Voguers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals who engage in a stylized form of dance, often influenced by fashion and popular culture
2. Those who practice a specific dance style characterized by striking poses and movements in a competitive or performative manner
3. Participants in a dance subculture that emphasizes theatricality and expression, typically showcasing creativity through body movements and runway aesthetics

Etymology: "Voguers" is the plural of "voguer," a noun formed from "vogue" and the agent suffix "-er," so it names people who do the thing the verb describes. The base word "vogue" has a more surprising past than its modern sense suggests: it once meant the rowing or sweeping motion of an oar through water, and only later came to mean a passing fashion, the way something seems to "sail" into popularity. The dance sense belongs to a far more recent chapter. It grew out of the vogueing style that developed in New York's Harlem ballroom scene, where participants competed by striking angular, sculptural poses inspired by fashion magazines, and the name for the style was taken from the magazine itself. Dancers who perform it are the voguers, and the noun carries the sense of people who take part in that competitive, pose-driven culture.

Synonyms: dancers, performers