O'Shea Couture ECSU Spring 2010

I'm at a loss for words right now...please forgive me for this speechless moment.
I have a lot to say about this performance. For one, I'll commend the choreographers on the difficulty and creativity of the routines. Good job to the models for pulling off said choreography. This show was good, but it was not GREAT!

For the entire time, the same genre of music played in the background, the same clothing was worn by the models all show long, and the energy was one long bar that didn't go up or down. The first time I saw this I admit to fast forwarding to the end because of this fact, I was bored. It's the same show put on by eastern North Carolina troupes who continue to emulate the DMV modeling style don't rely on their own personal inspirations. Not get me started on props! Yes, NC Triad (Greensboro, High-Point, and Winston-Salem) and Charlotte troupes have spoiled me when it comes to executing good overall staging. If only the rest of the state's groups would discover the magic a good backdrop can help manifest.

Existence Modeling Troupe Performs for the Ques

Lord have mercy on me! What do ya'll think about this show?! The whole time all I could think of was "big-girl revolution" "lace don't love everybody" and "who is this sole sista-big-bone gay male  storming the stage"!

Regional Aesthetics (part 3)

This is the final addition to my east coast modeling troupe regional aesthetic article.

Florida is home to some very interesting troupes in the United States. The state is a giant peninsula with a tropical climate and a cultural clash between Anglo-American values and the Latin American heritage of its many residents.  It’s a state where the beach, and the millions of dollars in tourism profits it brings annually affect the life of its inhabitants, influencing public policy, environmental regulation, cuisine, and most notably, fashion.  Indeed, of the regions of the east coast outside New York City, Miami is arguably the most important hub for retail.  It is fashion industry that has a heavy influence on the performance modeling style of the Florida troupes, which have become an anti-thesis to those in North Carolina and the D.C., Maryland, Virginia areas.

Kerojo at FAAM Awards

I'm a sucker for good production! This show started off magically. Smoke, props, costumes, oh yeah! The only downers were, once again, fashion (uniform clothing, no costume changes). I give this show a B- for good scenery, nice color palette, and good fashion silhouettes. As for the countless queen corps trapezing on the runway, if you're gonna have all that effeminacy on stage, go all out. The ancient Egyptian men (straight and gay) wore make-up, flashy jewelry, and flowing robes. The macho silhouette created from the clothing worn in this show seemed so contrived and out of place on the dainty fairies who wore them. Don't be afraid to take it there guys, you might as well...

YouTube Personality Lonnie and MC RJ Speak Modeling Troupes and Ballroom Culture

My sista' girl directed me to this insightful interview on YouTube and you know I had to post it! *Thanks Sodom* Anyway, this interview was of ballroom MC RJ Balenciaga, who is a commentator and ballroom runway legend. The two discussed, amongst all things, the blurring fusion of modeling troupe and ballroom culture in the DMV area. Now you all know how I am in regards to this subject. I'm a purist and proud of it! So for this to be brought up and discussed is something I, and other traditional performance modeling enthusiasts, love and agree upon. I also can see how disrespectful it can be to label modeling troupe events and participants the same as the ballroom scene, seeing how the latter group has had to suffer for decades to manifests their creative talents. I just pray the troupes in North Carolina will continue to keep the separation between ballroom and performance modeling clear and distinct. They are two different worlds and each have their own rules and guidelines.

John Galliano - Fall Winter 2011/2012 Full Fashion Show - Menswear - Hig...

Leave it to Galliano to spice up the mens collections of fashion. I love his taste and unconventional vibrancy. Get into the mild performance the models give. As a user commented below, Galliano doesn't just give you a collection of clothes, he transports you into another world. If you couldn't feel the cold air and buoyant attitude of Eastern Europe while watching this, I don't know what to tell you!

Kerojo Presents...Monsters (circa '07-08)

I thought this was a lovely show when it first aired on YouTube way back. I've grown to appreciate it more as time has passed. The fashion was good, they could have expanded the color palette once the music became more club oriented though. Just a thought.

Professional Runway: F/W 11/12 GIORGIO ARMANI FULL SHOW

Looks like colors of stormy weather and 1950's meets 90's euro club chic (towards the end) are the inspiration behind Armani's new F/W collection. It's very masculine, but with an...intellectual side. It reminds me of the film noir genre. The good thing for those regular joes out there, most of the men's collections out there look A LOT like attire you can find in MensWareHouse, Sears, Belks, and other traditional department stores, cause they are quite reserved this year.

Side Note: Is it me or did the first wave of models resemble actor James Franco? Maybe it was just the way they were styled. Gotta love Italian/Greek men.

Courtesy of Fashion TV FMEN

The Art of Competing: Dynamic Energy

Yes, that’s a diagram that you see, all will be explained in due time. Two of my band directors once told me that a key to a great musical piece is changing dynamic levels. Dynamics in music refers to sound level and quality. No matter how nice a melody is, if it never changes or progresses it’s flat and can become a bore. The same can be said of a performance spectacle, whether in theater, choral singing, dance, and even performance modeling.