William Roscoe Leake, better known as Willi Ninja, was born on April 12, 1961, in New Hyde Park, New York. He is considered the “Grandfather of Vogue.” A self-taught dancer, Ninja rose to prominence in the Harlem Ballroom scene during the 1970s and 1980s, when he perfected the unique dance style known as voguing. In 1982, Willi founded the eponymous House of Ninja, a multiracial ballroom community that served as both extended social family and dance troupe. Ninja assumed the role of “mother” to a number of adopted gay and transgender “children.” Ninja rose to further prominence in 1990, as he was one of the key subjects in the landmark documentary Paris is Burning. With his new international prominence, Ninja was able to pursue numerous opportunities, working as a choreographer, musician, runway model, and modeling coach. Ninja also was able to work with high profile artists and celebrities, including Janet Jackson, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Karol Armitage, and others. Ninja went on to open a modelling agency of his own, which he named Elements of Ninja. He passed away on September 2, 2006, due to AIDS-related heart failure. For more on Willi Ninja, see Challenging Gender Boundaries: A Trans Biography Project by Students of Catherine Jacquet.