Meet Marie Mwiza Ninja, a Rwandan girl who is internationally acclaimed dance performer

Read the interview below…

Inyarwanda.com: You are professionally known as Marie Ninja. What are your real names? When and where did you born? Tell us more about you.

Marie Ninja: my real names are Marie Camille Elisabeth Ndutiye Mwiza, I’m professionally known as Marie Ninja, I’m a Métis because my father is Rwandan by nature while my mother is French. I have a dual nationality French and Rwandese.

Inyarwanda.com: Do you have a family in Rwanda? Where do you live by now?

Marie Ninja: My grandfather, grandmother and my brother, my young sister and my cousins live here in Rwanda. Me, I live in New York, where I work from 2013.

Inyarwanda.com: You are now an internationally acclaimed dance performer. When did you start your dancing career? Why did you choose to dance?

Marie Ninja: I began to learn to dance at age of 5, but professionally I began when I was 16. I designed my future earlier, and dance is the way I express myself and everything around me can be my inspiration.

Inyarwanda.com: Are you enrolled in any school of dance?

Marie Ninja: From 1992 to 2002 I was trained by The Opera de Toulon, where I also learned Modern Jazz with mentor Isabelle Elena (Extra Dominique Lesdema). From 2002 to 2004, I was trained in Jazz and contemporary dance at Centre Internationale de dance de Cannes. From 2009 I’m a member of The Legendary House of Ninja. I’ve worked with Studio Harmonica (Paris), Milllenium Dance Studio (Los Angeles) and Peridance Capezio Center  (New York).

Inyarwanda.com: What is international portfolio do you have?

Marie Ninja: In 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and in 2012 I was invited in NRJ Music Awards. In 2013, I was also invited in America’s Got Talent 2013, among others.

Inyarwanda.com: Who are international artists did you work with? What are notable works did you do?

Marie Ninja: I’ve worked with FKA Twigs, Ben L’oncle Soul among others. I’ve worked with Diesel, Absolut Vodka, Sony, L’Oreal… in their promotional activities among others. I appeared in Music Video for Icona Pop, KFA Twigs for the promotion of Google Glasses, V Magazine, etc.

For now I’m working with Cirque du Soleil based in Las Vegas, from which I will appear in one of their TV Shows airing from November 2014 to August 2016.

Inyarwanda.com: For which reason you are in Rwanda?

Marie Ninja: I’m in Rwanda for family visit, but also to work with Julien Paolini (Film Director) in his joint activities with Kwetu Film Institute for shooting a Ben L’oncle Soul’s A Coup de Rêves music video.

We chose to shoot it in Rwanda due to the country’s touristic beauty and also to work with committed youth here. This song has an empowering message for especially youth around the globe, but we chose to start with Rwandans.

We will work with Ange, a 12 years old girl who is extraordinarily talented in Boxing and Shyaka a 14 years old boy who plays Karate, and also featuring Rwandan traditional dancers (Intore).

Inyarwanda.com: Is there any projects do you plan for Rwanda?

Marie Ninja: I plan to come back in Rwanda in August next year (2015) where I will jointly work with the group of Intore (Rwandan traditional dancers). I plan on to prepare the dance festival which will bring together various dancers around the world.

Mutiganda Janvier