Benny Ninja (né Benjamin Thomas) is a self-taught Vogue-style dancer from the underground clubs based in

Westchester, New York Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous coun ...

. He is best known for his involvement in

ball culture The Ballroom scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture. The scene traces its origins to the drag balls of the mid-19th century United State ...

. He is the father of the House of Ninja, a post given to him by the late

Willi Ninja William Roscoe Leake (April 12, 1961 – September 2, 2006), better known as Willi Ninja, was an American dancer and choreographer known for his appearance in the documentary film '' Paris Is Burning''. Ninja specialized in voguing and was a ...

of '' Paris is Burning'' fame. In his dance, Ninja incorporates aspects of

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

, house dancing, and

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

. He has performed throughout the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. Ninja is a vogue teacher at the

Broadway Dance Center Broadway Dance Center is a dance school located at 322 West 45th Street west of Times Square in New York City. It was founded in 1984 as one of the first "drop-in" dance training schools in the world, offering classes in jazz, tap, ballet, conte ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

.Benny Ninja , Teacher bio
Broadway Dance Centre. Retrieved April 2, 2015. He is also the co-owner and master training instructor of the Benny Ninja Training Academy. Ninja had a recurring guest role on ''

America's Next Top Model ''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...

'' from Cycle 8 until Cycle 13. Ninja was involved in the Metro-North train derailment that took place on Sunday December 1, 2013. He survived the accident but was "emotionally shaken" and suffered "some injuries". Following his accident, Javier Ninja now occupies the role of "Father of the House of Ninja". BBC News (World Service) Twitter page. We can see Benny as one of the survivors holding his jaw
"Wreckage and rescue: Pictures of #MetroNorth train crash in Bronx, New York"
December 1, 2013.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ninja, Benny Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American choreographers American male dancers People from Westchester County, New York Nightlife in New York City House of Ninja