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From Oakland to the Stage Zendaya was born in Oakland, California, to two teachers. Her father, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, has Nigerian ancestry, while her mother, Claire Stoermer, has German and Scottish ancestry. As a child, she was energetic and outgoing at home but more reserved at school. Her parents even had her repeat kindergarten to help develop her confidence. Performance entered her life early. At six, she participated in a school play for Black History Month. At eight, she joined Future Shock Oakland, a hip-hop dance group with which she performed for three years. She also studied hula with the Academy of Hawaiian Arts. Her interest in acting grew while she was spending time at the California Shakespeare Theater, where her mother worked as a house manager. Zendaya helped seat patrons and sell fundraising tickets, but she was more interested in what was happening onstage. Her first acting role was a silkworm in a school production of James and the Giant Peach. At 11, she began attending Oakland School for the Arts and performed in productions including Once on This Island, Caroline, or Change, Richard III, As You Like It and Twelfth Night. Her commitment became serious enough that, during seventh grade, she and her father moved to Los Angeles while her mother remained in Oakland. Zendaya later recalled that she missed parts of a conventional childhood while pursuing the career she wanted. Zendaya at the World premiere of ‘Spider-Man Far From Home’ held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, USA on June 26, 2019. Photo by PopularImages/DepositPhotos