:About The Syndicate:
The Syndicate centers/celebrates/uplifts
Black joy, QT Folx, healing & creativity by curating digital and physical spaces on Tiwa land known as Albuquerque, New Mexico.
To the bold ones who own the room as soon as they step in,
to the shy ones who prefer to observe from afar.
To the melanated,
to the brownskinned,
to the queer beings,
to the in-betweens,
know that you belong here.
This space is for us.
When’s the next gathering?
ELEMENTAL
Vogue Dance Cohort
Jan. 2025
“Vogue is so much more than a dance style. It’s protest, Black culture, family, and raw self-expression. It’s entertainment and liberation, a way to embody and share emotion. It’s a feeling you have to experience to understand.”
ELEMENTAL is a vogue dance cohort led by Agave Chanel.
In this 3 part session, you will learn the key elements of vogue: hands, catwalk, duckwalk, spins/dips, and floor work and have the opportunity to show all the way out at a showcase on February 15th.
About Agave Chanel:
Originally from Chicago, IL, Agave Chanel is a multifaceted creative and passionate advocate for self-expression through the art of voguing. Agave learned from some of Chicago's most iconic ballroom figures, including Iconic Raven Mizrahi, Alanah Chanel, Legendary Adonte West, and Legendary Baby Hurricane West.
With four years of experience in ballroom, Agave has honed his craft under the guidance of legends and icons, making his mark in categories such as New performance, Schoolboy Realness, Realness with a Twist, Runway, and Body. Agave's dedication has earned him recognition, including the title of Chicago’s OTY (Of the Year) and a nomination for Overall Ballroom Awards Ball for his exceptional Hand Performance.
Through his work, Agave aims to cultivate a sense of community, freedom, and empowerment, hosting spaces where individuals can discover confidence, courage, and authenticity in their movement. “Vogue is so much more than a dance style. It’s protest, Black culture, family, and raw self-expression. It’s entertainment and liberation, a way to embody and share emotion. It’s a feeling you have to experience to understand.”
Since moving to ABQ in 2023, Agave has been on a mission to bring ballroom culture to Abq. After starting by recording practices voguing in his apartment, he found opportunities to practice at cyphers and break sessions, fueling his dream of building a vibrant, supportive community centered around expression, individuality and support.
Through his classes, Agave hopes to inspire others to embrace their authentic selves, find liberation in movement, and connect with the transformative energy of ballroom culture, black culture.
Whether you're seeking to grow in skill, confidence, or community, Agave’s classes are a space for all to shine.
Calling Black & Afro peoples! There are limited spaces that are dedicated to Black people in Albuquerque.
We wanna do something about it.
Take a moment to fill out this quick form so that we can get working on a gathering for us to meet, laugh, chill, and commune.
. . . .
We honor not just the past,
but the present AND the future.
Remember - We outchea.
Leah Penniman
Co-Founder, Co-Director and Program Manager of Soul Fire Farm
Leah Penniman calls for Black folx to reject any notion that we do not belong to the Earth or that we do not get a say in our food system. “We belong here, bare feet planted firmly on the land, hands calloused with the work of sustaining and nourishing our community.”
Octavia E. Butler (June 22, 1947 - February 24, 2006)
renowned author of ground-breaking novels, including Kindred, Wild Seed, and Parable of the Sower
“She kept drafts and photocopies of letters she wrote. Her imperative to deliberately and consciously shape her own legacy was driven by the facts of her life and identity, a nexus where Black experience, womanism, and history intersected. Her collection reminds us what we have, what we’ve lost, and what can be gained by leaving behind self-curated libraries.”- Ayana A. H. Jamieson is the founder of Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network
Alisha B. Wormsley
interdisciplinary artist and cultural producer
“Despite the apocalyptic narrative of Black Americans,” Alisha B. Wormsley makes it clear that There Are Black People in The Future.
