22 June 2026
A history built on movement
William Dorsey Swann was an African-American born into slavery. He was the first person in the United States to lead a gay resistance group and is widely considered to be the first person to call themselves a queen of drag. Swann became known for hosting elaborate drag balls that bear striking resemblance to the modern ballroom scene, and for his fearless resistance when those gatherings were targeted by police in the 1880s.
From those early gatherings, drag evolved through the underground cabaret circuits and LGBTQ+ bars of the early 20th century, finding new energy in the New York ballroom scene of the 1970s and 80s. These were spaces where LGBTQ+ people, particularly Black and Latino communities — created their own performance vocabulary. It was here, too, that voguing was born: a style of movement that would go on to inspire choreographers, fashion designers, and performance artists for decades to come.
It was the launch of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2009 that really brought drag to a global audience, platforming performers whose artistry and technical skill introduced millions of viewers to the craft for the first time.
Drag is performance
At a drag show's centre sits the lip sync. A strong lip sync demands musicality, choreography, spatial awareness, character, and the ability to carry an audience through a story in one single song.
It is no surprise, then, that many of today's most celebrated drag performers bring formal dance training to their work. La Voix, runner-up on Series 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, trained in dance and musical theatre. She has performed for the British Royal Family at their New Year's Eve Ball, twice, and has taken to the stage on over 100 cruises worldwide. It is a reminder that the line between competitive dance, theatre, and drag performance is far thinner than we might assume.
In the US, Alyssa Edwards shows just how deep the connection between drag and dance can run. A choreographer and dance teacher from Mesquite, Texas, they own and operate their own dance school, training the next generation of competitive dancers. Alyssa competed on RuPaul's Drag Race and returned to win the Drag Race Global All Stars in 2024.
Why this matters for dance
Dance training does not happen in isolation. It feeds into and draws from the full breadth of performance culture. When we celebrate the artistry and storytelling at the heart of drag and ballroom performance, we are celebrating dance itself.
