ball categories
traditional and regionally-inspired
Traditional ball categories and gender guidelines written by Ballroom Icon Stephaun Elite Wallace of The Legendary House of Blahnik
Regionally inspired categories created by House of Luna for the 2017 Lunático Ball
gender TERMS specific to ballroom categories
Butch queen (BQ)
A gay/bi/same-gender-loving cisgender men
femme queen (FQ)
A trans and femme-presenting woman
Butches
Masculine presenting women
Drag Queen (DQ)
Cisgender men who dress in women’s clothes and present as women (cross-dressing)
Female Figure (FF)
trans women, cisgendered women, and drag queens
Male Figure (MF)
Butch queens (see above), butch women, and transgender men
OTA
Open to all genders/sexualities
REALNESS
butch queen (BQ) Schoolboy Realness
This person should be a cisgender male, not a butch cisgender female or transgender male (FTM).
The “realness” aspect is centered on being able to “pass” as a heterosexual male.
The degree of “realness” a person exhibits is a positive indicator of their appropriateness for this category.
drag queen (Dq) REALNESS
This person should be a cisgender male who presents as a female (crossdressing), not a transgender female (MTF) or cisgender female.
The “realness” aspect is centered on being able to “pass” as a female.
The degree of “realness” a person exhibits is a positive indicator of their appropriateness for this category.
TRANSMALE REALNESS
This person should be a transgender male (FTM), not a butch cisgender female or cisgender male.
The “realness” aspect is centered on being able to “pass” as male (not androgynous).
The degree of “realness” a person exhibits is a positive indicator of their appropriateness for this category.
Where a person is on the social transition or medical transition spectrum is not relevant.
femme queen (FQ) REALNESS
This person should be a transgender female (MTF), not a drag queen or cisgender female.
The “realness” aspect is centered on being able to “pass” as female (not androgynous).
The degree of “realness” a person exhibits is a positive indicator of their appropriateness for this category.
Where a person is on the social transition or medical transition spectrum is not relevant.
Butch Realness
This person should be a butch cisgender female, not a cisgender male or transgender male (FTM).
The “realness” aspect is centered on being able to “pass” as male.
The degree of “realness” a person exhibits is a positive indicator of their appropriateness for this category.
BEAUTY
femme queen (FQ) Face
This person should be a transgender female (MTF).
This category is designed to allow the participant to sell their face, like they are on a photo shoot set for a major fashion magazine. The point is to highlight their face, their best features, in the way they move down the runway, use their hands, and angle their face.
The elements of face are: eyes, teeth, skin (tone/complexion), structure, and nose.
Consider whether you would likely see this person grace the cover of major fashion magazines.
Butch Face
This person should be a butch cisgender female, and not a drag queen or a transgender female (MTF).
This category is designed to allow the participant to sell their face, like they are on a photo shoot set for a major fashion magazine. The point is to highlight their face, their best features, in the way they move down the runway, use their hands, and angle their face.
The elements of face are: eyes, teeth, skin (tone/complexion), structure, and nose.
Consider whether you would likely see this person grace the cover of major fashion magazines.
butch queen (BQ) Face
This person should be a cisgender male, and not a transgender male (FTM) or butch cisgender female.
This category is designed to allow the participant to sell their face, like they are on a photo shoot set for a major fashion magazine. The point is to highlight their face, their best features, in the way they move down the runway, use their hands, and angle their face.
The elements of face are: eyes, teeth, skin (tone/complexion), structure, and nose.
Consider whether you would likely see this person grace the cover of major fashion magazines.
Women’s Face
This person should be a cisgender female, and not a drag queen or a transgender female (MTF).
This category is designed to allow the participant to sell their face, like they are on a photo shoot set for a major fashion magazine. The point is to highlight their face, their best features, in the way they move down the runway, use their hands, and angle their face.
The elements of face are: eyes, teeth, skin (tone/compexion), structure, and nose.
Consider whether you would likely see this person grace the cover of major fashion magazines.
RUNWAY
OTA Runway Walk
Judged purely on the strength and style of your walk
Creativity!
