Athena Dion
Athena Dion | |
|---|---|
| Born | Stavros Stavrakis 1987 (age 38–39) Tarpon Springs, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | Florida International University (BS) |
| Television | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 18) |
Athena Dion is the stage name of Stavros Stavrakis (born 1987),[1][2] an American drag performer who is a contestant on season 18 of RuPaul's Drag Race.[3] Athena Dion has been a drag artist for 14 years.[2] She is currently based in the Miami metropolitan area.
Early life and education
[edit | edit source]Stavrakis was born in 1987, in Tarpon Springs, Florida, a Greek community near St. Petersburg.[1][4] He describes growing up in a family-oriented setting. He describes growing up steeped in Greek culture despite being in a military family which was forced to relocate often.[5] Stavrakis studied hospitality and tourism at Florida International University and received his Bachelor of Science degree in 2011.[6]
Drag career
[edit | edit source]Stavrakis' first exposure to drag was in the Robin Williams film The Birdcage.[7] Stavrakis began their drag career after taking a position as a drag queen working the door at the Living Room nightclub in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[8][9][5] He chose his stage name based on the Greek goddess Athena.[3][5]
Dion has described herself as a "social drag queen" and an artist who focuses on building community.[10] Athena is the mother of the House of Dion, a drag house based in Florida. Morphine Love Dion, Plane Jane, and Juicy Love Dion are her drag daughters.[11] The first two competed on season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race,[3] and the latter will be competing against her on season 18.[3] Juicy Love Dion and Athena Dion are the first "mother-daughter" duo to compete against each other on the same season of Drag Race.[12][11] Athena also has a drag daughter named Miss Toto Clermont Dion who is based in Chicago.[13]
Athena Dion has competed in drag pageants, including Miami Beach Gay Pride, and Ultimate Miami Drag Queen.[8] She has won the following titles:[14]
- Miss North Carolina Continental 2011
- Miss Noche Latina 2013
- Miss South Carolina Continental 2014
- Miss Miami Beach Pride 2015
- Ultimate Miami Drag Queen 2017
- Miss Pride of Wynwood 2018 (Emeritus)
She hosts several drag brunches in Miami, including R House Brunch in Wynwood, Florida.[15] She also works in venues such as the Palace Bar, Club Score, and Southern Nights.[8] Stavrakis has done acts impersonating Gloria Estefan.[8]
Athena Dion has participated in and organized various charity events for various causes including youth homelessness, helping burn survivors, and LGBTQ+ community outreach.[8] During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Stavrakis helped organize Virtual Pride 2020 with the South Florida Pride Collective.[15] Stavrakis is also the owner of the drag entertainment company named Dream Queens, a group of drag artists and fans who work on charitable causes to "uplift, empower and motivate the human spirit" through the lens of drag and drag performance.[13][16]
In 2016, Athena Dion auditioned on season 11 of America's Got Talent alongside drag artists Sasha Lords, Nicole Halliwell, Calypso Monroe, and Nicole Saphire as a Spice Girls impersonation act named "Spice Gurlz".[17] Dion played Posh Spice.[8] The group did not advance advance past auditions after receiving two "no" votes.[17] In 2018, Athena Dion appeared on the podcast It's Happening hosted by Snooki and Joey Camasta.[18]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Stavrakis splits his time between Miami and Mykonos.[17][19] His first romantic relationship was with a drag queen, Vegas Dion, who ended up being his drag mother.[2][9][5] Athena Dion has spoken out about anti-drag legislation in Florida.[1]
Awards
[edit | edit source]- 2017 SAVE Luminary award[16]
Filmography
[edit | edit source]- RuPaul's Drag Race (season 18)
References
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