ShanDien Sonwai LaRance

World-Renowned Native American Hoop Dancer & Cultural Ambassador

ShanDien Sonwai LaRance is a world-renowned Native American hoop dancer, performing artist, instructor, actor, model, and public speaker. With over 25 years of dance experience, she is proudly Hopi, Tewa, Navajo, and Assiniboine, born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, to artists Marian Denipah-LaRance and Steve Wikivia LaRance. Surrounded by Native jewelry, sculpture, painting, ceremony, and community, she was immersed in Indigenous art and culture from birth.

ShanDien began her hoop dance journey at eight years old under the guidance of her older brother, the late Nakotah LaRance, a nine-time World Champion and one of the most influential hoop dancers in history. Performing alongside Nakotah and her younger brother Cree LaRance, she spent her childhood sharing their family’s artistic legacy at festivals, conferences, and cultural gatherings throughout the Southwest.

After graduating high school, ShanDien followed in Nakotah’s footsteps and ran away to the circus, joining Cirque du Soleil’s Big Top show TOTEM as a lead character and cultural performer. Over the next nine years, she completed more than 5,000 performances in over 25 countries, mastering the art of hoop dance and becoming an international cultural ambassador for the Native American and First Peoples communities and nations.

Her career has included performances at some of the world’s most prestigious venues and celebrations. She was a featured hoop dancer at the White House Inaugural Native American Heritage Celebration, hosted by Dr. Jill Biden, and she served as a cultural performer at the World Expo 2024 in Osaka, Japan, representing the United States at the U.S. Pavilion. ShanDien has been recognized as a Dance/USA Fellow, performed with the Brooklyn Ballet’s Nutcracker, contributed her voice as the Eagle Dancer for Netflix’s Spirit Rangers, and headlined the SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market Haute Couture Fashion Show. Her artistry has been showcased at the Miccosukee Arts & Crafts Festival, featured in Lonely Planet’s Best of Travel: New Mexico Local’s Guide, highlighted in the statewide New Mexico True tourism campaign, and brought to the stage as a lead performer in Cirque du Yaateeh. She also serves as the creative director of the Mystic Echoes Indigenous Dinner Show in Santa Fe.

The passing of her brother Nakotah in 2020 profoundly reshaped her purpose. ShanDien returned home with a deeper commitment to honoring his legacy and upholding their family’s teachings while uplifting Indigenous communities. She stepped into the role of master instructor, teaching more than 100 Indigenous youth and witnessing many of them grow into champion dancers and cultural performers. Through her mentorship, she watched young Indigenous individuals transform into confident, grounded, and culturally proud members of their communities.

Today, ShanDien’s work is rooted in a powerful mission: to reconnect Native American and First Peoples—especially adults—to movement, wellness, cultural identity, and healing through the practice and philosophy of the hoop dance. Her teachings emphasize movement as medicine, fitness grounded in culture, healing through storytelling and motion, and identity shaped through the circle of life.

Guided by tradition and her family’s enduring legacy, ShanDien Sonwai LaRance continues to stand as one of the foremost Indigenous performers of her generation, committed to strengthening her community through culture, movement, and the transformative power of the hoop.

An elderly man and a young woman stand outdoors on grass, smiling at the camera. The man wears glasses, a light blue striped blazer, a white shirt, and black pants, holding a straw hat and headphones. The woman wears a sheer blue dress, colorful earr
A woman dressed in traditional indigenous attire with intricate face paint, a headdress with blue and black feathers, and a decorated top with fringes. She is standing indoors with a neutral background.
A woman and a man performing outdoor acts, with the woman hula hooping and the man playing a grand piano on a grassy field with trees in the background.
Performer in colorful costume spinning hoops on stage with stage lights and other performers in background.
Young woman smiling and holding a blue and purple ribbon with a gold medal, standing against a stone pillar, wearing a bright green shirt and a colorful skirt, with a wheelchair in front of her and a group of people in the background.
Four women wearing colorful, eccentric costumes sitting on a bench against a concrete wall, with unique makeup and poise.
Four people standing together in an elegant room with ornate decor, a fireplace, and a patterned rug, smiling at the camera.
A young woman and an older man standing together, smiling. The woman is holding a large ribbon award. The man is holding a round sign with a lightning bolt symbol, and both are standing in front of a stone wall.
A group of five people in colorful costumes, including two women, two men, and a man dressed as a clown, posing on steps outside a historic theater or opera house with a large dome and statues, surrounded by other visitors.
Four Indigenous women standing together at a cultural event, holding colorful ribbon awards, wearing traditional clothing and blankets, with a crowd of people in the background.
People celebrating with Olympic rings and a sign that reads "United States of America" in front of a modern building with digital screens, one showing Portland, Oregon, and another showing San Antonio, Texas.
A woman in a blue dress is kneeling on green grass, looking down at a metallic sculpture or art piece with curved white tubes.
Group of performers in colorful costumes posing on a red carpet, with lush greenery and a backdrop with logos behind them.
A woman performing a dance move on stage, wearing a black and metallic silver costume with fringes, black leggings with metallic accents, and oversized white shoes, with an audience watching in the background.
A woman dressed in a traditional indigenous costume standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
Three people standing in a decorated room, two women and one man. The man is wearing a light blue shirt with a white vest adorned with Native American-style patterns and jewelry. The woman in the middle is wearing a black dress with a red and blue sa
Group of five women smiling and posing together at an indoor event, dressed in colorful and stylish outfits, holding drinks.
A woman performing a traditional dance with hula hoops in front of an audience in a grand room with ornate architecture and chandeliers.
A group of women on stage at an event, with one woman in the center wearing vibrant traditional clothing, smiling and waving, while speaking into a microphone. Others stand around her, some clapping and smiling.
Two Native American individuals standing on rocks near a landscaped garden with trees and water features, dressed in traditional clothing, holding ceremonial items, with a blue sky in the background.
Three women on a stage, with yellow curtains and floral arrangements in the background. One woman in the center holds a colorful spherical object, and all three are smiling and engaging in conversation.
Woman in colorful traditional Native American attire performing with hoops at a celebration in front of a sign that reads 'United States of America' with an American flag, and a large American flag displayed on a building.
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Notable Performances, Awards & Recognitions

