Mother Juan Aviance | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Secretary, voguer, dancer, musician, nightclub host/promoter and record label owner (CEO / A&R at Aviance Records, LLC) |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | House of Aviance, vogue, nightclub host, Aviance Records, LLC (a record label) and ball culture |
| Website | House of Aviance Aviance Records, LLC |
Mother Juan Aviance (born 1963 in Charleston, South Carolina [1] ) is an American secretary, voguer / dancer, music artist, nightclub host / promoter, record label owner, and CEO / A&R. [2] [3] [4] He is the founder and "Mother" of the House of Aviance, one of the legendary houses that emerged from the U.S. ball culture in the 1980s, a House which is still active today and "currently reigns the club scene in New York City." [2] [5] He is also founder, CEO and A&R of Aviance Records, LLC, a multi-genre record label that promotes new and upcoming artists. [2] [4] He is regarded as a "legend / icon" within the ballroom scene and is "House Mother" to the nightlife personalities and recording artists Kevin Aviance, and Erickatoure Aviance.
As an artist and host / promoter, Mother Juan has worked with several high-profile singers, music producers, DJs, and film directors over the years, some of which include Janet Jackson, Ce Ce Peniston, Madonna, Junior Vasquez, Tony Moran and Wolfgang Busch. [2]
Aviance was born in 1963 in Charleston, South Carolina and raised in Boston. From his school days up to his teenage years, he participated in performing arts activities such as dance and music but chose not to pursue a career in the performing arts because he disliked the repetitiveness of it, especially dance. [2]
In 1982 he graduated from high school and progressed into business school to acquire office skills. [2] Mother Juan's background / schooling in business and dance is a key factor in the success of the House of Aviance, a vogue ball house which he would go on to create in 1989. [4]
While at business school, Aviance worked for the Boston Public Schools as a clerk and then moved on to "The State of Massachusetts Disability" doing the same role. [2]
In 1987, Aviance moved from Boston to Washington, DC and landed a job with an environmental lobbyist doing paralegal work and setting up press conferences with senators on Capitol Hill. [2]
In August 1989, Aviance founded the House of Aviance which is now one of the "legendary" ballroom houses to have emerged from African-American LGBT ball culture. [5] [2] [4] The Legendary House of Aviance is known for its voguers, dancers, performances, runways, fashion, music, music producers and DJs, [6] [7] and "currently reigns the club scene in New York City." [5] As of 2014, its membership is just over 700 worldwide [2] [5] and include dancers, musicians, DJs, drag queens, performing artists, visual artists, singers, songwriters, music producers and engineers. [8] [6] [5] Since its founding, Aviance has been the "House Mother", and Daddy Tony Aviance the "House Father". [2] [5] According to Aviance, some of the key reasons for starting the House was because of his "love for the arts" and his leadership skills as stated below:
I started the House because of my love for the arts; and I have always been a leader–even as a kid, in dance troupes, singing groups, etc. Starting a House was just an extension of what I have always done since childhood.
— Mother Juan Aviance [4]
Some notable House members include the nightlife personalities and entertainers Kevin Aviance ("oldest house daughter" or "first big daughter" of Mother Juan), and Erickatoure Aviance. DJs/Producers Jean-Philippe Aviance and Nita Aviance (a former dancer); [9] [7] and dancer Tamsier Joof Aviance. [10]
As an artist and nightlife host/promoter, Aviance has gone on to work with several high-profile singers, music producers, DJs, and film directors over the years, some of which include Janet Jackson, Ce Ce Peniston, Madonna, Kevin Aviance, Bette Midler, Cyndi Lauper, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, Willi Ninja (the voguing icon and founder of the House of Ninja), Junior Vasquez, Tony Moran and Wolfgang Busch (director of the 2006 documentary How Do I Look ). [2]
My concern for the kids/members of the House far overshadows my desire for Ballroom fame
...
Some of the kids are fragile and want and need to be accepted and/or belong, but if they make one wrong move on the runway they are verbally abused and humiliated in front of their peers. In my opinion, I think people should be treated with more dignity and respect than what I've witnessed in the Ballroom. But make no mistakes I love the concept and despite all the things I find objectionable about the Ballroom I do remember where I came from.
