The Living Room Workshops

This evening: Ballroom 101 & Vogue Fem The floor is yours! On December 23, 2026, House of Vineyard and House of Confetti will organize the very first ballroom function in Limburg. In the lead-up to this: five workshop evenings to immerse yourself in ballroom, sharpen your performance skills, and learn to claim space. Ready? Step onto the floor and join the SHOWDOWN in Maaspoort. Click here to score your ticket(s) for the workshop(s)! History of ballroom “Ballroom is a place where fashion, performance, and activism come together. It is a form of protest and resistance, and a radical celebration of our existence and our right to claim and occupy space.” Ballroom originated in the 1960s in Harlem, New York, by and for Black and Latinx trans women and queer people. They resisted the established, often racist beauty pageants by organizing balls for, with, and by LGBTQIA+ people of color. During a ball, participants compete in various categories, such as runway, realness, and performance. These categories serve as codes: ‘realness’ revolves around surviving within power structures, while ‘runway’ represents claiming space. Many people active in the ballroom scene are part of a ‘house’. Houses are groups of people who have chosen each other as ‘family’ and provide a safe home base with room for every individual. The Dutch Ballroom Scene The culture spread and also reached the Netherlands, where the Dutch Ballroom Scene (DBS) emerged in 2013 when Amber organized the first ball in Rotterdam. A year later, she founded The Living Room. “With respect for New York as the cradle of ballroom, we have built our own community. Not from a preconceived plan, but because we felt there was a need for more safe spaces.”, Amber The Netherlands now has a growing number of houses that regularly come together at balls. House of Vineyard House of Vineyard, founded in 2014 by Legendary Mother Amber Vineyard, is the first ballroom house in the Netherlands. As pioneers of the Dutch scene, House of Vineyard explores the power of ballroom, where education, community building, self-expression, and resistance play an important role. The Living Room The Living Room is a home for houses (and free agents *007*). Founded by Legendary Mother Amber Juicy Vineyard for queer, trans, and gender non-conforming people, this is the place to immerse yourself in ballroom culture, sharpen your skills, and work on your performance. Here, ballroom is about telling the story of your body on your own terms, honoring the foundations, and, not least, finding like-minded people. Whether you’re stepping into a lesson for the first time or preparing for the battle: you are part of a community. The workshops Five evenings in Venlo, guided by Legendary Mother Amber Vineyard and other members of House of Vineyard. Learn the essentials, discover different categories, refine your performance, and build your presence. Participate in one or more workshops and decide for yourself if you’ll step onto the floor during the SHOWDOWN. Workshop dates: 10 + 24 November 2026 Location: House of Confetti @ Grenswerk | Peperstraat 10 Venlo Time: 19:00 - 22:00 (doors open from 18:30) Workshop dates: 8 + 15 + 22 December 2026 Location: House of Confetti @ Maaspoort Backstage | Peperstraat 31 Venlo Time: 19:00 - 22:00 (doors open from 18:30) Click here to score your ticket(s) for the workshop(s)! Every category is an opportunity to reclaim what the world has told you was not enough or too much. Categories: Ballroom 101: Your introduction to ballroom: where the categories come from and why this is important. Don’t know where to start? Then you’re in the right place! Runway: Bring it to the runway! Learn to dominate the space without saying a word: the walk, the shade, the pump, the pivot, the attitude. Vogue Fem: Storytelling with your body. Soft and c*nt, dramatic. Learn to trust your body in the moment. Drags Face: Learn the tips & tricks to shape YOUR own drag face and persona! Body & SEXpression: The Art of seduction and telling the story of your body on your own terms. MAKE IT Fashion: Experiment, play, and discover how to create something new with fashion and tell your story.