Shani Matoaka Bekt

Born in Lenapehoking (Brooklyn), Shani Matoaka Bekt is a Black and Indigenous interdisciplinary New York-based actor, dancer, choreographer/movement director (Intimacy Captain Certified), singer, and writer.

​Shani has performed at Radio City Music Hall, Park Avenue Armory, Fortmakers Art Gallery/Studio, The New York International Fringe Festival, The Women in Theater Festival, NJPAC, BRIC, MITU580, and Alvin Ailey. She has appeared in the short films "Jenny Joined a Cult" and "Marcy Learns Something New", in addition to choreographing for Perfume Genius’ music video “Without You”. During Summer 2022, Shani performed in the New York tour of "Expanding the Table: A Pop-Apart Opera" sponsored by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and NYC Cultural Affairs. Shani also completed the program, Theater of Change, with Broadway Advocacy Coalition and Columbia Law School, combining her love of activism, community engagement, and the arts with a focus on the rights of incarcerated folks. Following her "artivism" passion, she was a 2023 Artist Ambassador for NYCLU, and is now a board member of What Will The Neighbors Say? , an NYC non-profit theater company. Most recently, Shani closed an extended run of an original and interactive play, Third Law, at Culture Lab LIC,  as a performer, devisor, as well as the intimacy, fight, and dance choreographer. 

Shani received her B.F.A. in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and studied in the Meisner, Experimental Theater Wing, and Stonestreet studios. In addition to her film, theater, and vocal training, she has had over 20 years of dance training including ballet, pointe, modern, improvisation, Williamson Technique, post-modern, and trained with the Leimay Ludus ensemble.