Aquarius Funkk & Prismatic Productions Presents: The Lovers’ Ball

Saturday, February 28 at 6:00 PM (doors 5:30 PM), 180-minutes with intermission

Tickets are available for $20 in advance standing room general admission ($25 at the door), $15 for balcony seating ($20 at the door), and $35 for preferred table seating (pay-what-you-can available)

Seating for this event differs from our usual layout, please see below for more details. 

Restricted 18+

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Aquarius Funkk & Prismatic Productions pay their last respects to St. Valentine with a mini ball for the lovers! Taking inspiration from the Lovers' Card, spectators and participants alike are invited to become the living embodiment of what this card represents.

The Lover's Ball will be hosted by Aquarius Funkk with by DJ Ben Spaulding and Judges DB Greene, Thazra, G-Spott Bvlgari Funkk.

Aquarius’s work is influenced by Afrofuturism and Black culture, high fashion, sci-fi, speculative fiction, and their own queer and non-binary lived experiences. Known as The Interplanetary Extraordinary, their work is an amalgamation of movement, ritual, body intelligence, and layering of multi-sensory elements; shaped by the practices and traditions of vogue ballroom, neo-burlesque, street performance, and experimental dance & theatre.

Aquarius is a deep believer in the signs and synchronicities of the universe. They corporeally deconstruct the politics of gender, race, sexuality, identity, and class. They build (and destroy) layered personas and worlds meant to be experienced as static images, cabaret performances, and durational installations.

In the tarot, the Lovers’ Card isn’t solely interpreted in the romantic sense. It represents choice, integration, and moral alignment. It connects to Gemini, the sign of duality and polarity. It is an invitation to unify your mind around truth and unity, creating harmonious alignment between the hemispheres. This card is about wholeness and the result of that wholeness - love for oneself.

Ballroom culture is an underground queer subculture, founded by black trans and queer folks. Anybody in the audience is invited to "walk" (i.e. compete) the runway for one or multiple categories/themes "which are designed to simultaneously epitomize and satirize gender constructs, occupations, and social classes, while also offering an escape from reality.

Competitors are judged on their abilities, “effect” (costumes, appearance, theatrics, presentation), and perceived “realness” (embodied and/or visual believability, authenticity). Ballroom is a countercultural phenomenon, rooted in the necessity of community and safety, and the defiance of oppression.

Categories:

Best Dressed - Theme: Date Night
This category is calling for your best date night outfit. Impress your potential boo and the judges with an elevated look that will guarantee a second date - and make sure you include a splash of red or pink in your effect!

Sex Siren - Theme: Divine Figure
Model yourself after a god, goddess, goddexx figure. Think sensuous fabrics, opulent jewelry and accessories, and a radiant face that will make mere mortals tremble with insatiable desire. Deliver a slow, sensual performance that the whole room will feel in their loins.

Runway - Theme: St. Valentine
Embodying the man himself, create a fashion look inspired by St. Valentine and bring it to the catwalk. Both styles - American & European runway - are invited to play with gender and show us a version of Valentine that transcends the past and brings us into a hot & sexy future.

Tag Team Face - Theme: Twin Flame
Partner up and create a complementary look that lets the judges know you came together and you’ll be leaving together… and you might take some others with you when you go! Give us a twin flame face effect that undoubtedly shows partnership and connection, and teases us with the question, “What do they like to do behind closed doors?”

Body - Theme: The Breakup
Everything good comes to an end eventually. But you won’t let that stop you from being the hottest, the baddest, the 10’s across the board babe that you are. Show us how you rebound from a breakup and show us that body. Include broken heart imagery in your effect and performance, and let self-love reign supreme.

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The seating for this event at Mayo Street Arts will be arranged in a new configuration to allow for a floor runway. Preferred seating will be at tables along the runway, while General Admission will be mostly standing room only with some seating on a first come basis and as needed. Balcony seats available at a discounted rate due to obstructed view.

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PAY WHAT YOU CAN

No one will be turned away from MSA events for lack of funds. Please use this online form or contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org to learn more and reserve tickets. Our box office staff are also happy to help at the door, pending availability!

EVENT PARKING

Free on-street parking is available in Mayo Street Arts’ neighborhood.

There is one paid parking lot conveniently located a six-minute walk from the venue: Top of the Old Port Parking (119 Pearl St, Portland ME 04101)

Mayo Street Arts is accessible by Greater Portland Metro bus routes with nearby transfer points 7, 9A & 9B. Click here to learn more.

ACCESSIBILITY

All performances and most other events held at Mayo Street Arts are wheelchair accessible. There are two accessible spots directly in front of our building, however there is not yet a curb cut out at that location.

If you would benefit from additional information or accommodations, we invite you to contact us at info@mayostreetarts.org or 207-879-4629.

COMMUNITY HEALTH

Audience members — in addition to artists, staff & volunteers — who feel sick or exhibit symptoms of illness should stay home out of respect for others.

SEATING POLICY

We will save your reserved seat until showtime, at which point any unclaimed seats may be offered to other people. Please call our box office at 207-879-4629 if you are running late.

CANCELATION POLICY

MSA has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.