Shinin’ Shawna
Battling injury, insecurity and aging, all the while still wearing vibrant shades of pink and a large smile on her face, Shawna Cook, 36, of Glendora, California is a prominent personality not only in one department of Citrus College, but two and majoring in both.
Anyone a part of the dance or photography departments on campus has possibly made her acquaintance.
Cook has been a member of the Citrus dance community since 2001, and the photography program since late 2014.
She initially found an interest in photography in junior high, but placed it “on the back burner” as S. Cook would say, due to a lack of confidence.
She found her calling through aerobic dance and decided to join a dance club. “It was the best decision I ever made. I made friends for life, and I found my passion,” S. Cook said.
Cook has not always been the outgoing individual everyone has come to know and love.
Often compared to her identical twin sister Breanna Cook, 36, S. Cook grew up very shy and timid. “She is the Sam to my Frodo … like if I lose my way, I know that she will carry me,” Shawna Cook said, referencing Lord of the Rings in her relationship with her sister.
Cook was a very social and vibrant individual before the family discovered that her health was slowly deteriorating. She began losing weight and became very withdrawn.
Cook was diagnosed with a blood disorder called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, an autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys blood platelets. It can follow soon after a viral illness, such as the flu. “I have ITP. It was rough, and she was there for me,” said B. Cook.
As she recovered, B. Cook remained a bit introverted, instead pushing S. Cook to continue on her path in order to be able cheer up and support her sister.
In joining the dance club, S. Cook got her first taste of choreography. She choreographed solo pieces for the end of the school year recitals while she attended Gladstone High School.
Through this club, S.Cook found enough confidence in herself to continue to pursuing dance instead of allowing her insecurities to stop her as it had in the past with photography.
Soon after graduating high school, 19-year-old S. Cook joined the Citrus College Dance program.
“I absolutely remember first meeting Shawna,” says Renee Liskey, a Citrus Dance instructor. “Shawna was very new to the whole world she lives in now. She has always been an extremely hard worker and very focused.”
Cook went from being a beginner to teaching kids in Covina and Glendora in late 2010, and began choreographing pieces for the Citrus dance program soon after.
She was approached by dance instructor, now dean of the performing and visual arts departments at Citrus, John Vaughn, asking if she was interested in teaching dance.
“It hadn’t even crossed my mind at that point, as I was still in the process of getting my dance certificate,” said S. Cook.
But instead of veering away from it, S. Cook chose to “jump into it.”
“Choreographing is hard. It isn’t something that comes easy. And she really stuck with it. It was interesting watching her grow in that way,” said Liskey.
[“She has been choreographing for us, for the dance concerts, for several years now …] Her first piece very great, it was also very new to the choreography genre. But she was very focused and intent on becoming someone that could choreograph.”
Cook worked really hard on her first piece, taking the critiques of her instructors in stride. She explored different genres and different songs and genres of music to pair with the pieces she prepared. “We all have a specific sort of flavor.”
“It has been really exciting seeing her (Cook) become a better dancer, to see her find a career path that she can make viable and make money at it. Doing what she loves, while inspiring the younger generation, continuing the art form, keeping it alive. All of those are really important and it’s been really special watching Shawna discover that.”
Although many performers in S. Cook’s age group tend to develop physical challenges as a result of the constant strain they expose their bodies to, she continues to do what she loves. S. Cook often deals with painful shin splints, which if not taken care of, has caused her to put off dancing for weeks at a time.
In December of 2013, S. Cook, while practicing on the stage of the Haugh Performing Arts Center, fell 6 feet into the orchestra pit. After being rushed the hospital, she was told that she had broken her arm and fractured a rib, but as luck would have it, she was still able to walk out of the emergency room the same day.
However, S. Cook was unable to take part in the performance she had been practicing for and chose to take photos with her point and shoot camera instead.
Due to the fall, she had to take an extended break from dance after losing all of the muscle strength in her arm. This caused her to have to start again from the beginning of her dance journey. With hope and perseverance, this didn’t keep her down for long. S. Cook managed to bounce back through physical therapy and regained the will to get back on her path.
Cook’s fall also prompted Citrus college to take action in order to prevent any future injuries. The school updated the safety regulations and guides for those that are on the stage or near the orchestra pit and providing training to those that need it.
After gaining some confidence through her experiences and being forced to take a break from dance, S. Cook decided to once again try out photography. This was still a scary step for her.
“She came into class and introduced herself. Not only as a hopeful photographer, but also a dancer. She told me that she has a real passion for photographing the performing arts,” said Amanda Keller-Konya, professor and head of the photography department.
Cook focused her attention on photographing fellow dancers and performers at Citrus. The first show she officially photographed was Little Shop of Horrors ( October 2014).
“She was really good at it. She had an eye not many photographers in her class had, as a dancer she knew just what to look for,” said Keller-Konya.
Flash Forward to 2019
Cook, now 36, has had a hand in the production of many Citrus dance performances. She teaches kids in the community, of various ages, igniting the love of dance in many them and she frequently photographs performances for the Haugh PAC, as well as for the performances she has organized for her students.
Although she still deals with painful shin splints and occasional pain in her once broken arm, she now knows how to properly manage her pain so that it does not get severe enough that it might hinder her progress.
Cook’s dream is to one day open up a studio of her own that combines both her love for photography and dance in one place. She will continue to “reach for the stars” no matter what obstacle comes her way.
