Shakkoi Hibbert
My
Story
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Shakkoi is the CEO of Need Some Koi Inc. - A creative multi-disciplinary art based business that specialises in encouraging the use of self expression through facilitation, performance and events focused on poetry and dance. She is a spoken word poet, dance instructor & author of THREE poetry books. Her voice and expression has graced the stages of Afro Fest, Toronto Black Film Fest, Breakfast Television, Global News, Nia Centre for the Arts, Vibe 105 FM, The Virtuosity of Blackness, Pickering's Art Fest and was a keynote speaker for the University of Toronto, to name a few of her past accomplishments. Shakkoi's unique, raw and powerful presence encourages many to "Release their Doubts & Step Out!". With plenty of experiences to share, there is no doubt that everyone needs some Koi in their lives!
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Shakkoi’s career in artistry began when she started writing poetry at the age of 17, as a way to unpack emotions she no longer wanted to resonate with. As a survivor of traumatic grief at the age of 19, Shakkoi now uses her creative writing and movement skills to encourage others to accept the various sides of themselves through poetry and dance. As a University of Toronto alumni, she now uses her educational background in Sociology, African studies and media studies, as well as her passion for the arts to excel as a self expression coach.
When did she start dancing?
Shakkoi started performing and creating dance choreography in 2015 with the Afro-Caribbean dance group C-Flava. With C-Flava Shakkoi performed on hundreds of stages throughout Ontario. The list of stages include Ghana Fest (2015), The Mystic Effect by Stacy-Ann Buchanan (2016), Scarborough’s Best Dance Crew Freestyle Champions (2017), Afro Fest (2017), Nuit Blanche (2018), Kilimanjaro Music Awards (2019), Osgoode Hall Law School’s Black History Month Showcase (2020) and Pride Toronto (2021) to name a few.
Shakkoi or Miss Koi to students, has taught at various school districts across Ontario. She believes that by the age of 8 most children know what they want to be and that teaching and nurturing the arts in schools is very important. She has taught poetry through the Nia Centre for the Arts and the Durham, Peel and Toronto District School Boards. Her unique approach to helping youth and adults better understand and express themselves creatively, has made her relatable and captivating to many.
Her career as an author began when she self published her first book in 2018. Titled, The Poetic Transitions from a Hot Head to a Conscious Queen, The poetry themed book unpacks the narrative of the ‘angry Black woman’ and replaces that with narratives of understanding and reflection. Two years later she published her second poetry book, titled, The Conscious Queen Volume One: Featuring the After Dark Edition, shifting the narrative of the ‘strong black woman’ to fluid black woman. With almost 500 books sold to date, Shakkoi has proved that her words are worth sharing.
On March 8, 2020, Shakkoi hosted her first ever Floetry Fitness class. This idea to combine her love for poetry and dance blossomed after completing a Business in the Streets, program that focused on helping creatives create business plans. After the pandemic, she decided to expand the space by creating spaces specifically for Black men and women to unpack, speak and learn how to self-reflect. Floetry Fitness was one of the top 20 competitors for Say it Loud Canada 2020. She also created a movement program called, HIPS in MOTION, to encourage people to get moving at home with sensual and intentional movements. Since then HIPS in MOTION has been featured on Breakfast Televison: Moving in the Mornings. This was the second of three television appearances Shakkoi has made in 2021. Debuting first as a speaker for Global News in February of 2021, and for the third time, as a dance performer for Breakfast Television with C-Flava for Jerk Fest 2021.
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In 2023, she released her third poetry book, geared towards helping youth and adults understand the roots of their pain to bring them feelings of power. Titled, Poems of Pain & Power, this poetry book is unique and self empowering as it comes with over 100 poems and writing prompts combined.
With Need Some Koi Inc, approaching it’s fourth year. This website is another milestone to the success that Shakkoi has created by continuing to RELEASE her DOUBTS, & STEP OUT!
Join the Release the Doubt and Step out Community by purchasing your t-shirt, book or other merchandise today!