Kevin Burrus, also known as Kevin UltraOmni (born 1958) is an American mentor, speaker,

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

activist, and film producer who founded the

ball culture The Ballroom scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture. The scene traces its origins to the drag balls of the mid-19th century United State ...

House of Omni in 1979–which was renamed the House of UltraOmni in 1990–and has chapters across the country. He has become an authority on ball culture and has spoken in interviews about the movement. Omni is also the assistant

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

for the

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

How Do I Look ''How Do I Look'' is a 2006 American documentary film, documentary directed by Wolfgang Busch. The film chronicles ball culture in Harlem and Philadelphia over a ten-year period. Overview Wolfgang Busch began interviewing subjects from the bal ...

'', produced by

Wolfgang Busch Wolfgang Busch is a documentary filmmaker, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. He directed and produced the 2006 documentary '' How Do I Look'' about the Harlem ballroom scene. He is the founder of Art from the Heart Films, which pr ...

which aims to correct misperceptions about ball culture.

Early life and education

Kevin Burrus was born October 8, 1958 in Bedford-Stuyvesant,

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, the fifth of six children. From 1973-1976 he attended Clara Barton High School For Health Professions in Brooklyn, New York. He majored in medical lab technology and hospital office procedures. He then went to

New York City Community College The New York City College of Technology (City Tech) is a public college in New York City. Founded in 1946, it is the City University of New York's college of technology. Its main urban campus is located in Downtown Brooklyn. History City Tech ...

with a focus on

liberal arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...

and science. He entered the Strive Program, and developed an interest in sexuality-associated behavior.

Career

Burrus has been involved in radio promotions for "The Red-Alert Show" on 98.7 Kiss FM in NY from 1991–1992. He was also involved as a dancer on TV show ''Jerry Bledsoe's Soul Alive'' (WPIX channel 11), and a guest on "Morning Radio's Star & Buc Wild Show" on 105.1 FM.

Outreach and educating

Omni started attending house ball culture events in 1979, “They were colorful, very "Las Vegas showgirl", very "Cabaret", full of entertainment. People knew how to sew their own garments, and took pride in being able to pay for what they put on their backs.” Omni founded the ball house of Omni in 1980–which was renamed the House of UltraOmni in 1990–and has chapters across the country. Omni came from Thomas "Dimples" Baker who picked it out of a dictionary. The house system that supports the ball culture traces back to at least the early 1900s. Costume balls where LGBTQ people, including

people of color The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...

, could attend and even be celebrated. The modern house system and ball culture started in the 1970s and became a social network for many gay and trans black and Latino homeless teenagers. Omni served as both house mother and father, mentoring those he took into the house. In 1988 he appointed Michael Wooten, a dancer and a singer who does shows throughout New York and New Jersey, as the first official house father in 1988. In 1990 the documentary ''Paris Is Burning'' debuted taking the culture and its signature dance style,

voguing Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s. It is inspired by the poses of models in fashion magazines. It gained mainstream exposure whe ...

, mainstream. The same year

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

—who celebrates many dance forms in concerts and videos—released “

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

” which featured the dance taking it global. As the assistant producer of the documentary film ''How Do I Look'', Omni reaches out to many communities informing and educating them on

Ball Culture The Ballroom scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture. The scene traces its origins to the drag balls of the mid-19th century United State ...

. Together with producer & director Wolfgang Busch, they used the film as a focal point for a college tour with panels including Yale, Penn State and NYU, and teach-ins discussing the house culture and challenges of LGBTQ youth of color. In 2010 he was a panelist for the Hudson Valley LGBT Conference in Kingston, NY. He lectures on sexuality, health-related issues, homelessness, drugs, mental illness, and domestic violence. Since 2006, Omni has served as Public Relations/Media Contact for "Art From the Heart LLC", producing artistic empowerment Programs, and preserving Ballroom history. Omni delivers lectures nationwide and internationally, helping to furthering HIV/AIDS education and awareness and Ballroom culture. As of 2019, Omni estimates he has lost more than 600 friends in the ballroom scene, at some points feeling he was attending one funeral after the next. From 1989-1991, he helped organize The Love Ball fundraiser for the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), a nonprofit educating about and advocating for people impacted by

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

. In 2012 he founded together with Wolfgang Omni Busch the Kevin Omni Burrus Funeral/Burial Fund to help defray funeral costs for members of the Ballroom community.

References

External links

Kevin Burrus Profile on Howdoilooknyc.orgAmazon.com: How Do I Look DVDArtfromtheheartnyc.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burrus, Kevin 1958 births Film producers from New York (state) Living people Ball culture people