Photo Contribution by Ayse Aras
This year’s lively Winter’s a Drag show was hosted at Brantford’s Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts once again on Jan. 24.
Vision Drag artists performed live for Wilfrid Laurier University students and others from the community. Hundreds filled the Sanderson Centre auditorium for an evening full of colourful lights and sparkling outfits, adding life to a cold winter day.
The five artists, Makayla Couture, Tiffany Boxx, Manny Dingo, Tash Riot and XtacyLove, put on impressive performances.
The spectacular and free event included a meet-and-greet that started at 7:15 p.m. where fans got the chance to meet the drag artists on stage. Other delights at the event included a photo booth and free gifts. The show began at 8 p.m., inviting a diverse audience of people to have fun and express themselves.
The event was hosted by Laurier Brantford’s Senior Executive Office and Campus Experience Coordinator Beth Sanders, and sponsored by the Students’ Union and other university associations.
The drag artists danced animatedly to music by pop singers everyone enjoys, including Lady Gaga and One Direction. Tash Riot gave a charming performance of the “Wednesday Dance”, which trended on TikTok in late November last year after the release of the Netflix show, Wednesday. Each artist performed in their own unique, magnificent way.
Between their dances, the drag artists gave speeches about the importance of self-expression and voiced their passion for their art.
“C stands for two of my favourite things,” said Boxx during her speech. “One, courage—that means y’all are here tonight, you are being courageous.”
During the second portion of the show, two enthusiastic individuals were selected from the audience for a dance contest, both of whom executed the challenge wonderfully and with humour.
The event was met with continuous cheers and enthusiasm, creating a memorable night that was just as exciting as last year’s Winter’s a Drag show.
“It was lots of fun, incredible music choice,” said Julia Kalicki, a Laurier student who attended the show. “I really hope this event comes back next year because it’s an event nobody should miss out on.”
Joining this occasion was an entertaining way for students to spend an otherwise uneventful winter evening. Judging from the excitement shown from the roaring crowd at the Sanderson Centre, Brantford residents and Laurier students would no doubt welcome another return of Winter’s a Drag next year.
