Pepper LaBeija
This documentary includes an appearance from Pepper LaBeija, an American fashion designer from The Bronx. In the film, Pepper is the current Mother of the House of LaBeija.
Dorian Corey
Dorian Corey was a drag queen and fashion designer from New York. Corey performed and toured as a drag queen for many years and later created a clothing label. In 1993, Corey died of AIDS at the age of 56.
Angie Xtravaganza
Born in 1964, Angie Xtravaganza was a well-known drag queen performer at balls in New York. In the film, she is the Mother of the House of Xtravaganza and is beloved by her "children."
Kim Pendavis
Kim Pendavis is a member of the House of Pendavis. She participates in a number of balls in the high-fashion categories.
Octavia Saint Laurent
Octavia Saint Laurent is a young ball performer of the House of Saint Laurent. She is an aspiring model who typically participates in categories like "femme realness."
Willi Ninja
Willi Ninja is the founder of the House of Ninja and is known for his expert vogueing skills. He teaches catwalk classes to aspiring models in New York City. Willi became successful after the increased interest in vogueing during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Venus Xtravaganza
Venus Xtravaganza is a young ball performer of the House of Xtravaganza. She prides herself on being petite and extremely feminine, and dreams of having gender reassignment surgery. Venus is also a "hustler," or prostitute. At the end of the film, Angie Xtravaganza informs viewers that Venus was murdered in the late 1980s by someone she had met in a hotel room.
Paris Dupree
Paris Dupree is a well-known ball performer who was also the host of a 1986 ball called Paris is Burning. The film takes its title from the name of the ball. Although Paris is never interviewed in the film, footage of her vogueing appears. Paris attempted to sue the producers of the film for $40 million after its release.
Bystanders
The film features a number of bystanders outside of balls and on the streets of Harlem who speak about the importance of ball culture and what it means for the queer community.
Jennie Livingston
While she does not put herself on camera, the director Jennie Livingston can be heard in a number of shots from the film as she presses her interviewees for answers. In one instance, Livingston asks a bystander to define the meaning of "working girls" (a euphemism for sex workers).
