Episode 5 – Jay Jay Revlon

For this episode of Why Dance Matters, we’re in conversation with DJ, activist and dancer Jay Jay Revlon.

Ballroom culture was celebrated in the tv drama Pose, set in New York during the 1980s and 90s. It originated in Harlem, where queer people of colour came together in act of self-expression and resistance, and is now international. A key figure in London’s scene is DJ, community activist and impresario, Jay Jay Revlon. Jay Jay has serious dance training, and found a home for his talents in ballroom – often with his mother on the door at his events! As father of the House of Revlon, Jay Jay looks after the people who work and perform with him. He’s the perfect guide to ballroom culture.

Born and raised in Peckham, South London, Jay Jay has many hats. His focus is curating events, DJing, Ballroom (voguing) and mentoring. Listed in Time Out’s ‘One to Watch’, he is a committed community activist, dedicated to creating safe spaces and conversations for QPOC and LGBTQ+. He does this through his own club night ‘Let’s Have a Kiki #theparty’ and as a volunteer peer to peer mentor at Stonewall Housing. A devoted influence on the London Ballroom scene, as Father of the ‘UK House of Revlon’, Jay Jay is a leading authority of Ballroom in the UK.

Jay Jay’s website is https://www.justjayjay.com/ and you can follow him on Instagram and Twitter @jayjayrevlon

You can follow presenter David Jays @mrdavidjays

You can find out more about the RAD on our website – https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/

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