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Shani Lynn Nielsen was born in Westbury Long Island New York. Due to a transfer in her fathers job, she spent the first 6 years of her life in Nashville Tennessee and began doing TV and radio commercials at the tender age of 3. Her family then moved to New Albany Indiana and decided to stay. Shani honestly considers herself a Hoosier. She is a graduate of New Albany High School and continued her education at Vincennes University for 2 years. She transferred to Mars Hill College and earned a BFA degree in Musical Theater.
When Shani was 13 years old her father was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and was forced into retirement. Because of her families financial set back, Shani began doing scholarship pageants at age 17. In 1995 she won the State Community Service Award. After 7 years at never giving up, and 4 attempts at the state level, Shani was crowned Miss Indiana 1996 and went on to compete at the 1996 Miss America Scholarship Pageant. She was a top ten finalist and won over-all talent with her rendition of "In His Eyes". Her scholarship earnings paid for her entire college education.
After returning home she was invited to Los Angeles to appear on the TV sit-coms Just Shoot Me, and Late Night with Dick Detrich. In 1997 she moved to New York and did extra work on All My Children, and was then offered a recording contract with Tiger Star Records. After a year of being in a recording studio, she decided that she missed the theater and said good bye to Tiger Star. She signed with Eastern Talent Alliance and began auditioning. In April of 2000, she landed the role of Emma Carew in the 2000-2001 Networks National Tour of Jekyll and Hyde. Other credits include Annie, Peter Pan, Grease, Wind and the Willows, and Romance/Romance. Shani would like to thank her Family, Friends and Fans for all of their constant Love and Support. She couldn't do it without you.
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