—Mother Juan Aviance [2]
Historically, the "Mother" of a ballroom house was usually a drag queen or a transgender woman. As such, Aviance was initially hesitant to assume the role of House Mother but ultimately decided to take up the role. [2] His style of "mothering" is somewhat business-like, having attended business and dance school. [4] Although this style is pivotal in the success of the House, [4] he is also very protective towards his "house children", and was instrumental in removing the House of Aviance from walking balls to protect his children from what he deemed as "Ballroom politics", abuse, and unfair judging—despite the House winning numerous trophies and cash prizes over the years in ballroom competitions. [2] [11]
Aviance has also been instrumental and supportive in the professional careers of many of his children, some of which included the careers of Kevin Aviance, [8] [11] [12] Erickatoure Aviance and DJ/Producer Jean-Philippe Aviance. [13]
In the 1980s, Aviance spearheaded a weekly nightlife event in Washington, D.C. called Kindergarten Parties. These parties where frequented by New York City's Club Kids such as Amanda Lepore, James St. James and Kenny Kenny. Other patrons included Kevin Aviance (who later became a House Member) and several other nightlife personalities. These Kindergarten Parties propelled the careers of many high-profile artists within the LGBT community including Kevin Aviance and Jean-Philippe Aviance (the House of Aviance's first DJ) who used to DJ for Mother Juan at the former Vault Nightclub in D.C. where these weekly parties were held. [13] [2]
In January 2014, Aviance celebrated his 50th birthday with several House of Aviance DJs and House members in attendance. The event was hosted by Aviance's eldest daughter Kevin Aviance, with special guests including singer, DJ, fashion icon and former Deee-Lite vocalist Lady Miss Kier among other nightlife personalities. [14]
Aviance is regarded as one of the living "legends / icons" within the ballroom scene with one of the longest continuously active [15] ballroom houses that has won numerous competition cash prizes and trophies over the years. He is one of the longest serving and continuously active house parents [15] in the history of ball culture having ruled the House for 33 years as of 2022, surpassing the record of the late icon Pepper LaBeija who ruled the Legendary House of LaBeija for nearly 32 years without interruption. [2] [15] On 23 March 2014, Aviance partnered with fellow House member David Ohana and founded Aviance Records – a multi-genre record label that promotes new and upcoming artists. [2] Some high-profile House members and none-House members have released tracks through this record label including Erickatoure Aviance with her 2017 track OVAH—with the official video first showcased on Jonny McGovern's Hey Qween! Channel on 26 June 2017. [16]
Kevin Aviance is an American drag queen, club/dance musician, fashion designer, and nightclub personality. He is a personality in New York City's gay scene and has performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He is a member of the House of Aviance, one of the most notable vogue-ball houses in the U.S. He is known for his trademark phrase, "Work. Fierce. Over. Aviance!" He won the 1998 and 1999 Glammy Awards, the award for nightlife personalities in New York City. He has worked with several artists, including Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston. In December 2016, Billboard Magazine ranked him as the 93rd most successful dance artist of all-time.
Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s. It is inspired by the poses of models in fashion magazines.
Cafe con Leche was a weekly Sunday night party held at various nightclubs in New York City. The party's span as a weekly event was over seven years and continues to be celebrated, with its 28th anniversary having taken place at The Q Club in New York City on Sunday, June 27, 2021. As a weekly, Cafe con Leche began at the Danceteria nightclub on January 1, 1993, and ended at Cheetah on July 11, 1999.
William Roscoe Leake, better known as Willi Ninja, was an American dancer and choreographer known for his appearance in the documentary film Paris Is Burning.
The Ballroom scene is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture. Its origins can be found in drag balls of the mid-19th century United States, such as those hosted by William Dorsey Swann, a formerly enslaved Black man in Washington D.C.. By the early 20th century, integrated drag balls were popular in cities such as New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. In the mid-20th century, as a response to racism in integrated drag spaces, the balls evolved into house ballroom, where Black and Latino attendees could "walk" in a variety of categories for trophies and cash prizes. Most participants in ballroom belong to groups known as "houses", where chosen families of friends form relationships and communities separate from their families of origin, from which they may be estranged. The influence of ballroom culture can be seen in dance, language, music, and popular culture, and the community still exists today.
