Shannon Rugani is a true Artist, currently focusing her career as a professional Ballerina and a Broadway Actor. Shannon excelled in ballet at a very young age, earning a full merit scholarship to the San Francisco Ballet School. Within one year, Shannon was hired by SFBallet, and her career as a professional ballerina took off from there. Over the past eleven plus years with SFBallet, Shannon has worked with world renown choreographers and has performed all over the world. Shannon is taking a leave of absence from the world of ballet to join the cast of a new Broadway musical, An American In Paris currently performing in New York City at the Palace Theater. Shannon enjoys writing, teaching dance lessons, studying nutrition, playing piano and composing. She married the man of her dreams and loves her life in San Francisco and New York City.
Roopa Weber is a first time children’s book author who has created the Penny the Peacock series. Roopa’s inspiration for Penny came from the values and love provided by her mother. She wanted to find an avenue to instill her mother’s wisdom in her own daughter and carry the message forward generationally. And, so she wrote.
The main character is a lovable peacock who, through her adventures, realizes that the simple things in life are the ones to treasure the most. Messy Penny is the first book of the series and focuses on how true beauty comes from the happiness in one’s heart. The series is designed to promote and foster self confidence in children of all ages. Roopa lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and young daughter.