Every Saturday between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., the Washington Neighborhood Center in Sacramento, California, vibrates with house beats. Unknowing neighbors peer in curiously, but for those in the know, the intimate gathering is a dynamic hub to practice voguing and connect with community. The room is vibrant, partly because of the bright murals that adorn the walls, but mostly because of the colorful choreography of those sharing the dance floor. Although the event begins at 1 p.m., dancing doesn’t usually begin until later. “See how it’s 2:30?” Ka’lonji Escada says, wearing a red rose in her hair and seated with her DJ equipment. “I put 1 to 5. Ballroom time. People get here on ballroom time.” When Escada, mother of the Kiki House of Moschino and member of the Iconic House of Escada, attended her first ball in Dallas, Texas, in 2021, she insisted on being there promptly at 9 p.m. The event didn’t start until 3 a.m. It’s part of ballroom culture. “Femme queens [need] time to get ready,” she says. “It takes time. You can’t rush.”