[Disclaimer: The performers took off their masks for the purpose of this article, and safety measures for COVID-19 were followed during the performance.]

HER PERFORMANCE took place at Azit Anam, a bar that features drag performances every week. It is a tucked-away bar at Anam-dong that holds a variety of shows, including drag performances, burlesque shows, magic tricks, and more[1].

   “My name is Rina, and my drag name is Rina Morningstar. I’m a professional dancer in Korea. I do other things like play piano and guitar, and jump back and forth between other interests. I’ve done drag for five months now. I’m from a good drag family[2]—the Hoso family. Hoso is my drag mother.”

   “I was working as a bartender in a bar famous for being LGBTQ-friendly. One of the managers was doing drag, so I wanted to give it a go for fun. After my first performance, despite it being a mess, I wanted to keep doing it. It really was a lot of fun for me.”

Rina invited me to follow her behind the bar. She opened a curtain leading to a room with a few sofas and tables but spacious enough for a few people. “Every drag queen needs a huge luggage,” said Rina, as she proceeded to open her suitcase. Inside it were heels, makeup products, and costumes. Upon noticing my keen interest in her heels, Rina pointed out how difficult it is to dance in her heels. “My first drag performance was a mess because my heels were slippery, so I fell down twice. But thank god people didn’t notice it,” she commented, as she applied a generous amount of anti-slip spray onto her heels for today’s performance.

“Preparation takes a long time since the makeup takes two to three hours. If it’s complicated makeup, it will take six to seven hours. My drag mother takes five to six hours of makeup, and that’s really fast. Also, when you’re making your own outfit, it takes time. Even if it’s a simple outfit, it will take a day or two, given that you place all of your focus onto it. But a gown dress takes the most time to make. You can’t perform in one dress for the entire night. You’d perform in a dress once and never perform in the same dress ever again on the same stage.”

“You can really show people that you exist and that you can do something. People see our talent, the hard work that we put in. Since I’m a professional dancer, I don’t really need to do drag, but drag is another option to show more of my talent. I do it to dance and have fun, but also to make people smile. I become more powerful and get to put on this strong personality I wish I could have.”

Hoso projects a bright future for drag in Seoul, commenting, “I think it’s blooming; drag queens are even being interviewed on national television. We just had the first broadcasting of a drag queen in Korea. It’s important for us to introduce the art of drag to the mainstream, to expose it to our audience, and to expand our boundaries while still keeping to our queer-punk mottos of drag. I think that’s where the future should be for us as drag performers.”

[1] Drag show: A drag show is entertainment put on by drag artists, or people who put on clothes and makeup that amplify the appearance of a gender

[2] Drag family: An experienced group of drag performers who act as mentors and guides to someone who wants to learn the art of drag