Shani was born and raised on the island of Kaua’i where at six years old she began dancing Hula. At the age of 13, she had the honor of representing her home island along with her halau (Hula school) in the most prestigious international Hula competition, The Merrie Monarch Festival.
Shani first fell in love with Hip Hop at a very young age while dancing around the house to 80’s tunes. Hip Hop became her passion while on the cheer/dance team during high school where they performed at a number of community events, and participated in the AmeriCheer/Dance National Competition in Orlando, FL. She began her Hip Hop training at Excel Dance Studio, and was chosen as a primary dancer for various productions on Kaua’i.
In addition to her major studies, Shani continued studying Hip Hop in college. She spent much of her time training for community dance projects such as Hip Hop for Heart, and was also a Hula choreographer for the Hawai’i Club at the University of Oregon.
Shani later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in dance where she continued to study Hip Hop at The Athletic Garage Dance Center. A few years later, she found herself creating a worship dance ministry for children and teens at her local church. She was dedicated to helping students discover their gift and passion for dance, and to use that gift to bring glory to God.
Along with dance, Shani loves everything beachy, sunsets, dark chocolate, coffee and family adventures with her husband, Eli, and their three children: Brynna, Vincent and Zayden.