Courtney Washington Balenciaga on show Courtney’s Diner: ‘It’s about letting queer and trans people be fully human on stage” (EXCLUSIVE)
The show is part of the free Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, heading to London between 22 August and 6 September
Courtney Washington Balenciaga – ballroom icon, choreographer, and Mother of the House of Balenciaga – is bringing her acclaimed performance piece Courtney’s Diner to the UK for the first time.
Premiering at this year’s Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF 2025) – a free festival – the show reimagines the classic American diner as a site of queer celebration, resistance, and radical joy.
In this exclusive Q&A, Courtney talks about bringing the show to London, the power of chosen family, and what a real-life Courtney’s Diner would look like.
Courtney’s Diner is making its UK premiere at GDIF 2025. What can audiences expect when they step into your world?
Audiences can expect a vibrant, immersive experience that feels part dreamscape, part dance battle, part communal gathering. Courtney’s Diner is a space where movement tells stories of joy, defiance, heartbreak, and celebration. It’s equal parts a love letter to ballroom, Black and queer culture, and a reimagining of what a diner could be.
The show fuses ballroom choreography, vogue, and contemporary dance. What inspired you to blend these distinct styles?
Actually, while the piece doesn’t include voguing in a traditional sense, it’s deeply rooted in ballroom culture – especially through the music. The track we use, ‘I’m Sitting’ by DJ Byrell the Great, is a ballroom anthem. In our community, “sitting” isn’t just about posture – it means looking stunning, serving face, being unphased and flawless. That energy inspired the movement. The dance style blends street jazz with a jazz flare, contemporary technique, and elements of hip hop. It’s all about channeling that ballroom confidence and elegance through a hybrid movement language that feels fresh but still grounded in Black and queer dance traditions.
As Mother of the House of Balenciaga and founder of the Kiki House of Juicy Couture, how have your experiences in ballroom culture shaped this work?
Ballroom taught me how to lead, how to protect community, and how to turn survival into art. Being a Mother means carrying others – uplifting, guiding, and creating safe spaces. That responsibility shaped every part of this show. Courtney’s Diner is rooted in the values of chosen family, resilience, and fierce authenticity that ballroom instilled in me.
Why did you want to bring Courtney’s Diner to London and the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival specifically?
GDIF celebrates innovation, accessibility, and public space, which aligns perfectly with the spirit of ballroom. Bringing Courtney’s Diner to London felt important – not just as a performance, but as a cultural exchange. The UK ballroom scene is alive and evolving, and this is a chance to honour that, while also introducing wider audiences to the heart and history of the culture.
Ballroom has always been a space of self-expression and resistance. How does this piece reflect that spirit?
This piece is unapologetic in its queerness, its Blackness, its fluidity. It resists erasure by centring voices that are often sidelined. Every strut, every dip, every monologue is an act of defiance and affirmation. Courtney’s Diner reflects the ballroom tradition of turning pain into performance, and performance into protest.
Visibility for queer and trans stories is more vital than ever – how does this show speak to the moment we’re living in?
In a time when our identities are being politicised and policed, Courtney’s Diner says: we’re still here. We’re living, thriving, and telling our own stories on our own terms. This show is about visibility, yes – but more than that, it’s about joy, nuance, and complexity. It’s about letting queer and trans people be fully human on stage.
And finally, if Courtney’s Diner were a real place, what would be on the menu?
[Laughs] Definitely a mix of comfort and flair. Think: glitter-dusted pancakes, hot sauce-soaked wings, plant-based mac and cheese, and a milkshake called “Legendary Motha” with gold flakes and edible roses. And of course, everything is served with a side of attitude and a runway-worthy look. With a disco ball in the middle. The juice bar would be called The Juicy Bar, and on the weekends the diner turns into a dance floor.
Courtney’s Diner will be performing on Saturday 6 September at 13:00, 15:30 and 18:05 at the Stratford Waterfront, E20 2AQ. Attendance is free. Full details are on the event’s official page.
A limited edition coffee table book Above and Beyond: 30 Years of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival written and edited by Fiona Hughes will be published by Unicorn Publishing Group on 22 August. The large format 160 page book celebrates three decades of the festival and acts a backstage pass to the most memorable GDIF moments alongside never seen before photos.