Page 44 - NOMADS_NO5

41The Ball participants have to scrabble together dimes and dollars to build their next outfit. With the use of street drugs they morph their bodies into visions of soft curves with high voices. By necessity they play doctor, shrink, beautician and health advisor to one another.Often ousted from their families of origin, makeshift “parents” mentor Ball participants. They teach them to walk with a switch and act worthy of true pageantry. So ostensibly, the Balls are about fashion and prestige, but really they’re about building family and manifesting a selfhood. These are deep universal themes, but with visually compelling feathers and flounce.