When ShanDien Sonwai LaRance was 8 years old, her father had her and her two brothers training together every day at a recreation center in Flagstaff, Arizona. Children in LaLance prepare for an after-school Native American circle dance practice, circles of different colors scattered on the floor. Although she wanted to go downstairs to play with her friends, her father said affectionately: “Practice now, and one day, this dance will open doors for you.”
He is right. Through circle dancing, Larance became an advocate for the Native community, sharing her Native American culture with the world. Her affiliation with the Hopi, Tewa, Navajo and Assiniboine tribes has strongly shaped her cultural identity.
At festivals, Aboriginal arts performances and ceremonies, LaLance’s father set up a stall where he sang while LaLance and her two brothers danced in circles to receive tips and donations for their monthly allowance. Her brother Nakotah eventually became widely known for his skills, becoming a nine-time lap dance world champion. “If you asked any hoop dancer in the world ‘Who is the best Native American hoop dancer?’ they would probably say Nakota LaRance. He left such a strong impact,” she said.
When Larance was 19, she followed Nakotah and began touring with Cirque du Soleil’s show TOTEM, which combines various cultural performances from around the world and emphasizes Native American influences throughout. Over the next nine years, she traveled around the world, performing in TOTEM while mastering lap dancing under the tutelage of her brother. When Nakota left the tour, LaLance stayed on. “This show helped me grow into the young woman I am today,” she said. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to share my culture and this show helps me do that and follow my dreams.”
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and TOTEM closed, Larance moved to her family’s ancestral land in Tewa, New Mexico. That summer, Nakota passed away in an accident, which changed the trajectory of Larance’s life. Since then, she has dedicated her circle dancing career to honoring her brother’s legacy and taking over as senior instructor at his nonprofit Lightning Boys Foundation.
LaLance’s dedication to uplifting her community and preserving her brother’s memory made her an inspirational figure. In 2022, she and her father were headline performers at the first-ever Celebration of Native American Heritage at the White House. Most recently, Larance was selected to represent New Mexico at the Authentic Heritage event, where she represents the spirit and culture of her home state.
Here, LaLance discusses her biggest inspirations and future plans.
On Nakota’s impact:
“When Nakota came home from tour, he decided to teach the kids how to dance. He liked to say that he had Peter Pan syndrome, that he wanted to be a kid his whole life, so he had a real bond with the kids on another level. Connection. He actually connected with everyone on another level because he had a kid at heart and I was still on tour when he started touring and became the head coach of the Lightning Boys Foundation, whose mission was to teach. How Aboriginal young people circle dance and keep them connected to their cultural identity. After losing my brother, I became a master mentor to keep his legacy and vision alive.
On the importance of hoop dancing to teenagers:
“The purpose of teaching is to acknowledge and actually master our culture and share it with the world through circle dancing. Circle dancing is about the circle of life and respecting everything within that circle. These children are taught to respect, Encourage and be kind to each other. As hoop dancers, they say, we dance for those who cannot dance, for our elders, for those who have passed away, for our ancestors. We dance for our brothers, for our sisters, for us. family dancing. We are proud to instill this attitude of respect and storytelling in Aboriginal young people and watch them grow into confident, healthy young adults.
Regarding future plans:
“I’ve started working on a new show at Mystic in Santa Fe. It’s a Native American dinner show and I’m the creative director. It’s been open for two months and we’ve only had two shows, but I hope it We’re really excited to continue this every two weeks because this is the first platform in New Mexico where you can see Native people perform on an ongoing basis without having to be invited to a once-a-year special event to see a live performance. A very unique experience so I hope to grow my audience and continue to share lap dancing and my culture with as many people as possible.
