theBUZZ Features
CBX: A Canadian Ballroom Extravaganza – vote, then watch who takes home the prize
Voting is open for CBC’s new Canadian ballroom competition series, CBX: Canadian Ballroom Extravaganza.
Ten Ballroom performers are paired with 10 queer and trans filmmakers to compete in a new kind of Ballroom competition, and and it’s getting fierce. After each episode, viewers get to be the judge!
The teams will battle each other in five categories: Vogue, Bizarre, Sex Siren, Face and Runway. Instead of “walking the ball,” the teams compete by creating stunning short videos that honour the category conventions while serving something fresh and fab. Who will win? That’s up to you. The teams with the most votes and likes in each category make it to the finale, where a panel of judges will award one team the grand prize.
Ballroom is a queer pageant tradition started by Black and Latinx trans women in New York City that combines gender-bending performance, fashion and dance. At balls, performers “walk” different categories for a panel of judges vying for the grand prize trophy, cash and glory. But the true heart of ballroom is community. Performers belong to “houses” — chosen families that have long acted as vital support systems for queer and trans people of colour.
Canada’s drag stars have had their moment in the spotlight, but the ballroom scene is much more underground… for now. Canadians may know American shows such as Pose, Paris is Burning and Legendary, but Canada has its own ballroom community, with its own stars, its own balls, and its own stories. CBX shines a light on a vibrant, safe space for queer BIPOC (and particuarly Black and brown) youth to do their thing.
Voting is open until March 31. You can only vote once a day per category so make your vote count.Follow @CBCArts for more ways to support your favourite team, and check back in April to find out which teams will move on to the finale in May!
- Until March 31: all episodes are live on cbc.ca/cbx and @CBCArts (Twitter and Instagram); Canadians can vote for their favourite teams via cbc.ca/cbx, and on social media by visiting @CBCArts (Twitter and IG) and sharing the post featuring their favourite team.
- After March 31: votes are tallied; the teams with the most votes and likes in each category make it to the finale where a panel of judges will award one team the grand prize.
- Early May: all episodes, including winners will begin streaming on CBC Gem
Watch the CBX competition videos here
About the Author
Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.