Death Drop

A death drop is a signature move in vogue and ballroom performance in which a dancer drops backward to the floor in one sharp motion, landing on their back with one leg tucked under and the other extended. It reads as a spectacular, controlled fall and is one of the recognizable elements of vogue femme. Ballroom insiders point out that the move is more properly called a dip, a term that comes from the ballroom scene itself, and that death drop is the mainstream name popularized later, partly through shows like RuPaul's Drag Race and Pose. The move carries real risk and takes practice to perform safely. It grew out of Black and Latino LGBTQ+ ballroom culture in New York.