Founded in 1982, the House of Xtravaganza is one of the most publicly recognized "houses" to emerge from the New York City underground ballroom scene and among the longest continuously active. House of Xtravaganza members and the collective group is recognized for their cultural influence in the areas of dance, music, visual arts, nightlife, fashion, and community activism. House of Xtravaganza members continue to be featured in popular media and travel the world as ambassadors of voguing and the ballroom scene.
Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza is a dancer, choreographer, and recording artist. He is one of the most widely recognized personalities to emerge from the NYC ballroom scene of the 1980s. He is best known for his work with Madonna.
Tamsier Joof Aviance or Tamsier Aviance is a British dancer, choreographer, actor, model, entrepreneur, radio presenter, and author. He took the name "Aviance" after joining the House of Aviance — one of the legendary vogue-ball houses in the United States. As well as appearing in several musicals, and as stage backing dancer for Mary Kiani, Take That and Janet Jackson, he was also known within the London voguing scene during the 1990s and is among the original London vogue dancers of that era.
Javier Ninja is an American vogue dancer and teacher. Madrid is a member of the Legendary House of Ninja founded by the late Willi Ninja and has worn the House Dance International vogue "Champion of the year" for three consecutive years. He is well known within the vogue dance world and has performed and taught in several countries including the U.S.
Paris Dupree was an American drag performer and documentary participant featured in Jennie Livingston's 1990 documentary, Paris is Burning, which was named after Dupree's annual ball.
Leiomy Maldonado, known as the "Wonder Woman of Vogue", is a transgender Puerto Rican dancer, instructor, model, activist, and ballroom dancer. She is the founder of the House of Amazon and best known for her voguing. Maldonado introduced a new style of voguing which is more athletic and dramatic when she entered into the scene in early 2000s New York.
Erickatoure Aviance is an American nightlife personality, club host, clothing designer, fashionista, drag performer, recording artist, dancer, actor, singer and songwriter. She is a member of the House of Aviance, one of the vogue and ballroom houses in the U.S. founded in 1989 by Mother Juan Aviance. It is from this House that she takes her last name from as customary for all ballroom house members.
The House of Aviance is one of the "legendary/iconic" and major vogue-ball houses in the United States, with its base in New York City. It was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1989 by voguer/dancer, record label owner (CEO/A&R), nightclub host, music artist and secretary Mother Juan Aviance—one of the nightlife personalities of New York City. Since its founding, the House has played an integral part in U.S. and world ball culture, especially U.S. nightlife.
Aviance Records is an independent record label company founded in March 2014 by New York City's nightlife personality and vogue dancer Mother Juan Aviance with business partner DJ/Producer David Ohana Aviance.
Jean-Philippe Aviance is a French American house and techno DJ and producer from Washington, D.C. His career took off in 1990 when he started DJing for Mother Juan Aviance's voguing house and weekly Kindergarten Parties at the Vault Nightclub in D.C. These weekly parties were frequented by U.S. nightlife personalities like Kevin Aviance, New York City's Club kids such as Amanda Lepore, James St. James and Kenny Kenny. Jean-Philippe was the House of Aviance's first ever DJ.
Hector Xtravaganza was a member of the House of Xtravaganza and well-known figure in the NYC ballroom life, entertainer, fashion stylist, and public advocate for HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ organizations.
DJ Nita known as Nita Aviance is a dancer, percussionist, jazz singer, DJ, music producer, actor, and a member of The Carry Nation along with fellow DJ/producer Will Automagic. Nita is also half of two other production teams, BOOKWRMZ and Brooklyn Is Burning, as well as a member of the production team Pyramide.
Kim Aviance is a performance and visual drag artist, and nightclub hostess from the voguing and ballroom House of Aviance. She is a classically trained dancer and musician, and one of New York City's nightlife personalities. She is deemed a "New York nightlife queen", and has won numerous awards in the ball culture world. Aviance is a gender-non-conforming, and trans appearing.
Michael Cox, known by the stage name MikeQ, is an American DJ, musician, music producer, and prominent figure in the ballroom community. He is the founder of the record label Qween Beat. In 2020 MikeQ was the DJ for HBO's Legendary.
