Lasseindra Ninja

Born in Harlem between the '70s and' 80s, Voguing is a dance inspired by the models that appeared on Vogue magazine. At the time of its birth, young homosexuals, transgender and drag queen were Afro-American and Latino and they would confront themselves in improvised parades, to which Madonna and other popular singer-songwriters would later refer to. In the Paris of the years 2000s, Lasseindra Ninja is one of the most popular dancers, having learned in her youth all the tricks from the historic New York House of Ninja crew. Together with Stéphane Mizrahi the two initiate a new generation of drag queen and Parisian trans into Voguing.

SYWVH?! is an educative Ballroom documentary. An antidote to the misinformation that comes with the re-explosion of ballroom into the public consciousness. A venom against the appropriation of the culture. Outspokenly black and femme, SYWVH centers the creators of the scene, namely the black trans femmes.

Ninja is famous around the world for her fierce ballroom performances, but she is not as well-known in her native country of French Guyana. But a trip home to teach a workshop might change that.

In the lead up to the next great Kiddy Smile concert, diverse and passionate members of Paris’ glamorous ballroom community break down issues of race, immigrant culture, queer visibility, and free expression in a diverse but also deeply divided contemporary France.