Crown Jewel Club

DATE

Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | 6PM

LOCATION

Midtown Loft & Terrace
267 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10016

CONTACT

For more information, please contact Cora Hyatt at
cora(at)baadbronx.org or (718) 918-2110

Get ready to shine at the BAAD!25 Bling Ball! Join us for a dazzling evening celebrating the 25th anniversary of BAAD!–The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance!

To honor our rich history of empowering women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ communities through cutting-edge art, we're putting the spotlight on some incredible individuals who have inspired us along our 25-year journey. Honorees include Young Lords activist Iris Morales, Pose star Jason A. Rodriguez, ballroom legend, Javier Madrid and Pose creator Steven Canals.

Our MC for the evening will be none other than the legendary and iconic entertainer, Egyptt LaBeija, while the fabulous DJs, The Illustrious Blacks will keep us grooving all night long with their electrifying beats. Plus, opera singer Jay Saint Flono, dancers Antonio Ramos, José Lapaz-Rodriguez & Edrimael Delgado will take the stage for mesmerizing performances!

Be sure to bring your best bling as we celebrate 25 years of artistic excellence and welcome the sparkling future of BAAD!

HONOREES

Iris Morales is a lifelong activist, educator, and feminist in movements for economic, gender, and racial justice, and the decolonization of Puerto Rico. Her love of community led her to form Red Sugarcane Press to document the Puerto Rican and Black diasporas in the Americas. She was a leading member of the revolutionary civil rights group, the Young Lords Party.

IRIS MORALES
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Jason A. Rodriguez is a Dominican-American actor and dancer who was born and raised in Washington Heights. He was trained in voguing by Benny Ninja, Dorit Koppel, and Kevin Wynn. Jason starred as Lamar in Ryan Murphy and Steven Canals’ Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series Pose.

JASON A. RODRIGUEZ
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Javier Madrid, a.k.a. the ICONIC father Javier Ninja of The Legendary House of Ninja, is a globally-renowned dancer recognized for his unique body contortions. He is a three-time House Dance International Festival Vogue Champion. Other career highlights include choreographing for "Magic Mike XXL" and performing alongside Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl.

JAVIER MADRID
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Steven Canals is the Emmy®-nominated and Peabody Award-winning co-creator, executive producer, director and writer of FX’s groundbreaking drama series Pose. In 2020, he was named one of the “50 Most Powerful LGBTQ Players in Hollywood” by the Hollywood Reporter.