Meet the Vlams: The Ballroom House Taking Back the City
- 21 hours ago
- 7 min read
-Ashley Allard
The name is already up when I arrive at Botanik: V L A M, in sparkly black cardboard, stuck to the edge of the balcony, above a bare runway. The family and their spouses are still getting ready for their After Dark Ball, thumb-tacking black rubbish bags and posters to the walls and asking if they should order more things from Checkers60. Party decorations lie unopened next to vapes, lip gloss, open Dorito packets, and empty Checkers60 bags. They’re not nervous yet, but there is still something in the air: something spectacular is coming.
Launched in May 2025, the House of Vlam was founded by Mother Michaela Vlam. She had always wanted to start a house. When she decided to go ahead, the soon-to-be father of the house, Kdollahz—a close friend of Michaela—immediately jumped on board. He became Father Vlam. The children followed not long after: Carmen Vlam, Unskinny Vlam, Kiro Vlam, Paris Vlam, Kendall Vlam, and Viktor Vlam.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Michaela, Carmen, Unskinny, Kiro and Viktor Vlam.
It is clear to see that the Vlam family has become incredibly close after their time together. They support each other unconditionally, are exceptionally proud of one another, and sometimes even throw shade when they see the opportunity.
Joining this house, it made me feel very included. It’s real friendships, real familial bonds. – Carmen Vlam
If you have not yet gone to a Cape Town Ball, what are you even doing here?
The Cape Town Ballroom scene hums with electricity. It is camp. It is leather, heels, gags and props. It is a night you will never forget and a high you will chase throughout your life.
In 1960s Manhattan, drag pageants were predominantly won by white participants. However, in 1972, fed up with being racially discriminated against in what was supposed to be a welcoming space, Crystal and Lotte LaBeija, two POC drag queens, hosted the very first Ball in New York City’s Harlem. It embraced the community that had been repeatedly excluded: people of colour. This would lead to the first Ballroom family, the House of LaBeija.
A ball works like this:
Categories are announced before the event. These are a wide range; however, certain categories repeat: Face, Vogue, Best Dressed, Sex Siren, etc. Anyone is encouraged to walk the runway. No sign-up needed; however, be sure to bring some attitude and flair to your performance. The judges will then either chop you or let you through to the next round. Once all the finalists have been chosen, they must battle each other until only one remains.
The ballroom scene is separated into two main subgroups. These include the Main Scene and the Kiki scene. The main scene is reserved for established, long-standing houses. Often, these will also have a chapter overseas. For example, Cape Town’s House of LaBeija is named after the first Ballroom house. The original House of Labeija is still thriving overseas and has chapters worldwide, including our own in Cape Town.
The House of Vlam identifies as a Kiki House (for now). The Kiki scene is a space for experimentation. This is where predominantly younger kids come to learn the ropes.
It’s slightly less serious than the Main scene, but obviously, it’s still very serious. But it’s a safer space for the queer moments. – Michaela Vlam
The members of the House of Vlam have different approaches to walking. Carmen Vlam quickly learned which categories suited her best. So far, she has made a name for herself, having walked and won Face, Best Dressed, and Runway.
Meanwhile, Unskinny Vlam prefers to try their hand at everything. “I don’t want people to know what to expect.” Their goal for 2026 is to walk their first ball doing Vogue. Although they are still learning how to, Unskinny is confident: “Every time I walk a category for the first time, I win it.”
“The House of Modesty,” Carmen Vlam says in response.
Unskinny won the Face category at the 2026 Love Ball in February. They covered their entire face with red rhinestones, a process that took five hours. Usually, Face is the first category. At this ball, however, they kept it until last. This meant that Unskinny had to remain with a veil over their face until one o’clock in the morning to make sure they didn’t reveal the pièce de la résistance.
The take-off was much easier: “I did have rhinestones in my [redacted] for the next few days. But it was worth it.”
While most of the House of Vlam prefers to dress femme, Viktor Vlam is embracing their masc side on the runway. In ballroom, more femme-presenting bodies usually garner favour amongst the judges. There aren't many masc people who walk the runway and win, especially in categories that are already skewed femme, like the Sex Siren category. It is important to have masc representation in the Ballroom scene to show that this play with gender is completely fluid. When you walk the runway, it should be about self-expression, rather than boxing yourself into a specific style.
At some point in time I might just switch and go the other way. - Viktor Vlam
But for now, Viktor is pursuing their goal and inspiration, dressing masc and killing it on the runway.
2026 Pride did not include Ballroom on the mainstage. But this did not stop the House of Vlam! Oh no, honey, instead, they rallied the entire ballroom scene. With a quick and spectacular ball conducted on the grass just next to the Pride festivities, the Ballroom scene ended up taking over the function.
