Kevin Burrus, also known as Kevin UltraOmni (born 1958) is an American mentor, speaker,
LGBTQ
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
activist, and
film producer
A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...
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 that originated in New York City. Beginning in the late 20th century, Black and Latino ...
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
* ''Di ...
for the
documentary ''
How Do I Look
''How Do I Look'' is a 2006 American 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 ball circuit in the m ...
'', produced by
Wolfgang Busch Wolfgang Busch (born November 6, 1955 in Heppenheim, Germany) is a two-time Humanitarian award winner, was inducted into the Queens Business Hall of Fame for his company Art From The Heart Films, was inducted into the LGBT Hall of Fame and is a mult ...
which aims to correct misperceptions about ball culture.
Early life and education
Kevin Burrus was born in 1958 in
Bedford-Stuyvesant,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, the fifth of six children.
From 1973-1976 he attended
Clara Barton High School
Clara Barton High School for Health Professions is a public high school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, that teaches from 9th - 12th grade. It is located at 901 Classon Avenue, across from the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic ...
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.
History
City Tech was founded in 1946 as The New York State Institute of ...
with a focus on
liberal arts
Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...
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 primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily associated with, the U ...
, 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 gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" (1990), ...
, mainstream.
The same year
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
—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 Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
” which featured the dance taking it global.
As 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 that originated in New York City. Beginning in the late 20th century, Black and Latino ...
.
He used the film as a focal point for a college tour with panels, 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", an artistic empowerment Program. Omni delivers lectures nationwide, helping to furthering HIV/AIDS education and awareness. 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
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
.
In 2012 he founded the Kevin Omni Burrus Funeral/Burial Fund to help defray funeral costs.
References
External links
Kevin Burrus Profile on Howdoilooknyc.orgAmazon.com: How Do I Look DVDArtfromtheheartnyc.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burrus, Kevin
1958 births
American film producers
Living people