This year marks 30 consecutive years for the Dorian Corey Awards Ball, which is taking place on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Drexel University Creese Student Center.
While most events took a break during the height of the pandemic, organizers of the Dorian Corey Awards Ball lucked out in 2020. As a February event, they’d already hosted the ball when COVID-19 struck in March and shutdowns went into effect. The ball returned in 2021, just weeks after vaccines first became available — welcoming a record 2000 attendees.
The city’s health department provided face masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray. Volunteers and attendees worked together to keep the event as safe as possible.
“It was a jam-packed event,” said Alvernian Prestige Du’Mure Versailles — who organizes the event, underlining that people needed the sense of togetherness and community that the event provides. “People were stuck in the house for almost a year — so they wanted to come outside.”
When Alvernian first entered the ballroom scene in 1988, there were just a few balls and award ceremonies — mostly located in the northeast with some of the biggest events happening in New York and North Jersey. But Alvernian wanted to create a new event that reflected Philadelphia’s ballroom community and launched the Dorian Corey Ball as a way to celebrate the local scene.
“In 1994 when I was trying to name it, I wanted a name that would be prestigious and exquisite,” Alvernian said, underlining that the Philadelphia Ball Awards was a drab and immemorable option when compared to award shows like the Grammys and Oscars.
He decided to name the ball after renowned ballroom performer Dorian Corey of “Paris is Burning” — with whom he had a personal relationship — to memorialize her after she passed away in 1993.
“She was a delight in ballroom,” Alvernian said. “She was funny, charismatic and entertaining — and we had a good relationship. So I wanted to honor her.”
Now there are balls in every state — and the Dorian Corey Awards Ball is the longest-running annual ball in the country. The Mayor’s Office is attending to issue a proclamation celebrating the milestone.
“That’s a historical moment in our culture,” said Alvernian — who has become the unofficial mayor of Philly’s ballroom scene over the past 35+ years he’s been active.
This year’s ball returns with a special throwback theme for its 30th anniversary — challenging participants to transport attendees back in time with their looks and performances. Cash prizes and trophies will be given across multiple competitions in the categories of face, fashion, body, realness and performance.
“People come from all over the world,” Alvernian noted, explaining that he even created categories that honor out-of-towners for supporting the city.
Annual awards will be given to those who shined in 2024, and 10 new leaders of the ballroom community will be inducted into the Dorian Corey Hall of Fame.
Although the ball costs between $30 and $65 to attend, local LGBTQ+ organizations also give away tickets to youth and marginalized people who receive their services.
To Alvernian, the ball isn’t just a bunch of fun. It’s an event that “shows all of our creativity and talent,” he said, and sometimes leads to bigger opportunities.
“You never know who’s going to come!” he added, explaining that high-profile fashion designers and celebrities have been to events — leading to increased prize money and launching careers for some participants as professional dancers, makeup artists, fashion designers, models and more.
This year’s event is likely to see 1,000 attendees during Saturday’s ball. But the fun starts sooner. It’s a four-day celebration — beginning with a free, community skate party on Jan. 30 Rolling Thunder Skating Center. An all-day conference takes place on Jan. 31 at the Philadelphia Ethical Society. And “The Aftermath” — an after-party ball at the Rodeph Shalom Ballroom — will start at 6 p.m. on Feb. 2 and wrap at 1 a.m.
The conference, which Alvernian launched three years ago, is meant to serve as a hub for examining and distributing the resources that are available to the ballroom community.
“As the years went on, it just got more exciting to me and more fulfilling to give back to the community,” he said about his interest in continuing the tradition after all this time.
Many of the organizations who sponsor the ball will be present — including those that focus specifically on LGBTQ+ wellness and address disparities that the community faces.
“The conference is about putting a face and a voice to those names on the flyer,” Alvernian said. “It’s a safe space to network and for people to voice their opinions and meet LGBTQ+ organizations, to ask questions, to educate and be educated.”
The conference is all free. Attendees will also receive breakfast, lunch and dinner at no cost.
A lack of resources for housing and substance abuse affect the ballroom community, said Alvernian, who noted that the use of crystal meth is on the rise — which he said is often cyclical. People engage in survival sex work or participate in drug use to receive housing from those who prey on their vulnerability or they use drugs to cope with difficult circumstances.
Many of the leaders and organizations presenting at the conference can help LGBTQ+ people experiencing challenges get back on their feet and inform others about resources to share with those who need it.
“Everybody’s welcome,” Alvernian said, underlining that participants don’t need to RSVP to come by and that LGBTQ+ allies are encouraged to attend. “Just show up and show out.”
Dorian Corey Awards Ball Schedule
Jan. 30
Community Skate Party
5:30 to 10 p.m.
Rolling Thunder Skating Center, 7017 Roosevelt Blvd
Jan. 31
All-Day Conference
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square
Feb. 1
30th Annual Dorian Corey Awards Ball
3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Drexel University Creese Student Center Behrakis Grand Hall, 3210 Chestnut St.
Tickets are available for purchase at the door
Feb. 2
The Aftermath (After-Party Ball)
6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Rodeph Shalom Ballroom, 615 N Broad St.