Elements of runway: straight-away (strut), poses, the “look”.
Any female figures should walk straight up and down, incorporating poses, but leaving the “antics” out as much as possible (think European runway shows). The same applies for male figures, except that it is generally acceptable for them to give extra “antics” or shade or stunts.
Effects and garments should “hold up” during category and not fall off or fall apart.
Big Girl
This category is reserved for women and trans women over 250 lbs.
Creativity!
Elements of runway: straight-away (strut), poses, the “look”.
Any female figures should walk straight up and down, incorporating poses, but leaving the “antics” out as much as possible (think European runway shows).
Effects and garments should “hold up” during category and not fall off or fall apart.
Big Boy
This category is reserved for men and trans men over 250 lbs.
Creativity!
Elements of runway: straight-away (strut), poses, the “look”.
Participants should walk straight up and down, incorporating poses, but for male figures, it is generally acceptable for them to give extra “antics” or shade or stunts.
Effects and garments should “hold up” during category and not fall off or fall apart.
FASHION
OTA Bizarre
This category is open to all.
Creativity! Bizarre and out-of-this-world looks!!!
Effects and garments should “hold up” during category and not fall off or fall apart.
OTA Modified Body*
*This category is regional to the Pacific Northwest.
This category is open to all.
Serve the judges your tattoos, piercings, gauges, scarifications, hooks, or any body modification.
SEX SIREN
male figure (MF) Sex Siren
This category is for male figures - transmen, butch women, and butch queens.
A well-developed male figure (large gym body) helps to get your 10s
Think “strippers” or the hottest masculine strip tease.
Generally the more skin revealed the better. This is not an exotic dance or “go-go” category.
Masculine presentation is expected, in look and movement.
Male Figure (MF) Catboy
This category is for male figures- transmen, butch women, and butch queens.
Catboys are expected to be less muscularly large Male Figure Sex Sirens.
Think “strippers” or the hottest dual masculine and feminine strip tease.
Generally the more skin revealed the better. This is not an exotic dance or “go-go” category.
More feminine energy in look and movement is acceptable in this category, and expected.
Female Figure (FF) Sex Siren
This category is for cisgendered women, transwomen, and drag queens.
Think “strippers” or the hottest masculine and feminine strip tease.
Generally the more skin revealed the better. This is not an exotic dance or “go-go” category.
Feminine presentation is expected, in look and movement.
VOGUE PERFORMANCE
OTA Virgin Vogue
This category is open to all performers with 1 year or less vogue experience.
All vogue elements are not necessary for this category.
Is the performer on beat? That is an important consideration.
Vogue Femme/Twisters
This category is for butch queens and trans men only.
All vogue elements are required: catwalk, duck-walk, hand performance, floor performance, spins/dips.
Performer should be on beat with movements, including dips.
Presentation can be masculine (realness w/twist or “twisters”) or feminine (vogue femme).
OTA Old Way vs. New Way
This category is open to all.
Old Way incorporates angles, lines, some martial arts, some “miming”, and other styles to tell a story.
New Way incorporates stretches, flexibility, and contorting body movements to tell a story.
Performer should be on beat with movements, including dips.
Presentation can be masculine or feminine.
OTA Hand Performance: White Gloves
Hands only! Show us what you got! Must have on white gloves or you will be chopped! (this category is open to all). Guidelines are:
Performer should be seated in a chair for the entire duration of their performance.
Arms and hands should be the primary body parts moving in the performance to tell a story.
Performer should be on beat with movements, including dips.
Presentation can be masculine or feminine.
Femme Queen (FQ) Performance
This category is for femme, trans women only.
All vogue elements are required: catwalk, duck-walk, hand performance, floor performance, spins/dips.
Performer should be on beat with movements, including dips.
Presentation should be feminine.
Women's Vogue
This category is for cisgendered women only.
All vogue elements are required: catwalk, duck-walk, hand performance, floor performance, spins/dips.
Performer should be on beat with movements, including dips.
Presentation should be feminine.