House of Ebony

**House of Ebony** is a ballroom house created in 1978 by Larry Preylow and Richard Fears. The house was known for walking in realness categories, specifically male realness where members tried to realistically portray the looks of "trade on the street corner". Currently, the House of Ebony consists of over three hundred members internationally, and are known for walking realness and performance-based categories. In 2020, the overall father is Bam Ebony and the overall mother is Latoya Ebony.

Notable members of the House of Ebony include: Sinia Ebony, now known as Sinia Alaia from the House of Alaia, who pioneered and set the blueprint for femme-queen performance in vogue categories; Kassandra Ebony, who died in 2018, who performed in butch queen vogue categories and was known for his hand performance; and Divo Ebony who currently preserves the legacy of the House of Ebony.

The House of Ebony is described as one of the most celebrated Houses in ballroom history, and is historically a black House. The members of Ebony express that their House exudes the true essence of ballroom. They are known for taking people off of the streets, metaphorically, and giving them a place where they can be themselves. Within the House, the members feel like they are all apart of a wolf pack. The fashion of the House of Ebony is banjee-themed, and considered ghetto-fabulous.

The House of Ebony appears in the first season of the HBO Max original reality-competition series "Legendary". Even though the house is a historically black House, the mother of Ebony in Legendary is Isla Ebony, a white woman. She feels honored to be in a position to protect the legacy of Ebony, and her other House members support her in this endeavor.

## Members

The House of Ebony consists of:

* Mother Isla Ebony
* Machante Ebony
* Shorty Ebony
* Shy Ebony
* Xa'Pariis Ebony

## House Progress

**10s**: House of Ebony earned 10s or was not chopped from this category.
**✖**: House of Ebony was chopped from this category in the first round.
## Welcome to My House

In Welcome to My House, the House of Ebony must make their first statement to their judges, which is typically called "The Grand March" in the ballroom. Ebony must create and choreograph a performance that is true to their House.

In the performance, the House of Ebony performs a vogue-oriented performance while wearing banjee-themed fashion. The judges give praise to Ebony's high energy and cohesiveness as a group, but feel the outfits were lackluster.

## Once Upon a Time

In episode two Once Upon a Time, the House of Ebony participates in three runway categories of a fairy-tale themed ball.

* **First Category**: *Rapunzel Effect*
	+ One member from each house must serve a freestyle hair performance. First, they perform alone, and if they earn tens across the board they must battle against other House members to win the category.
* **Second Category**: *Mirror Mirror*
	+ One House member must walk the runway in this *face* category, serving smooth skin, white teeth, and cut bone structure.
* **Third Category**: *Three Fab Mice*
	+ Three members from each House, who have not walked in the previous categories, must choreograph a runway walk in which they are in perfect unison. They must also design matching outfits.

### Rapunzel Effect

Xa'Pariis Ebony chooses to walk this category.

In the first round, Xa'Pariis earns tens and is allowed to stand to the side. In the second round, Xa'Pariis faces off against Jeter Gucci from the House of Gucci and Makayla Lanvin from the House of Lanvin, and the judges choose Makayla to stay. Xa'Pariis is sent backstage and can no longer participate in the category.

### Mirror Mirror

Shy Ebony chooses to walk this category, and wears an outfit inspired by Hades from the Disney animated film "Hercules".

In the first round, Shy earns tens and is allowed to stand to the side. In the second round, Shy faces off against Christian St. Laurent from the House of St. Laurent, and the judges choose Christian to stay. Shy is sent backstage and can longer participate in the category.

After the show, Shy stated that he did not choose the hair that he wore for this outfit. He would've chosen a different hair if the choice was up to him.

### Three Fab Mice

Isla Ebony, Shorty Ebony, and Machante Ebony choose to walk this category.

In the first round, the trio is chopped and sent backstage. They can no longer participate in this category.

### Outcome

The House of Ebony is declared safe and allowed to stay in the competition.

## Circus Bezerkus

In episode three Circus Bezerkus, the House of Ebony participates in a "Circus Bezerkus" themed ball, where they are required to choreograph and perform a group production for the judges.

### Performance

House of Ebony's performance is a freak show rumble-themed circus, where the members are circus freaks and battle against one another. Shorty sprains his foot during rehearsal, but still performs. For the performance, Shy is a human-lion announcer, Mother Isla is the Bearded Lady, Shorty is the Strong Man, Machante is the Psycho Clown, and Xa'Pariis is Medusa the Snake Charmer. The judges give praise for the story line and high-energy introduction to the performance, but feel the house lost steam and became boring as the showcase went on.

