's (apostrophe s) 2019, University of Maryland, photo credit: Thai Nguyen
Born and raised in small town rural Iowa (Očhéthi Šakówiŋ and Yankton lands), ShawnT (they/them) was a self-taught gymnast until the age of 12 when they began competitive USAG gymnastics. At the age of 16 they began their own program teaching tumbling at a local dance studio in their community, as their own gym was 100 miles away. ShawnT became a four-time letter winner in NCAA gymnastics for the University of Iowa while obtaining their BA in Studio Art and Communication Studies (2005). They began their professional performing career in 2006 as an acro/dancer in the world famous Folies Bergere at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. They then performed in Cirque de la Mer (’07, ’09, '10) as well as Riptide (’07) at Sea World, San Diego where they did flying trapeze, Chinese poles, tumbling, dance and character work. At the peak of their acrobatic career, ShawnT performed in Le Reve, The Dream created by Franco Dragone at Wynn Las Vegas (’10 - ’13). At Le Reve they were an aerial soloist along with disciplines in aerial harness, acrobatics, swimming, diving, hand-balancing, character work, banquine, dance, and partner work. In 2014 ShawnT was the Artistic Director and Choreographer for Gladius the Show, an equestrian/acrobatic spectacular that performed in Golden, CO and Austin, TX. In 2014 ShawnT began taking dance classes, mainly ballet, about a year after a back surgery on their lumbar spine. Dance became crucial to their physical and mental healing while providing a new relationship, outlet, and focus for their passion of movement. During this time, ShawnT also created their first complete series in oil paint, entitled Stability, which consisted of a year and half’s work of painting the spine with a single brush on 24 canvases. They debuted this show at Eden Art Gallery in Las Vegas (May 2015). They continue to paint contemplative abstract works with much interested in continually exploring the relationship between visual art, movement, and choreography.
ShawnT obtained their Masters of Fine Arts in Dance at the University of Maryland (2019), where they amplified their path of dance/movement, creative/somatic research, multi-disciplinary art, and teaching. During their MFA studies ShawnT's research was based in contemplative practice at the intersections of personal embodiment/identity, visual art/expression, and choreography. As a professional dancer, ShawnT performed with Orange Grove Dance (Washington, D.C.) and Xing Dance theatre (Washington, D.C.; Beijing, China; and Jacobs Pillow).
ShawnT has been teaching for 23+ years in different fields and contexts including studio art, gymnastics/acrobatics, yoga, youth/adult behavior, adult personal training, higher education, and dance/movement. They continue to offer personal training and facilitate movement/embodiment classes. ShawnT aims to create and collaborate within spaces that are for Trans and Queer folx to explore embodiment, dance, movement, and community.
Currently, ShawnT is based in Boulder, CO (land of Di De’i (Apache), Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho), Tsistsistas (Cheyenne), Nʉmʉnʉʉ (Comanche), Kiowa, Čariks i Čariks (Pawnee), Sosonih (Shoshone), Oc'eti S'akowin (Sioux) and Núuchiu (Ute)) where they are completing their MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling/Transpersonal Art Therapy at Naropa University, and focusing their work with Trans, Queer, and Gender Expansive youth and adults.
ShawnT's contemplative abstract works in visual art and movement can be found at www.shawntruman.com