The Ball Challenge or simply the Ball is a Maxi Challenge where the contestants are tasked to showcase multiple looks on the runway. Balls are typically themed, having two to three categories in total with one category tasking the contestants to design the look themselves using the provided materials in the Werk Room.
In its earlier appearances on the regular American series, the challenge was typically reserved for the semi-finals and required the contestants to perform a short opening number choreographed by themselves. This sequence would later be dropped and the challenge would appear earlier in a season more frequently.
This challenge is not to be confused with the Design Challenge or Runway Challenge where the contestants are also tasked to either design a look with provided materials or showcase multiple looks on the runway respectively.
Challenge's Timeline[]
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||||||
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- █ The challenge never appeared in the season.
- █ The challenge appeared in the season once.
- █ The challenge appeared in the season twice.
Drag Race Franchise[]
All Stars
Drag Race
España
UK vs The World
France
Philippines
Canada vs The World
Belgique
Brasil
Germany
Other Series[]
Trivia[]
- The Ball takes inspiration from actual drag balls, which also often include multiple categories of outfits and some sort of dance performance.
- The Ball is the longest running challenge in the Drag Race franchise, being featured at least once in all seasons of the original American series.
- Bebe Zahara Benet and Drag Sethlas are the only contestants to have won the ball twice.
- Jujubee has competed on the most amount of Balls, competing in four across the four seasons she's competed on.
- Additionally, she was up for elimination in all of them.
- Yara Sofia, Shannel, Scarlett Harlett, and Jimbo have all won a Ball and have been eliminated on a Ball.
- Additionally, Yara and Scarlett are the only ones to accomplish this on the same season (US Season 3 and UK Season 3 respectively).
- The Pair of Balls on US Season 14 holds the record for the most outfits shown on the main stage in a single episode, with 42 outfits worn.
- The Blue Ball on US All Stars 6 is the earliest instance of the Ball Challenge in the history of the franchise, being featured in the second episode.
- The Crystal Ball on US Season 15 was highlighted as the 200th episode of the original American series.
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| Maxi Challenges | Acting • Ball • Choreography • Commercial • Design • Girl Group • Improvisation • Lip Sync • Makeover • Music Video • Photoshoot • Rumix • Runway • Rusical • Singing • Snatch Game • Stand-Up (Roast) • Talent Show |
|---|---|
| Mini Challenges | Everybody Loves Puppets • Reading Challenge |