  • ShanDien performed for nine years in Cirque du Soleil’s global Big Top show TOTEM, following her older brother, world-champion hoop dancer Nakotah LaRance, who originally created the Indigenous role. Joining the production in 2011, she performed as a featured lead character, completing more than 5,000 shows across 25+ countries and dancing in 8 to 10 performances each week. Her years with Cirque du Soleil formed the foundation of her mastery as a Native American Hoop Dancer and established her as an international cultural representative.

  • In 2018, ShanDien was awarded First Place as the Intermountain Women’s Adult Hoop Dance Champion in Salt Lake City, Utah. She earned this title for her exceptional artistry, athleticism, and cultural storytelling in competitive hoop dance, standing out for both technical precision and the strength of her cultural representation.

  • ShanDien was the on-camera host for Lonely Planet’s Best of Travel: New Mexico feature when New Mexico was named a Top 3 Travel Destination for 2023. The segment received significant recognition and contributed to Lonely Planet winning a travel media award for its storytelling and cinematic quality. ShanDien’s role highlighted Indigenous culture, art, and landscape as defining elements of New Mexico’s global appeal.

  • ShanDien was selected as the featured performer for the White House’s first-ever Native American Heritage Month Celebration, sharing the hoop dance and cultural teachings with more than 400 tribal representatives and dignitaries from across the United States. This performance was deeply meaningful, as she shared the stage with her father and represented her family, community, and tribal identity with pride. Following her appearance, she was asked to leave the hoops she performed with to be preserved in the White House archives to commemorate this historic inaugural celebration.

  • ShanDien served as a featured cultural ambassador for the New Mexico True state tourism campaigns, representing Indigenous movement, culture, and the beauty of New Mexico. Her segments were broadcast widely, appearing across major platforms including airports, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO, where her presence uplifted Indigenous identity and visibility within mainstream tourism media.

  • In 2023, ShanDien earned the title of Native American Women’s Hoop Dance Champion at the Market Days competition in Salt Lake City, Utah, awarded alongside the men’s champion, Patrick Willie. Her performance stood out for its strength, musicality, storytelling, and grounding in traditional teachings.

  • Honoring her brother’s legacy, ShanDien stepped into the role he originated as the Featured Indigenous Performer in the Brooklyn Ballet’s acclaimed Brooklyn Nutcracker. After the production’s return to the stage post-COVID in 2023, she was personally invited by the Artistic Director Lynn Parkerson, to continue the Indigenous Hoop Dance segment, bringing cultural representation into a fusion of classical and contemporary forms. She will reprise the role again in the 2025 season.

  • ShanDien was selected as a Dance USA Artist Fellow, joining a national cohort of 30 artists recognized for artistic excellence, cultural leadership, and significant contributions to advancing Indigenous performing arts across the United States.

  • In 2025, ShanDien, alongside her father Steve LaRance and champion hoop dancer Patrick Willie, was invited to serve as a cultural performer representing the United States at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan. During this three-month residency at the USA Pavilion, she shared Native American Hoop Dance, cultural teachings, and Indigenous identity with global audiences, continuing her mission of international cultural representation.

Media And Press

Throughout her career, Sonwai has been featured by national and international media outlets, tourism campaigns, cultural institutions, and arts organizations for her work as a Native American hoop dancer, performing artist, cultural ambassador, and educator.

Through these collaborations, Shandien strives to create greater visibility for Native American performing arts while fostering understanding, appreciation, and respect across diverse audiences.

From Our Clients

  • Carly Camarena, Director of Conference Service, Bishop’s Lodge Resort

    "Sonwai is an incredible performer who inspires all of us to learn more about the history and meaning of Native American hoop dancing. She opens a powerful doorway into the history, spirit, and beauty of Native American culture. Our clients are consistently blown away by her talent, grace, and storytelling. Time and again, they leave feeling truly grateful to have experienced something so authentic, powerful, and unforgettable." 

  • Jhane Myers, Comanche/Blackfeet
CommitteeChair
Native American Advised Fund,
Santa Fe Community Foundation

    “I had the pleasure of attending the White House Inaugural Native American Heritage Month Celebration hosted by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden where Ms. LaRance was the only performer for the historic evening.  And as I travel in major airports I see her dancing on the jumbotrons with great pride and dignity to world travelers as a featured artist for the current New Mexico True State advertising campaign.   Ms. LaRance is an exceptional artist/ performer who has had a lifetime steeped in Native traditional core values that she imparts daily. She represents the same core values that First Peoples Fund was founded upon as an important pillar to Native people and performing arts.”

  • MaritaHinds, Tesuque Pueblo Director of Education, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

    “Sonwai comes from a very artistic family who are very respected in their tribal community and in the Native Art community. Because of this grounding upbringing and knowing the importance of her culture and traditions she is very aware of the work she does and the impact that it has on her family, community, her students and the greater community nationally and internationally. She is a role model and inspiration to all the young people she works with and is an advocate and ambassador of her chosen artistry as a performing artist.”

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