Shakti SunFire
Laura Blakeman
Co-founder of The Kaivalya Hoop Dancers and Cosmic Fire, Shakti Sunfire was first introduced to the hoop during her gypsy years as a traveling band groupie with the String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth and more. Her natural attraction to the circle was compounded by what she observed in others to be genuine ‘bliss-states’, an internalization and then alchemization of the rational/logical mind into the subtle body. Her extensive studies in yoga helped her to relate to hooping on a first a mystical, then Universal plane.
Shakti’s first 2 years in the hoop were characterized by community gatherings and musical events. Now in her 3rd year, she has taken a reprieve from large-scale ‘group-think’ events to check in with her expression. Immersed in adult ballet, modern and contemporary dance classes along with Anusara yoga intensives and aerial fabric classes in her hometown of Boulder, Colorado, Shakti has developed a larger vision for this type of Movement Art. A fusion of traditional dance training and circus arts that encourages Ceremony – a deep release and illumination of the energetic body. She believes tapping into this sacred place within is ultimately very healing. As Rumi so eloquently said, “The source is within you And this whole world is springing up from it.”
Shakti has performed around the world and with innumerable bands and DJs. Shakti also spends time in various schools in Colorado, bringing the Circus Arts into children’s lives – an approach to teaching using metaphor to encourage growth and safe choices for at-risk youth. She teaches yoga and hoop dance at O Dance Studio and Om Time in Boulder and is a writer by trade.
Her goal is to contribute to the raising collective consciousness through live performance art, seeking simultaneously to advance and push the standard in hoop dance by training with poi, double staffs, 3 ball juggling, contact juggling, flags and aerial fabric.
Find her here: Cosmic Fire *Myspace *Tribe *Facebook
You can view videos of her in action on her YouTube channel.
Read about her random life experiences on her blog
She will be teaching at the following hoop gatherings:
Her recent stage experiences include:
- Sonic Bloom 2007 and 2008
- Lunar Fire
- The String Cheese Incident
- Hot Buttered Rum
- Mulberry Mountain Music Festival 2007 and 2008
- Leftover Salmon
- Blue Turtle Seduction
- Yarmony Grass 2008
- Railroad Earth
- Keller Williams and the WMDs
- Wakarusa Music Festival 2006, 2007, 2008
- Rothbury Music Festival 2008
- Samsung Olympic Quest Tour in India
- Carnival de Fuego 2007
*Future Simple Project
- Leftover Salmon
- Blue Turtle Seduction
- Railroad Earth
- Keller Williams and the WMDs