I looked up and the crowd was enormous! – Michaela Vlam
This is not the first time Pride has proven to be a letdown for the Queer community, especially for non-white members. Instead, Cape Town Pride has become a scene for predominantly white conglomerates to pinkwash their labels.
Carmen Vlam: There were barely any floats, and the floats that were there were all sponsored, like Essence, Wimpy, you know what I mean?
Unskinny Vlam: WIMPY?!
Rather than actually provide funding and representation for the Queer Cape Town community (of colour), the DA — the party in charge of organising Pride — instead tries to appeal to an international audience. This is particularly relevant because Cape Town will be hosting World Pride in 2028.
It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that Ballroom, a predominantly Black and Brown space, was cut from a predominantly white platform. But the Ballroom scene refused to go quietly. They put on the best show Cape Town Pride has seen in... well, a pretty long time.
I don’t think [Pride has shown] any regard to what’s important; what the struggles are, what the difficulties are, what we can change. It’s more about, oh, let’s get drunk and have a party, and we don’t speak about it until the next Pride. - Unskinny Vlam
On the same day as Pride, 28 February 2026, the march extended from its original starting point to the DA stand, where they protested the newly commissioned N2 wall. Wearing shirts and holding signs that called for ‘Homes Not Walls’, this protest was fronted largely by members of the Ballroom community.
At the After Dark Ball hosted by House of Vlam, Michaela opened the show by saying, "Ballroom is About Protest." It is a highly politicised scene, its very existence revolting against the status quo.
When hosting Balls, the House of Vlam makes sure to provide a safe and fun space for Black and Brown people. These spaces are limited in Cape Town.
Black and Brown people deserve better. We need to have that space where we will not be marginalised, ostracised, threatened or othered. There needs to be a space where we can be who we are, Black and Brown, be Queer, and be welcomed. - Unskinny Vlam
This is why they prioritise accessibility to their shows.
Michaela Vlam: Our goal is not to make money from this. It is to give a stunning evening to the community and give access to people as well
Kiro Vlam: Genuinely, if people can’t afford to come, they can literally approach us, and we will get them through the door. That’s not a problem.
If you cannot afford to attend a show, you can DM the House on Instagram. In addition, the House of Vlam offers student and pensioner discounts. You can even gift a ticket to a friend.
The House of Vlam has dedicated itself to doing more than just performing, committing themselves to community outreach. So far, they have supported the MENstruation Foundation, the New World Foundation and Love Your Nuts Foundation. Mother Michaela is also the founder of Keep the Energy, an Instagram account dedicated to commemorating those who have lost their lives to GBV.
The members of the House of Vlam say that their on-stage personas differ from their off-stage personas. While Viktor and Michaela off-stage are more introverted (Viktor spends most of their time, the other members declare, in the bath), they go all out on stage.
I walk as if I own everybody. I say, where is my drink? Where’s my man? Where’s my money? - Michaela Vlam
Carmen instead leans more into her sensuality on stage: “I definitely wear less clothes as Carmen Vlam. I am forever grateful to the Ballroom community, who have made me feel safe enough to show up in that way.
However, Unskinny says that their personality, off- and on-stage, has merged in recent times as they try to bring the confidence of their Ballroom persona into their daily life. This does not mean that walking is any less scary.
Unskinny Vlam: When I’m on stage, I’m still nervous. I am still poeping on stage. I am literally poeping on stage as I’m walking. As soon as I hit the stage, I see complete black, and I just do my damn thing.
Viktor Vlam: I wouldn’t say it’s an out-of-body experience, because —
Unskinny Vlam: I’m very in my body. I don’t remember any of it until I see the videos.
Carmen Vlam: Snatching the phone out of Mother LaBeija’s hands!
Unskinny Vlam: The only thing I remember is the start of the walk and getting a trophy. That’s all I remember.
The House of Vlam prides themselves on their trophies and prizes. For the After Dark Ball, the House of Vlam partnered and were sponsored by Impulse, Urban Motion, Eastern Acoustics, Opium Lounge, and Please X. This allowed them to have spectacular prizes for their winners, which included cash prizes, hampers from Please X and vouchers to Opium Lounge.
It is clear that the Vlam family have incredibly high standards for themselves, and a reputation to prove it. They give their best in all regards: for each other, for the community and for themselves.
When asked if they have anything they want to add, Unskinny says:
We are here, and we are here to stay. And the bitches that have a problem with that are gonna be salty about it. Bitches that are salty got to stay salty. And maybe add some paprika to that because we are not going anywhere.
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