Hector Xtravaganza
Hector Xtravaganza | |
---|---|
Born | Hector Crespo July 26, 1965 United States |
Died | December 30, 2018 New York City, United States | (aged 53)
Other names | Hector Extravaganza, Grandfather Hector Xtravaganza |
Occupation(s) | Entertainer, Fashion Stylist |
Hector Xtravaganza (né Hector Crespo) organizations.
Early life
Born Hector Crespo, he was raised by his single mother in the Jersey City area of New Jersey. Starting in his early teens, he frequently socialized in the
Ballroom scene
Hector frequently socialized on the Christopher Street pier in the West Village area of New York City. The location was a popular gathering place for
In 1982, Hector Crespo joined the newly formed House of Extravaganza (original spelling), founded by his friend Hector Valle. The House of Extravaganza was the first primarily Latin ballroom house in what had traditionally been an almost exclusively African American community. Angie Xtravaganza, a transgender woman of Puerto Rican heritage, took on the role of House Mother and became a close friend and confidant to Hector. In ballroom competition, Hector represented the House of Xtravaganza in various categories including “Face” and “Model's Effect,” where he quickly developed a reputation as a worthy runway competitor.
By the late 1980s, the underground ballroom scene began to garner mainstream attention in mainstream media. First with the song by Malcolm McLaren and the Bootzilla Orchestra called "Deep in Vogue" which sampled audio from the still unreleased film "Paris is Burning." Then culminated with
The deepening
During his tenure as House Father, Hector hosted numerous events for the ballroom community.[4] He also developed a reputation as an advisor to other houses and younger members of the growing ballroom scene, which had begun to network to cities across the United States. By the mid-1990s, Hector legally changed his name to Hector Xtravaganza, further demonstrating his association with the House as his chosen surrogate family and his self-created identity.[5] He was featured in the 1996 documentary film “Mirror, Mirror”[6] and the 2006 documentary “How Do I Look” directed by Wolfgang Busch.[7]
In 2004, Hector took the honorary title of House Grandfather, with former Madonna dancer and choreographer
HIV/AIDS advocacy
The AIDS crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s had a deep and personal impact on Hector. He was himself diagnosed as HIV-positive by 1985 and lost numerous friends and surrogate adopted family members to the virus. In response to the crisis, Hector committed to leveraging his ballroom notoriety and position within the House of Xtravaganza as an HIV/AIDS awareness advocate. In 1990, along with other members of the New York City's ballroom community, he founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) House of Latex project. The House of Latex serves as the outreach partner for the GMHC to members of the LGBTQ+ African American and Latino community of the ballroom scene. The GMHC Latex Ball is one of the largest annual events in the NYC LGBTQ+ community and a central activity in the organization's outreach programs serving young LGBTQ+ people of color.
In 1994, Hector, along with other members of the House of Xtravaganza, appeared as part of an HIV/AIDS awareness public service campaign sponsored by GMHC targeted to the LGBTQ+ people of color ballroom community of NYC. The campaign appeared in NYC subway stations throughout the city and helped to breakdown the stigma associated with HIV at a time before there were effective treatments.
GMHC named its Xcellence Award in honor of Hector Xtravaganza.[14] Since 2007, the award has been presented annually to a member of the ballroom community for outstanding service in support of HIV/AIDS awareness.
In 2018, Hector Xtravaganza appeared in an HIV treatment awareness campaign sponsored by the NYC Department of Health. He was recognized by POZ magazine as one of the 2018 POZ 100 for his contributions to making a difference in the fight against HIV. On World AIDS Day 2018, Xtravaganza was presented with an award of recognition by City of New York Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.[15]
Death
Hector Xtravaganza died of lymphoma in New York City on December 30, 2018. His death was widely covered in publications across the U.S., including Variety,[16] Out,[17] and The New York Times.[1]
A memorial celebration of the life of Hector Xtravaganza was held on March 9, 2019 hosted by El Museo del Barrio.[18] The Office of the Mayor of New York City officially proclaimed the day “Hector Xtravaganza Day” in the City of New York.[19]
The Pose season 2 episode "Worth It" was dedicated to Xtravaganza's memory.[20] He had served as a consultant for the show.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f Bernstein, Jacob (January 5, 2019). "The Extravagant Life of Hector Xtravaganza". The New York Times.
- ^ Dopwell, Monica (June 2011). "Diary Of Kimberly Jones". Vibe.
- ^ ISBN 978-0955481765.
- ^ Jovanovic, Rozalia (November 23, 2009). "Xtravaganza and Michael Kors In The House". The Rumpus.
- ^ Street, Mikelle (2018). "We Are Family". Aperture. No. 233. p. 104.
- ^ Walsh, Baillie (Director) (September 13, 1996). Mirror, Mirror (Documentary film). France: Walsh, Baillie.
- ^ Busch, Wolfgang (Director) (June 4, 2006). How Do I Look (Documentary film). USA: Busch, Wolfgang.
- ^ Bullock, Michael (October 26, 2018). "From Paris Is Burning to Pose: The House of Xtravaganza". New York. p. 12-13.
- ^ Roberts, Monica (February 8, 2012). "NY Ballroom Hall of Fame Awards". TransGriot Blog.
- ISBN 978-0822355823.
- ^ "Icona Pop Unveil video for "All Night" with ABSOLUT TUNE". September 13, 2013. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013.
- ^ Catarinella, Alex (September 27, 2013). "Rock Out to Icona Pop's Bumpin' Weekend Playlist". Elle.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (2018-12-31). "Ryan Murphy Honors Ball Icon Hector Xtravaganza, 'Pose' Co-Creator Says His "Legacy Will Strut On For All Time"". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
- ^ "In This House: AIDS, Art and Activism in the Vogue Ball Scene". Visual AIDS. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ "To Commemorate World Aids Day, Health Department and Community Partners Host Citywide Event and Fifth Annual Red Ball". NYC Health + Hospitals. November 30, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ Nyren, Erin (December 31, 2018). "Hector Xtravaganza, Ball Icon and 'Pose' Consultant, Dies". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ Street, Mikelle (January 1, 2019). "Rest in Power Hector Xtravaganza, the 'Grandfather of Ballroom'". Out. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ Norman, Derek M. (March 11, 2019). "A Glittering Goodbye to Hector Xtravaganza". The New York Times.
- ^ Street, Mikelle (March 9, 2019). "The Mayor of New York City Made Saturday 'Hector Xtravaganza Day'". Out.
- ^ Marine, Brooke (June 19, 2019). "Pose Season 2, Episode 2 Recap: Wintour is Coming". W. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
Notes
- BlackBook magazine, "This is Our House: The Resurgence of New York's Voguing Balls," Steven Lewis, October 15, 2009
- X., Karl, photographs by Alan-Joseph. XTRAVAGANZA. Get Out!, Issue #67/July 20, 2012
- https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/the-house-of-xtravaganza-at-35.html
- https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/pa97zm/house-of-xtravaganza-is-new-yorks-most-fabulous-family
- https://aperture.org/blog/xtravaganza-ruiz-street/
- https://www.poz.com/article/2018-poz-100-sz
- https://aperture.org/blog/hector-xtravaganza/
- "Voguing Music" Tim Lawrence, "Voguing & the Ballroom Scene of New York City 1976-96," CD set insert, pg. 13 Soul Jazz Records, 2012
External links
- Hector Xtravaganza on Facebook