The Doll Ball Ja is a yearly queer ball and festival hosted by Connek Ja and the first queer ball in history to happen in Jamaica!
The Doll Ball provides a safe space for queer Jamaicans and all attendees/ allies to celebrate the legacy of ballroom culture, be a part of the growing ballroom culture in Kingston and center community synergy for a more liberated queer Jamaica!
The story:
After a the COVID-19 quarantine in Jamaica, we at Connek Ja wanted to bring our focus to the local queer community for programming and make history with a space of joy, celebration and safety. What better way than a ball! As we have all seen with tv shows and documentaries like Pose, Paris is Burning, and more ball culture reaches every part of this world, but has never touched the shores of Jamaica until now! Connek Ja took on the task of bringing the ball scene to Jamaica with “The Doll Ball”. The Doll Ball is the 1st and only ball in history to be on the island!
The Doll Ball brings the Connek Ja mission full circle of building a bridge of the queer Jamaican community to the queer diaspora abroad, supporting our community on the island, working with our ambassadors and changing the narrative around queerness in Jamaica.
THE DOLL BALL 3
Connek Ja worked with Ragga Nyc sponsored by @blacktranstravelfund to host the DOLL BALL 3: DANCEHALL COUTURE and a Ballroom 101 course November 2023 in Kingston, Jamaica.
With the legendary Commentator @iamleggoh (NYC) @fatoumata (NYC) @missimanhill (NYC) and local boo @illusinator (KINGSTON), judges @devinmichaellowe @morticiagodiva@iv.fischer @uncleeli @rachelleighscott@glen.divo, DJs @byrellthegreat (NYC) @deejayanash @djvickyanalog @venom the event was a success!
Categories are: Runway, Performance, Face, Best Dressed House, Sex Siren.
photography by @austin
THE DOLL BALL 2
In 2022, Connek JA created connection for the community in Jamaica—and YES foreigners joined! Connek JA emailed international travelers a recommendation document with all the details on how to navigate Kingston with our allies and meet up with us in Jamaica.
After a long period of COVID-19 quarantining in Jamaica, we knew we wanted to bring the queer community here something they have never had before: a space of joy, celebration and safety. What better way than a ball! Ball culture reaches every part of this world and its history in queer communities, but has never touched the shores of Jamaica. That said, Connek JA took on the task of bringing the Ball scene to Jamaica!
Jamaica’s 1st and only running Ball in history—and we are so thankful. We are in awe of our beautiful community here! Congratulations to the winners, and big up the the Connek family for inspiring us to foster the ball room scene here in Jamaica. Big up to all the category sponsors like @blacktranstravelfund, and to all of you who believe in what we are trying to build here.
We started this journey of bringing events and spaces of love back to Kingston after the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, and it’s one we couldn’t have done without you all. From our GoFundMe campaign in 2021 where we raised funds for @wechangeja, to Connek gala dinners with @yardyworld @tuna__turner, to fundraising parties with @ragganyc at @nowadaysnyc in NYC, to interviews with @loveinjection.nyc—it has been a long road to make this happen, and we are so thankful to all of you who have donated, shared our project, and helped us on this journey.
Connek JA is our passion project that we don’t profit from so all your help has meant so much to us. Support CONNEK’s next ball and help keep Jamaica’s Ball scene and queer community thriving.
photography by @marinaburnel
THE DOLL BALL 1
Jamaica’s 1st Ball - and we are so thankful. Forever in awe of our beautiful community here, congratulations to the winners, and big up the Connek family including @united_trans_creatives_ and @houseofblessings2021 for inspiring us to uplift, bring forth and foster the ball room scene from idea to reality in Jamaica.