### Outcome

The House of Ebony is declared safe and is allowed to stay in the competition.

## Wild Wild West

In Wild Wild West, the House of Ebony must walk three categories in a "Wild Wild West" themed money ball.

* **First Category**: *Come Up and See Me*
	+ One member from each house must walk the runway in this *Best-Dressed* category showcasing their fiercest gown, but must also include a spinning element. First, they perform alone, and if they earn tens across the board they must battle against other House members to win the category. The winner of this category earns $5,000 for their entire House.
* **Second Category**: *Sheriff of Seduction*
	+ One House member must walk the runway in this *body* category, meaning each competitor must show self-confidence and self-love on the runway in order to "sell" their body to the judges. First, they perform alone, and if they earn tens across the board they must battle against other House members to win the category. The winner of this category earns $5,000 for their entire House.
* **Third Category**: *Mannequin Showcase*
	+ All five members from each House must create and choreograph a showcase primarily consisting of runway and vogue elements. Each House will be critiqued for their performance. The winner of this category earns $15,000 for their entire House.

### Come Up and See Me

Xa'Pariis Ebony chooses to walk this category, and she wears a green jewel-studded gown. She chooses her spinning element to be her baton-twirling ability.

In the first round, Xa'Pariis earns tens and is allowed to stand to the side. In the second round, Xa'Pariis faces off against Calypso Balmain from the House of Balmain, and the judges choose Xa'Pariis to stay. In the final round, Xa'Pariis faces off against Twilight Escada from the House of Escada, and the judges choose Twilight as the winner of the category.

### Sheriff of Seduction

Isla Ebony chooses to walk this category.

In the first round, Isla earns tens and is allowed to stand to the side. In the second round, Isla faces off against Pack-Rat Lanvin from the House of Lanvin, and the judges choose Pack-Rat to stay. Isla is sent backstage and can longer participate in the category.

Isla stated after the show that her original outfit was supposed to be a bandanna bikini with chaps, but it ripped an hour before the ball when she put it on. She then had to find a pair of jeans and cut it into a thong so that she had something to wear for the category.

### Mannequin Showcase

House of Ebony's performance is a hip-hop western, depicting a showdown between the members. Shorty Ebony is a tumbleweed, and Xa'Pariis Ebony is a cactus. The judges give positive critiques for the runway and performance.

The judges choose the House of Ninja as the winner of this category and they earn $15,000.

### Outcome

The House of Ebony is declared as safe and is allowed to stay in the competition.

## Remember the Times

In Remember the Times, the House of Ebony walks two categories in an ancient civilization-themed ball.

* **First Category**: *March of the Mummies*
	+ One House member must perform a freestyle Old-Way Vogue performance. First, they perform alone, and if they earn tens across the board they must battle against other House members to win the category.
* **Second Category**: *Warrior Guardians*
	+ All five House members must create and choreograph a performance showcasing the floor performance element of vogue. They will be critiqued on their performances.

### March of the Mummies

Shy Ebony chooses to walk this category.

In the first round, Shy is chopped by Law Roach because Shy started to showcase Michael Jackson dance moves during his old-way vogue performance, which isn't what the category called for.

### Warrior Guardians

House of Ebony's performance is medieval-themed, where the members are knights, and Isla Ebony portrays the queen. The judges noticed that the members were off in the choreography, but overall the performance was well-done.

### Outcome

At the end of the ball, the judges place House of Ebony in the bottom two, along with the House of Lanvin. Mother Isla Ebony chooses Shorty Ebony to participate in the redemption battle, and Mother Eyricka Lanvin chooses Makayla Lanvin . After the battle, the judges to save Makayla and the House of Lanvin from elimination. The House of Ebony is eliminated, and the House of Lanvin is allowed to stay in the competition.

## Gallery

House Title Card
Mother Isla EbonyMachante EbonyShorty EbonyShy EbonyXa'Pariss Ebony
## Trivia

* Even though the house was founded on 1978, it did not debuted in a ball until the following year.
* The House of Ebony has members in the United States, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Mexico, Russia and Spain.
* Some members present on the show have left the house and moved to other ones:
	+ Shy Ebony left the House and is currently member of the House of West.
	+ Machante Ebony left the House and is currently a 007, someone who is active in the scene but doesn't compete under a house name.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Meet the HBO Max 'Legendary' 8 Houses of Ballroom
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Episode One: Welcome to My House"
3. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1412080829138352
4. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/houseofebonyinternational
5. ↑ https://https://www.instagram.com/ebonylatinxs