Magdalena Marcinkowska
Owing to ballroom culture and voguing, the language of the movement, I have been pushing the boundaries set by the patriarchal order for many years now. I create safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and straight women. I bring together people who share the same or similar experiences and, most importantly, who share the love I have received from the ballroom and dance community. I am constantly exploring the boundaries of acceptance of myself, of the people with whom I surround myself, and of society.
Through activism, I persistently strive to turnPoland into a country that is welcoming to all individuals and a place filled with acceptance, joy, and freedom of expression. I believe that change that starts within ourselves has immense power, because if consistently implemented and enforced, it also spreads to the people around us.
During the residency, I want to reflect on my experiences so far, to organise, and to find the best methods to expand my activities. I want to reflect on the change that has already taken place in me, to look at the change that is still in progress, and to consider possible directions for growth. I want to explore the relationship between bodywork, being on stage, and self-acceptance. How has my role as a ballroom mother affected me and how can I further develop my work? How can I be a leader and at the same time not disregard my own needs? I want to create a space for the empowerment of women’s sexuality, which has been appropriated by patriarchy and the hetero norm. I would also like to analyse the experience of sexuality – my own and that of the people with whom we form a family of choice on a daily basis.
I am a pioneer of ballroom culture in Poland. I started my dance career in 2007 and have been involved with voguing since 2012. I co-founded the first House in Poland – the Kiki House of Army (2013-2022). I am the mother of the Polish Chapter of the Iconic House of Revlon, founded in 1989 in New York. To date, I have participated in about 70 balls across Europe. I have organised around 40 ballroom events in Poland, in cities such as Poznań, Warsaw, Łódź and Wrocław, including the first-ever such event held in Wrocław in 2013, and the biggest ball in 2019 in Poznań. I work as an educator, choreographer, dancer, and event producer. I have collaborated with institutions such as the National Opera, the Nowy Theatre, and Studio Theatre in Warsaw, the Capitol Music Theatre Wrocław, as well as Vogue Poland, Netflix, HBO Poland, Orange Festival, and fest festival.