Google Doodle Friday celebrated iconic American dancer Willi Ninja, the ‘godfather’ of voguing – a highly stylised dance form originated in the 1980s within the LGBTQ+ community, which involves crisp movements and dramatic poses as a form of expression.
The dance form is credited to have evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s – founded by LGBTQ+ Black and Latino people to celebrate self expression. The dance form got the mainstream exposure after being featured in American singer Madonna's song and video ‘Vogue’. The dance form also gained prominence after being showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, which also features Willi.
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Willi Ninja - a path breaker and pioneer of voguing: 5 points
1) An acclaimed performer, Willi paved way for the Black LGBTQ+ representation and acceptance in the 1980s and ’90s. The acronym LGBT is used to collectively refer to individuals and communities who belong to diverse sexual orientations beyond heterosexuality.
2)Willi's unique style and talent contributed to shaping voguing into an art form. He invented many of the exaggerated poses, and intricate hand and arm gestures. The dance form today is a very important part of queer identity.
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{{/usCountry}}2)Willi's unique style and talent contributed to shaping voguing into an art form. He invented many of the exaggerated poses, and intricate hand and arm gestures. The dance form today is a very important part of queer identity.
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{{/usCountry}}3)The community Willi created, “The Iconic House of Ninja,” lives on to this day. Google explained the significance of the doodle tribute to Willi and noted “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.”
4)Born in 1961, Willi grew up in Flushing, Queens in New York. His mother was very supportive of his identity and encouraged his interest in dance by taking him to ballet performances.
5)Willi's own community the ‘House of Ninja’ was founded in 1981. He redefined voguing standards, seeking inspiration from Egyptian hieroglyphs and martial arts. Following his rise to fame, he performed in many films, music videos, and runway shows around the world. A powerful advocate for the LGBT+ community, he was among the firsts to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention at drag balls and reduced the stigma around the subject.
Google Doodles are temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages. They are meant to commemorate many “major” holidays, festivals, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers and scientists.