The Iconic House of Ninja Presents the Assassin Ball

Get ready to bring it to the runway, because we expect nothing less than 10s across the board.

On Sunday, November 7, join the Iconic House of Ninja, one of Colorado’s pioneering ballroom houses, for an evening of culture, fashion, and entertainment as they present the Assassin Ball at Reelworks Denver.

Hosted by Father Danny Tiberius Ninja with special appearances from the incomparable houses of LeBeija, Flora, and Infiniti, the Assassin Ball will reignite and reimagine the ballroom scene.

“This is going to be a major event,” House Mother Ruby Ninja told OFM. “This is the second ball in Denver. A chapter from Kansas threw the first ball about a month ago, but this is the first time a local house will present a major function. We have Ninjas coming from different parts of the United States including Dolores Ninja, who was on season one of Legendary, and we have a lot of love and support behind this event. It is very exciting.”

Much like Legendary and Pose, the Assassin Ball will feature 18 different categories for participants to walk in. Beginning with a drag show and followed by a recognition ceremony of all the founders of the Colorado ballroom houses, one of the most important factors in promoting a culturally diverse and historically charged event is keeping true to the scene’s authenticity.

“I hope attendees take away the true essence of ballroom,” Ruby says. “I hope they realize that ballroom is for everybody, no matter your gender or what you call yourself. This is for everybody to come together and celebrate.”

Created in 1982 by Willi Ninja, known as the “Godfather of Vogue,” along with Sandy Apollonia Ninja, he allowed members of all races and sexualities to join the House of Ninja, which made it the most inclusive and multi-racial house in ballroom of its time. Wanting ballroom culture to be known internationally, he traveled around the world and created chapters in different countries. Currently, there are more than 200 members.

Ruby joined in 2004 when she was still a gay boy.

“I had not transitioned into the woman I am today, and I joined because my own family rejected me,” she says. “They did not want to have anything to do with me. I had no support system, so the House of Ninja was my family. They took me in, and they were my leaders, my parents, my friends, my brothers, and sisters.”

Queer performer Asya Toney is a new member, who joined earlier this year.

“A lot of my good friends who do performance and are a part of the queer scene were already Ninjas,” she says. “Truth be told, I didn’t really know what the House of Ninja was. I thought it was just your typical drag house. I did not realize it was a full ballroom house. When I was accepted, I was thinking, cool, I now have a house that can give me tips on makeup and stuff like that. Two or three days in, Father Tiberius and Mother Ruby were like, this is a ballroom house, these are the categories, and they started to give me all this history. I was like, wow, this is the real thing, like what they used to do underground back on the East Coast. It was crazy, but I found it to be another wonderful way to express yourself.”

“Ballroom can sometimes be cutthroat,” Ruby adds. “You need to be tough and have thick skin, but it does give you confidence.”

At its initiation, ballroom competitions were simultaneously met with pride and prejudice. Today, they live on in the hearts of the founders and the spirit of the new generations.

“I am looking forward for the Assassin Ball to share another facet of the Black and queer community,” Toney says. “Because I am a younger generation, ballroom looks very different to me than it did back in the 80s and 90s. We are really looking to pay homage to the history and tradition of real ballroom and show people that ballroom is happening in Denver. Oftentimes, you would not know that a ball was happening unless you happened to see the flyer or knew someone who was already in a house. While we still want to keep the same audience of people who maybe haven’t been to a ball in 10 or 20 years, we also want to bring in a new generation of ballroom supporters and teach them the history and the ins and outs. We don’t have to be so exclusive or secretive anymore.”

If the Assassin Ball proves to be a success, Ruby and Toney would love to make it an annual event.  They have both noticed that Denver’s very own scene continues to evolve.

“Ballroom is such a small world,” Ruby says. “It is so different because you are amongst your own people, but you are accepted, loved, and can feel 100 percent comfortable with yourself. You meet all these beautiful people, and oftentimes, you find yourself becoming a mentor because a lot of these people are rejected by their families. You can share your knowledge and pass it on.”

For more information about the Assassin Ball and to purchase tickets, click here. To connect and stay up-to-date with the House of Ninja, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Photos Courtesy of Josh Darling and Social Media