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ANDREA DAWN SHELLEY

Co-Founding Director, iMEE Dance Company

 

Andrea Dawn Shelley born in Miami, Florida, received her classical ballet training predominately from Magda G. Auñon. Ms. Shelley received additional training at summer intensives and workshops with the Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. She studied dance at the University of South Florida and holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Dance Education from Florida International University. Andrea began her professional career with Southern Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet and has since danced as a principal artist with Maximum Dance Company, Miami Contemporary Dance Company, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and State Street Ballet as a company member. Ms. Shelley currently dances as a principal artist and is a Co-Founding Director of iMEE Dance Company. Her repertoire includes original and previouslystaged works by Julia Adam, Jean Christophe Blavier, Maurice Causey, Paola Georgudis, Spencer GavinHering, Lindsey McGill, Michele Merola, Enrico Morelli, Paolo Mohovich, KT Nelson, Jerry Opdenaker, DavidPalmer, Yanis Pikieris, Daniel Rossel, Ivonice Satie, Leslie Scates, Ray Sullivan, Dominic Walsh and Jane Weiner.She has received numerous awards for her dancing; including placing “third” at the National Society of Arts and Letters Ballet Competition, named “runner-up” for Best Female Dancer in South Florida for two,consecutive years and being named Best Female Dancer in South Florida, by the Miami SunPost. Ms. Shelleywas a Co-Founding member of the five week Houston Dance Festival: HERE & NOW, alongside iMEE Co-Director, Spencer Gavin Hering, Lighting Artist, Jeremy Choate, Hope Stone Dance and NobleMotion Dancecompanies. Shelley had the distinguished honor of serving as an annual preliminary panelist for the NationalYoungArts Foundation, YoungArts program in Choreography, Ballet and Modern for five consecutive years.For the past three years she has taught as adjunct Dance Faculty at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island and assumed the roles of Resident Choreographer and Company Director for the University’s junior company. Ms. Shelley is currently a guest teacher for various private dance schools/conservatories, Universities/Colleges and professional dance companies in Southern California, Texas and Rhode Island.

As a choreographer, Shelley has created original works for professional dance companies and festivals such as: iMEE, Ballet Florida, Miami Contemporary Dance Company, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, State Street Ballet, O Dance, Ad Deum Dance Company, The Dance Gallery Festival, palcoscenico danza, METdance, Island Moving Co., the black box INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL THEATRE & DANCE and Festival Ballet Providence. Her choreographic works have been presented throughout the United States and Europe; including California, Florida, Texas, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Italy and Bulgaria. She has participated in Residencies and created original works for the dance programs at Sam Houston State University, Salve Regina University and Providence College. Ms. Shelley has received numerous awards for her choreography; including being chosen out of 250 applicants to have a work commissioned by the Dance Gallery Festival’s inaugural, “Level UP” in New York City, awarded as a “Finalist” in the 15th Annual Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, CA and being awarded the “Gold Medal” for her ensemble work Unbeknownst at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, FL (which has now been re-staged and presented in Santa Barbara, CA, Orlando, FL, Houston, TX and Newport, RI.) Ms. Shelley was recently honored when she was selected as a Grantee of a Project Grant for Individuals from RISCA (Rhode Island State Council on the Arts) for the continued development and presentation of her choreographic work “the secret of life is to fall seven times & get up eight.” To learn more about iMEE: www.imeedanceco.com