Vogue Funk performance launches at São Paulo’s Sesc Pompeia, spotlighting Brazil’s ballroom and funk scene

The show "Vogue Funk" opened at Sesc Pompeia in São Paulo from 30 July to 2 August, bringing together nine performers—including eight dancers and a DJ—from Brazil’s ballroom and funk communities. Conceived by Rafael Fernandes and directed by Patyfudyda and Wallace Ferreira, the production was created to merge two Black, peripheral cultures from Rio de Janeiro: the vogue/ballroom scene and carioca funk. The work follows the troupe’s recent win of the Klauss Vianna Dance Prize, Brazil’s leading dance‑circulation award, and aims to present authentic experiences rather than explain the styles, according to director Patyfudyda.

Separately, Lua Brainer, a 29‑year‑old dancer from the Maré complex in Rio, is highlighted as a leading figure of the Brazilian ballroom movement. Trained at UFRJ, she blends vogue, funk and civic activism in events that center LGBTQIA+ participants. Overcoming personal and familial challenges, Brainer now mentors and choreographs dances that celebrate identity and community, reinforcing the cultural dialogue that "Vogue Funk" puts on stage.