The House of Balenciaga is wowing audiences on HBO Max’s Legendary.
Most, if not all, ballroom houses are named after fashion labels, and The House of Balenciaga is no exception. As their name suggests, the house is named after the brand Balenciaga, founded in 1917 by Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre. Balenciaga made a name for himself in his native Spain before moving to Paris in 1937, where the Balenciaga brand became one of the top couturiers in fashion during the 1950s.
Learn more about the house by reading about the house members on Legendary and their namesake below:
Mother Shannon Balenciaga
Shannon Balenciaga, also known by her name Countess Shay, is a designer and Overall Mother of the House of Balenciaga. Shannon has founded a clothing line, the Worldwide House of Royal, and has walked (and won) Face and Best Dressed, becoming Legendary Face. Her other titles include Southeast Region Overall Mother and Mother of the Year for 2020-2021.
Shannon recently took over Shadow And Act’s Instagram and talked about what it was like to be a part of Legendary as a person known for walking Face, but not for dance.
“As a non-dancer, to be around all of these amazing, talented children who can get on that floor and kick ass, literally, I wasn’t at…the beginning intimidated ,because I’ve learned in life that people can smell intimidation and fear,” she said. “[If] you go into it having a 100 percent pureness of self, you can conquer anything.”
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Honey Balenciaga
Honey Balenciaga, born Honey Gonzales, was born and raised from Brooklyn, NY before joining the House of Balenciaga. She was originally a member of the House of LaBeija before joining Balenciaga, and is a joint member of the House of Juicy Couture. Regardless of the house, she has earned the title of Statement in the ballroom scene for her dancing skill. She has also taken part in a Coach campaign honoring Black and Brown LGBTQ youth and the Hetrick-Martin Institute.
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ChaCha Balenciaga
ChaCha Balenciaga, born Calvin Jackson, is a dancer, model, coach and choreographer. He has made several dance music videos for his YouTube page, with a series of videos based on Beyonce’s Formation and Black is King discography and filmography. His video, based on Black is King‘s “Power,” also made the local Washington D.C. news for how it has inspired others to find purpose in dance.
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Kalik Balenciaga
Born Kalik York, dancer Kalik Balenciaga was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY before joining the House of Balenciaga. Even though he is performing with his house, Kalik is also the Overall Father of the House of Louboutin. He is also known as a Legendary member of ballroom.
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Jupiter Balenciaga
Born and raised on Detroit, MI, Jupiter Balenciaga is also a member of Juicy Couture as well as a member of Balenciaga. He earned the title of Legendary Butch Queen Vogue Femme in the ballroom scene and is a model and dancer.
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