Function presents Understudy — with LEGENDARY Courtney Balenciaga & Omi Balenciaga

We stand on the shoulders of those that came before us, and the ones that came before them. This June, we’re teaming up with Ace Hotel Brooklyn to bring you Understudy, a bootcamp-style Vogue session led by Legendary Courtney Balenciaga and Omi Balenciaga, where master and understudy join forces in the spirit of legacy.

Join us for an open dialogue with our dynamic guest duo around the importance of pouring into future generations, followed by a free Vogue class to get the girls in shape for ball season. RSVP required!

Doors open at 6:00 PM. Programming begins at 6:30 PM.

-About our guests

Legendary Courtney Balenciaga (she/her)

A mother, founder, and pillar of today’s New York City Ballroom scene, Courtney has been hitting the floor since 2009—birthing the now world-renowned House of Juicy Couture, champions of the final season of HBO Max’s Legendary, the very same year. Receiving her Legendary status in 2018, her resume is as impressive as it gets, from the Danielle Revlon Award, presented to her by Icon Ashely Icon in 2009 to the 2021 Avis Penda’vis Award of Excellence presented by Icon Luna Luis Ortiz, along with multiple Visionary Awards from the Heritage Council and Ballroom Throwbacks, to name a few. But most impressive is Courtney’s ability to discover and nurture talent, leading generations of kids to greatness, on and off the floor. A high-touch leader with a clear vision, drive, and the perfect mix of love and sternness—it’s no surprise she’s also received Mother of the Year—Courtney’s undoubtedly claimed her spot as one of New York City’s greats, and she’s here to stay.

Omi Balenciaga (she/her)

N’yomi Stewart—or Omi “Oh My” Balenciaga—is one of the standout Femme Queen performers of our generation, slowly but surely etching her name alongside the greats we all love and look up to. Introduced through the Iconic House of Juicy Couture, Omi was quick to take the Kiki scene by storm and has since made more than just a splash in the Mainstream—her talent demanding our undivided and unwavering attention from the very moment she hits the floor. Omi pushes us to embrace femininity and explore the art of Vogue in all its depth, taking her approach on the road, from Atlanta to Montréal and Toronto.

Off the floor, N’yomi is an interdisciplinary artist and community organizer. She was the first black trans woman to graduate from the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts Acting program receiving a B.F.A. and has since worked at the Public Theater (Off-Broadway: Richard III, A Raisin in the Sun) and other notable theatre companies such as The O’Neil, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Roundabout, The New Group, Playwrights Horizons, and The Old Globe.

In the past two years, she has been named a GALLIM Moving Artist Resident, New York Theater Workshop Artist in Residence (Dartmouth and Adelphi), and is currently an artist in residence with BTFA (Black Trans Femmes in the Arts), creating work centred around her trans experience as it connects to the world around her through text, movement, and imagination.

N’yomi is currently working with the Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) as the assistant director on their off-Broadway production of CATS: The Jellicle Ball under Bill Rauch and Zhailon Livingston, while continuing to lead her own creative projects.

FUNCTION

FUNCTION is a platform for Ballroom-first culture, stories, and events, based in Toronto. Through our work, we focus on uplifting BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ voices and highlighting Canadian Ballroom talent. Since our launch in early 2022, we’ve welcomed over 3200 attendees, distributed over $140,000 directly to BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and participants, and handed out 600+ HIV self-testing kits and thousands of other harm reduction supplies to community members, leaning on expert nonprofit organizations.

Ace Hotel Brooklyn

Ace Hotel reimagines urban spaces for people who make cities interesting. Our approach to all our projects is simple—we seek to genuinely embrace local culture in the areas we inhabit. We bring together narratives, artists and materials that speak to the building, to the site and to the city. From there, we welcome in the alchemy that’s created.

Ace was founded in Belltown, Seattle in 1999, with current locations in Seattle, Portland, New York, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Kyoto, Brooklyn, Sydney and Toronto.