More than two decades after _Paris Is Burning _introduced the world to the New York ballroom scene, it’s time to clear the dance floor for Kiki: this vibrant, eye-opening documentary fast forwards us into today’s unapologetically flamboyant and political subculture of performance, now centered on LGBTQ youth of color who are redefining realness and family through artistry.

True to its legacy, Kiki delivers over-the-top ballroom scenes pulsing with energy — underscored by music from Qween Beat. But director Sara Jordenö and co-writer Twiggy Pucci Garçon (a House Mother) take the motto of the ballroom youths to heart: “Not About Us Without Us.” In a full artistic collaboration, they bring us inside the lives of Kiki scene members like Gia Marie Love, Queen Mother of the House of Juicy — an activist who equally displays bravado and vulnerability — and Chi Chi Mizrahi, Founding Mother of the House of Unbothered-Cartier, whose leadership allows community members to flourish.

Kiki reveals a world that is not only a fun safe haven, but also an important rallying point for youth development and activism. Although full of hope, Kiki's participants are quick to point out that young LGBTQ people of color still deal with disproportionate homicide and suicide rates, harassment by law enforcement, and homelessness — survival issues often left out of mainstream gay initiatives. _Kiki _bears joyous witness to dynamic young people lifting each other up in communities of chosen family, where they are not just surviving, but thriving.