Ballroom Throwbacks Television

Ballroom Throwbacks Television (BRTB TV, often stylized BRTBTV) is a digital media platform and YouTube channel that documents the U.S. ballroom scene. It was founded in 2009 by cultural archivist Ceasar Williams and is widely used for footage of balls, runway categories and voguing across the contemporary scene.[1][2]

History

Williams began uploading archival ballroom footage to YouTube in March 2009, expanding the channel into a broader media outlet with event coverage, commentary and post‑ball interviews.[1] The channel has been described in LGBTQ media as an “official gateway” to ballroom culture and a repository of scene history.[2]

Content and programming

BRTB TV’s videos typically cover runway and performance categories (such as vogue, face, runway, realness and sex siren) and include organizer announcements, judges’ panels, and post‑event interviews. Its uploads serve as a reference point for community participants and for audiences discovering ballroom online.[1][2]

Collaborations and archival work

In 2023, Google Arts & Culture partnered with the Bronx‑based LGBTQ center Destination Tomorrow and ballroom expert Ceasar Williams on Ballroom in Focus, billed as the largest online collection of ballroom archival material. The project digitized more than 1,000 images and launched over two dozen curated stories; several pages were adapted from interviews with Williams.[3][4][5]

Events and affiliations

BRTB TV is associated with the Haus of Alpha Omega (AlphaΩ), which stages large‑scale events in New York City. In March 2023 the house hosted the BRTB TV Awards Ball at Knockdown Center in Queens; media coverage noted debut walks and prizes at the event.[6] Earlier that same month, TENz Magazine covered Alpha Omega’s Anarchy 2023 ball, describing the house as led by “Ballroom Throwbacks founder Ceasar.”[7]

Streaming and scripted projects

BRTB TV also operates a subscription streaming site (BRTBtv.com) that distributes the long‑running scripted series Triangle and related programming. A 2016 release from the District of Columbia’s Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment credited Triangle’s success with helping launch the BRTBtv network and noted recognition from Black LGBTQ organizations.[8]

Reception and influence

Mainstream coverage has cited BRTB TV’s role in making contemporary ballroom more visible to wider audiences and in providing an accessible archive for participants and scholars.[1][3][2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Street, Mikelle (September 10, 2018). "In My House". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Anderson, Tre’vell (June 12, 2020). "Seven Black LGBTQ2 YouTubers giving us joy". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Coleman, Sean Ebony (June 9, 2023). "Pride Month 2023: See more than 1,000 rare Ballroom photos for the first time". The Keyword (Google). Google. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  4. ^ "Explore the Ballroom Archive". Google Arts & Culture. Google. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  5. ^ "What is Ballroom Culture?". Google Arts & Culture. Google. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  6. ^ Uddin, Shahamat (June 29, 2023). "For a New Generation at House of LaBeija, Ball Culture Has Never Been More Important". Teen Vogue. Condé Nast. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  7. ^ "Alpha Omega: Anarchy Ball @ Knockdown Center". TENz Magazine. March 15, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  8. ^ "DC Filmmaker Carlos J. Harris Honored as February 2016 Filmmaker of the Month". Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment. Government of the District of Columbia. February 1, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
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