Ukoiya grew up in the Pacific Northwest San Juan islands. From a young age she had a wild imagination. She began dancing at the age of 15. Her studies included Middle Eastern dance, East African, and Modern Improvisational.
At the age of 16 Ukoiya was introduced to an eccentric group of artists living in Seattle. Here she began exploring performance through underground circus, costume design, visual arts, music, and dance. She was involved in a project called Love Infusion as a dancer, model, and fashion designer. It was with these artists, musicians, and dancers that she first found inspiration to create her future as a performer. She began studying yoga intensively in the year 2000 and was teaching professionally soon after.
Ukoiya has studied with Dunja Lingwood, Frequent Flyer (Aerial Dance Festival), Kathy Guach (Aircat Aerial) David Clarkenson (Stalker Stilt Theatre) The Gemini twins (cirque du soliel, nimble arts), Alessandra Olgen (wise fools circus), Bill Forcion (new pickle family circus), Kieth Hennessy (cirque zero), Cyrus (Firefly aerial dance), Humanicorp (Mexico City), and the San Franscisco Circus Center.
Its Ukoiya's dream to offer healing, body awareness, and inspiration to humanity through circus performance, dance, and theatre.
Special skills include: Costume design and production, stage dancing, vocal artist, belly dancing, pyrotechnics, acrobalance, improv. dance, stilt theater, rock climbing, aerial hoop, aerial tissue, trapeze, horseback riding, improvisational acting, Brazilian capoeira, and yoga.