Shirley grew up in San Jose and started ballet and Chinese dance at the age of four. In high school, she auditioned for the Lynbrook Valkyries dance team, where she explored lyrical, contemporary, and jazz choreography, while still continuing her ballet and Chinese dance training at a studio. As a junior and senior in high school, she became a Captain of the dance team, leading the Valkyries to two National championships and winning several solo awards.

After graduating from high school, Shirley went on to join Sugarplum, a ballet & contemporary dance group at Dartmouth College. There, she choreographed, taught, and cleaned routines, ultimately becoming a Director for the group. It was with Sugarplum that she found her love of artistic expression through choreography.