The question remains, who is Willi Ninja, the ‘Godfather of Voguing’ or the ‘Grandfather of Vogue’ Google is celebrating today? With the ongoing Pride Month and the colours that LGBTQ+ community spreads far and wide, it becomes all the more important for us to discuss this seminal personality.
Willi Ninja is forever in vogue.
Today’s #GoogleDoodle spotlights the dancer and choreographer who was known as the “Godfather of Vogue.” Learn how Willi paved the path for diverse LGBTQ+ representation and acceptance in the ‘80s & ‘90s —> https://t.co/wbmKdNrGmU pic.twitter.com/nZ8kqSvuCe
— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) June 9, 2023
Also, can we first just appreciate Google for its dedications by Doodle? It not only connects the current generations to the relevant trends and older roots and gives them something to be immensely proud of, but also honours those who should never really be forgotten for their contributions to the world.
The life of the legend
Let’s get back to the person in conversation, whom we have three words for — legendary, neoteric and fierce!
Born on April 12, 1961, in New York’s New Hyde Park, this Queer Queen rose to utter prominence in the 1980s and took the Harlem Drag Ball scene by storm. The exaggerated moves, dramatic poses, angular and crisp movements, fluid transitions, all led to the evolution of a fresh dance form — voguing. He drew inspiration from martial arts, thus, the chosen title ‘Ninja’. Well, soon, Haute culture had gotten its new hype — an unrelenting dancer, choreographer, nonconformist and drag queen who was breaking gender norms hither and thither.
In 1982, Willi Ninja founded the House of Ninja (famed for its dancers) where he was regarded as a “mother” to the adopted gay and transgender “children” of NYC.
After appearing in the documentary, Paris is Burning, a critical box office hit, Willi became a popular name and was acclaimed as a musician, choreographer, dancer, runway model and modeling coach, let alone as an inspiring figure. He also featured in the music video of Malcolm McLaren’s song “Deep in Vogue” that brought him into further spotlight.
“On this day in 1990, the documentary Paris is Burning — which features Willi and the Iconic House of Ninja — was released in the US at the NewFest New York LGBT Film Festival,” Google explained the relevance of the day today.
A revolutionary movement
Once the hype of Harlem Ballroom Scenes, the aberrant choreography continues to inspires dancers today. Vogue, for that matter, was heralded as a dance style that originated within and flourished amidst the LGBT+ community, particularly African American and Latino communities, hence why it became that revolutionary a movement than a significant dance form. Undoubtedly, Willi Ninja paved the way for LGBTQ+ community today.
A black gay male, living proudly and inspiring millions, in a world that is accepting solely of white male heteronormativity, is what makes the life lived by Willi Ninja nothing short of legendary.
Google celebrates Bard of Brahmaputra Bhupen Hazarika’s 96th birth anniversary today
