Willi Ninja, 45, Godfather of Voguing
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Willi Ninja, the star of the documentary “Paris is Burning” who was considered the godfather of the dance art form voguing, died Saturday of AIDS-related illnesses at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens. He was 45.
Ninja was a self-taught performer who stitched together a patchwork of a career that extended into the worlds of dance, fashion, and music.
He performed with dance companies, instructed socialites how to walk and pose for the paparazzi, and inspired Madonna’s hit song “Vogue.”
He also appeared in the 1990 documentary “Paris is Burning,” which chronicled elaborate drag ball competitions
