we’re not talking about foxtrots and spangly fringe.)
The underground subculture of the LGBTQ+ community has been immortalized on the big screen (the documentary “Paris Is Burning”) and the small screen (Madonna’s “Vogue”). It’s fueled reality shows, from “America’s Best Dance Crew” to “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” And it’s been beautifully humanized on the Emmywinning “Pose.”
“The world can see how valuable ballroom culture is and what we actually contribute to pop culture throughout the decades,” says “Drag Race” contestant Mariah Paris Balenciaga, who got her start in the ballroom scene. “The kids from the ballroom scene create such magnificent looks, dance moves, terminology out of nowhere, out of nothing, out of necessity and make it all look and sound fabulous.”
“Legendary” is the latest ode to ballroom, a reality competition that captures the frenetic energy of the culture. It’s currently streaming on HBO Max and has already been renewed for a second season.
For the uninitiated, ballroom arose in the Black and Latin LGBTQ+ communities in New York City as both competition and community. Members of different “houses,” or chosen families, walk against each other in various categories that satirize and celebrate gender, including butch queen, vogue, face and body.
Houston native Xa’Pariis Ebony competed on “Legendary” as part of the House of Ebony, which finished in sixth place. He was invited to audition last year for the show and made the cut after a round of interviews.
“I view ballroom like school. You have the jocks, the cheerleaders, the popular kids, the band, the geeks the nerds. In ballroom, you have to climb the ladder just like in any society,” Xa’Pariis says.
“The competitive level in ballroom is unmatched. The adrenaline you get from not knowing, or sometimes knowing, who you’re going up against, and just having the bragging rights and reaching a certain stature, you want those things. It pushes you to be the best that you can be.”
“Legendary” put eight houses through nine weeks of challenges in front of a live audience and celebrity judges, including H-town hottie Megan Thee Stallion and ballroom legend Leiomy Maldonado. In the end, the House of Balmain earned the $100,000 prize.
Xa’Pariis, who moved to Dallas three years ago, say he’s “still processing” the show’s impact. And don’t get it twisted — he’s H-town all day, every day.
“I live in Dallas. I’m not from here,” he says. “I don’t want anybody to get that misconstrued. I always feel so honored to be from Houston because we produce such talent in so many areas.”
He forged his own connection with viewers on the first episode of “Legendary,” where he revealed that his mother kicked him out of the house after telling her that he was gay. He sometimes slept in parks and eventually found a family in the ballroom community.
“I developed this shell to where I don’t allow myself to be vulnerable in front of people,” Xa’Pariis says. “Being on the show and having to work with my teammates, who were all from different places, really made a personal impact. They didn’t understand why I did the things I did and acted the way I acted. When I finally opened up to them, it allowed them to understand.”
Xa’Pariis attended Jackson State University under the urging of his mom, who pushed him to pursue music. But it only made him realize that there was more to life than making others happy. He left school, discovered Houston’s sprawling drag pageant scene and quickly made a name for himself as Xa’Pariis. An exboyfriend inspired him to try ballroom competitions, and it soon took center stage.
“Legendary” has only solidified his path down the runway. Since the show filmed, Xa’Pariis has launched a merch line, started a Cameo account to connect with fans and is embracing a sense of self-growth. His relationship with his mother isn’t where he wants it to be but is “in a good space” and getting better. And he hopes sharing his story gives audiences a better understanding of just how important ballroom is for those who are part of it.
“I came from a home that was middle class, a single mom. It wasn’t a hard life. But the one thing missing for me was the family connection,” he says. “Now ballroom has this big textbook that’s still being contributing to. There’s just so much for you to get into.”