WILLI NINJA: Godfather of Voguing and Legendary Drag Ball Icon

“I want to be worldwide. I want to take voguing to the real Paris and make the real Paris burn.”

TRQ: Willi Ninja April 12, 1961 – September 2, 2006

Dancer and choreographer Willi Ninja was a gender-nonconforming legend of Harlem’s drag ball culture, who appeared in the groundbreaking documentary Paris is Burning (1990). Known as the Grandfather of Voguing, he combined haute couture body language with choreography from Hollywood’s Golden Age to elevate an underground dance form that had been around for years. Performed as a sophisticated way to throw shade, voguing crossed from the clubs of New York to the world’s biggest concert stages. 

Willi Ninja was born William R. Leake on April 12, 1961 in Queens, New York. Tall and athletic, he was a self-taught dancer who began at age 7. He moved to Greenwich Village in the 1970s, where gay dancers were already voguing in Washington Square Park and at the Christopher Street pier. During his 20s, he perfected his voguing technique around a precise, clean style with fast movements inspired by the martial arts and hieroglyphics.

In 1982, Ninja started the House of Ninja for the first time, with Sandy Apollonia Ninja. As the mother, Ninja was known for her severe style, smart wit, and sarcasm. Sometimes he wore a coat made of braided synthetic hair, combined a skirt with a suit jacket, and wore Doc Marten boots. The house was uniquely multiracial and included white men. The house temporarily closed in 1989. 

His talent established his name in the community, and caught the attention of Jennie Livingston, the director of Paris is Burning, who featured him prominently in the documentary. Malcolm McLaren, partner of Vivienne Westwood and manager of the New York Dolls and the Sex Pistols, hired Ninja and Livingston to film a music video for his song, “Deep in Vogue” (1989), into which producers Mark Moore and William Orbit had remixed samples from the soon-to-be-released documentary.

Paris is Burning’s critical and commercial success brought attention to Ninja and propelled his career. He danced in music videos for Masters at Work and Janet Jackson. Impressed after attending a McLaren performance in Los Angeles, Madonna hired Jose and Luis Xtravaganza to dance and choreograph the music video for her hit song, “Vogue” (1990).

“Voguing came from Shade because it was a dance that two people did because they didnt 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

Ninja’s career continued to climb. In 1991, the House of Ninja reopened. Ninja related his own single, “Hot” in 1994. Ninja eventually walked the runway for Jean-Paul Gaultier and coached names like Naomi Campbell and Paris Hilton in their own walks. He made appearances on America’s Next Top Model and Jimmy Kimmel Live. In 2004, he opened EON (Elements of Ninja), a modelling agency.

“I want to take Vogueing not to just Paris is Burning. But I want to take it to the real Paris. And make the real Paris burn.”— Willi Ninja

For many years Ninja had cared for his mother, who had Parkinson’s and used a wheelchair. Their visits to the ballet and Apollo inspired Ninja’s later dance. He appeared in post-modern works by Doug Elkins, David Neuman and Karole Armitage. 

On September 2, 2006, Ninja died of AIDS-related heart failure in New York City. He was 45. He was survived by his mother. That year, Wolfgang Busch’s documentary, How Do I Look, prominently featured Ninja. 

Willi Ninja will be remembered for his contribution to dance, his role in LGBTQ history, and his advocacy of drag ball culture and communities impacted by HIV/AIDS. 

About the Authors

Troy Wise is currently a PhD student at UAL Central St Martins and teaches fashion and graphic design at London College of Contemporary Arts. His background is in marketing and is founder and co-editor of Image Amplified. He lives in, and is continually fascinated by, the city of London.

Rick Guzman earned his most recent MA at UAL Central St Martins in Applied Imagination in the Creative Industries. He currently holds two MA’s and an MBA in the New Media, Journalism and International Business fields. Co-editor at Image Amplified since its start, he lives in London, is fascinated by history and is motivated by continuing to learn and explore. 

Sources:

BeenHere

NY Times

Ross, Andrew; Rose, Tricia (1994). Microphone Friends: Youth Music & Youth Culture. New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 163–175. ISBN 0-415-90907-4.

The Guardian