Josh Taliani Cautions Read the Room at THE ALEXANDER BALL

Ballroom arrives at the Princess Theatre with THE ALEXANDER BALL, a night where heritage meets a living culture of chosen family, competition, and care. On the floor, House Mother Ella Ganza and our guest read the room in real time, lifting the pulse when a category needs love, and holding space when quiet and care matter more. The venue invites extravagance, velvet and plaster invite royalty, yet staging stays minimal so walkers and judges have room to breathe. It is a ball, not a concert, so sound, mic flow, and the choreography of judges’ tables keep the focus on the floor. This week also holds Unveiling Shadows, a solo work that asks audiences to carry a private truth into the theatre, there is space to be vulnerable and liberated. Confidence sits on the invisible scorecard, technique always follows. Lineage travels with every dip and strut, Bidjara, Kullali, Wakka Wakka, and Italian roots, raw energy seen and felt. Cameras have shown Brisbane the honest vulnerability of a chosen family, some things must still stay off camera to keep the culture safe. Sponsors are knocking, the rules are simple, real support gives without extraction, safety for trans women of colour comes first.

On the night of The Alexander Ball, how do you and House Mother Ella Ganza read the room in real time, what cues tell you to raise the energy, and what tells you to hold space for quiet and care?

The energy is always there, the community knows what to bring as far as creating the energy so reading the room as far as audience if a category has lost the engagement of audience we will just tell them to pick it up and show better support, because at the end of the day a ball is to uplift each walker.

The ball is at The Princess Theatre. How does a heritage theatre change the way Ballroom energy moves, and what do you adjust in staging, sound, and MC flow to keep it a ball, not a concert?

It can make people feel more extravagant you know a theatre with old school flare can sometimes make you feel royal or up there so the energy already kind of takes place. Most of the time the decorating is on the stage but it’s kept a minimal as walkers and judges are more important for space. i guess it just depends how big the venue is and what theme you have for your ball as well.

Your solo work, Unveiling Shadows, shares the festival week with the ball. If the ball is the celebration, what private truth from Unveiling Shadows do you want audiences to carry into the Princess Theatre, and back out again?

That there is space to be vulnerable and liberated. That encouragement in yourself and others can take you to many places you might never have seen for yourself. To cheer for yourself and others!

Ballroom is judged, yet the best moments feel unquantifiable. What is on your invisible scorecard that no one sees, a quality you reward that technique alone cannot deliver?

Honestly, confidence!

You carry Bidjara, Kullali, and Wakka Wakka heritage, and Italian roots. How do those lineages show up in your body when you vogue, and how do they shape the way you lead a house?

Honestly I think in my movement and my body its just raw energy, its seen its felt and its real. It always comes from a place that’s through lived experience as a firstnation and Italian.

The SBS documentary opened the scene to a wider audience. What did the camera get right about Ballroom in Brisbane, and what must stay off camera to keep the culture safe?

It caught the honest vulnerability that we as a chosen family have and how we do our best to make people feel safe and loved too just feel seen.

As the scene grows and sponsors take interest, where is the line between real support and extraction, and what rules of engagement would you set to protect trans women of colour and the wider community?

Tokenistic folk are the worst like the “ hey if we do this for you, can you do this for us.” People who give and expect something, because ballroom is all about the labour of love and giving without needing anything back. Also the type of exposure that’s something I personally look out for because there is a safe way too do it. But it’s always about keeping it safe for the girls to navigate on how to be liberated and pushed but feel comfortable and ok for them to do it.

THE ALEXANDER BALL is playing as part of Brisbane Festival.

For tickets CLICK HERE.