Shefali Shah is an accomplished performing artist, dance instructor, and choreographer. Ms. Shah has studied and danced Bomba since 1999. She trained extensively and performed with members of the legendary Cepeda Family at “Maestros de Bomba en la Bahía” (2005 and 2007) an event that she co-founded and co-produced, featuring master drummers and dancers from Puerto Rico. She performed at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival with Grupo Folclórico Paulé (2004) and was featured at the West Wave Dance Festival in 2008. For four years she served as Artistic Director and Choreographer for performing group Cacique y Kongo.

Ms. Shah currently performs as principal dancer with Hector Lugo and La Mixta Criolla. She directs Aguacero, a performance and education project focusing on the traditions and contemporary creative expressions of Afro Puerto Rican Bomba music and dance. As an instructor, choreographer and artistic director in Bomba, Ms. Shah leads dance workshops and performance rehearsals teaching basic steps, and techniques and strategies for executing improvised movements marked by the lead drummer and for creating music through rhythmical and precise body and skirt movements. She is an experienced instructor of dance and has taught extensive workshops at schools (elementary-high school), universities in the Bay Area and Humboldt, and at the Eselen Institute in Big Sur.

Students will learn Bomba dances from the regions of Santurce and Loiza Puerto Rico. Bomba is a music and dance style that originates in the sugar plantations of Puerto Rico over 300 years ago. Workshop content includes basic steps unique to each regional rhythm, different dance styles particular to each rhythm and region, songs, and Bomba history and its significance and place in Puerto Rican and Afro Caribbean culture.