Vogue dancer and choreographer Willi Ninja was known for his unique dancing style and body movements, and as a result, earned the title “godfather of voguing”.
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Born on April 12, 1961, Ninja caught the eyes of the world after he appeared in Jennie Livingston’s documentary film Paris Is Burning and the 2006 documentary How Do I Look.
The films had opened many doors for Ninja, who went on to appear in dance performances with a number of troupes.
Ninja was also featured as a dancer in music videos for several iconic artistes like Janet Jackson, Malcolm McLaren, and Madonna, whose song “Vogue” was inspired by Ninja’s dancing style.
Willi Ninja Quotes
Ninja once said :
“Voguing came from Shade because it was a dance that two people did because they didn’t like each other. Instead of fighting, you would dance it out on the dance floor, and whoever did the better moves was throwing the best shade.”
Willi Ninja House of Ninja
Ninja opened his dance school, the House of Ninja, in 1982, and included white men in the house competitions.
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The house had been closed and reopened three different times, and now boasts of over 220 members across the world.
Photo Credit: IMDB
Willi Ninja Death
Ninja passed away on September 2, 2006, in New York, after battling an AIDS-related heart failure. He was aged 45.
Willi Ninja Funeral
Ninja was cremated, and his ashes given to his family.
More About Willi Ninja
Aside from dancing, Ninja landed a number of modelling jobs and performed with dance companies under Karole Armitage. He also served as a choreography instructor to Paris Hilton at the time.
Following these, Ninja later went on to open his modeling agency, Elements of Ninja, in 2004.
Outside of entertainment, Ninja was a key figure in LGBTQ community, and his memory is celebrated in the book “Black Sexualities”, written by Juan Battle and Sandra L. Barnes.
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