When Angie Ovahness thinks of a performance she will never forget, she returns to the talent portion of Miss Noche Latina. The song was “Last Dance,” and she remembers letting the music move through her.

That memory offers a glimpse of the performer who describes her drag in four words: “High energy pure entertainment.”

Ovahness began performing 14 years ago at a Thursday competition show at Azucar nightclub, she said in written responses to OutFAU. Her influences include Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland.

Her name grew out of a joke among friends. They called her Big Ang, a reference to the personality from “Mob Wives,” which inspired Angie. Ovahness came from ballroom.

For college audiences, she brings a desire to feel connected as well as to entertain. She described those performances as a reminder that she and others are loved and appreciated, rather than merely tolerated. That support reminds her they are not facing their struggles alone.

Behind the energy is work she wishes more people recognized. Asked what audiences misunderstand about drag, Ovahness pointed to the time performers put into entertaining people and producing their shows.

She also described losing places to do that work. Asked about Gov. Ron DeSantis’s efforts to restrict drag in Florida, Ovahness expressed frustration and said performers had lost spaces where they previously worked. For her, the purpose of performing is to spread love and joy.

That generosity carries into how she describes herself away from a performance. She wants readers to know she is loving and caring, someone who wants the best for everyone.

Her advice to an FAU student considering drag acknowledges that finding a place onstage takes effort. She encourages beginners to discover what suits them, keep developing it and resist letting others discourage them.

“It’s not easy,” she said. “Find what works for you and perfect it and don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way.”