Whenever I find out one of my friends hasn’t seen Paris is Burning I’m one part disappointed, but more excited that I can introduce them to it. I’ve bought the DVD for a bunch of my pals and all have been immediate converts to its magnificence.

The 1990 documentary takes a closer look at the ball culture in 80s New York, which saw African American and Latino gay and transgender communities dressing up in incredible outfits and dancing their asses off. I first saw it in a cultural studies class of some sort on my MA – not entirely sure how it tied into what we were doing at the time but, in the words of Wiki, its a thoughtful exploration of race, class and gender in America.

One of the best-known elements of the ball scene is voguing, which of course Madonna made famous but which these guys were mastering years previously. You can watch a bit about the origins of that particular genre here!

Nothing to do with the film, but this Christmas Soul Jazz has bought out a book covering the very subject and it would be a fantastic present for anyone with an interest in 80s New York/dance/fashion/gender/music/pretty much anything really. All the photographs in the book are by Chantal Regnault and to coincide with its launch, the record arm of Soul Jazz is releasing a double LP in January featuring the artists synonymous with this frankly fabulous scene.

You can pre-order the book now and find out more on the Soul Jazz site – and you should watch the Paris is Burning trailer below too. If you’re my friend, I might buy you a copy.