Aya Shabu

Aya Shabu is a professional dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist living in Durham, North Carolina. A 2012-2013 Emerging Artist Grant recipient, Aya has choreographed for some of the Triangle’s best theatrical productions, most notably The Parchman Hour, I Love My Hair and The Brothers Size. An alum of the nationally and internationally recognized African American Dance Ensemble, Aya is currently a dancer and drummer with Shabutaso’s The Magic of African Rhythms. Passionate about preserving African diaspora cultural traditions, Aya is the founder of Whistle Stop Tours, walking tours of African American neighborhoods. Whistle Stop Tours — Haiti to Hayti, Black Wall Street, Pauli Murray’s Place — strive to be a contributing voice in shaping the public memory of North Carolina’s slave past and African American achievement.