Celebrate Pride Month with a dynamic panel exploring the history and cultural impact of ballroom and ball culture. From its roots in Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ communities to its global influence today, panelists will discuss the origins of houses, legendary competitions, and the artistry of voguing, fashion, and performance. The conversation will highlight resilience, chosen family, and the role ballroom has played in creating safe spaces for self-expression and activism.
Ebony Lane is a pioneering figure in the Ballroom Scene, celebrated for her flamboyant theatrics and influential presence in the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community. After transitioning in her late 30s, Ebony became a beloved icon, known for her impeccable fashion sense shared with the Crenshaw District through "Color Me Beautiful" and as a sought-after drag performer and ball host. For nearly three decades, she has been a mother figure to hundreds of Black and Latino LGBTQ+ youth, fostering pride and community, and has been recognized for her extensive civic involvement, including volunteering at the Fred Jordan Mission and hosting community events, leading to a Los Angeles City Council honor in 2018.
Icon Kage Hervé Léger, born Robert Peacock, was raised on the west side of Detroit, where his journey began. A student at Wayne State University and a football player, he later found his truth and expression in the ballroom scene of the late 1980s. There, he walked categories such as Body and Sex Siren, building a name rooted in presence, confidence, and authenticity.
Beyond the runway, his purpose expanded into advocacy—becoming a voice and force for the LGBTQ community at large. His work extended into the streets, feeding the homeless and uplifting those often forgotten, while helping to establish one of Detroit’s early community-driven organizations, the House of Prodigy, as a co-founder in the early 2000s.
His influence stretched coast to coast, becoming the West Coast’s first Father of the House of Miyake Mugler in California. His legacy is cemented through honors including the Detroit Hall of Fame and the Dorian Awards Hall of Fame.
In 2020, he founded the House of Hervé Léger, continuing to shape ballroom culture as a recognized Ballroom Icon—leaving a legacy not only in performance, but in leadership, community, and truth.
Isla Cheadle is a music and dance artist, record label owner, event producer, voguer, and Ballroom House leader with over 20 years in entertainment. She has toured internationally with her husband as Purple Crush, collaborating with artists including Ru Paul Drag Race stars Raja, Eureka O’Hara, and Aja, LE1F, Vjuan Allure, and Kevin JZ Prodigy.
After finding LA Ballroom through the underground drag scene, Isla founded Banjee Ball in 2013, now a cornerstone of the West Coast Ballroom community. As a former member of the House of Chanel and former leader in the House of Ebony, Isla was deemed “Legend” for Women’s Performance in 2022, and currently holds the title West Coast Mother of the Haus of Schiaparelli.
She appeared as “Mother Ebony” on Season 1 of Legendary (HBO Max) and later served as Music Director for Seasons 2 and 3 with Purple Crush.
Now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Banjee Ball crafts events, presentations, and educational workshops that cultivate and share Ballroom culture while supporting the physical and mental well-being of its participants. It has partnered with LA County, Museum of Contemporary Art, the LA LGBT Center, The Broad Museum, Museum of Latin American Art, numerous California colleges, and the City of West Hollywood.
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