Shelley Grantham has been The School at Peridance Coordinator
since 1999 along with the Director of the Peridance Youth Ensemble.
Originally from Minneapolis, MN Shelley started her dance training at
Dance Arts Center and Ballet Arts. She furthered her dance
education at the Conservatory of Dance at Barat College, DePaul
University, Chicago, IL receiving a BA in Dance and graduating with
honors in 1997. While in Chicago she taught at North Shore School of
Dance and choreographed for the musical theatre department at
Loyola Academy. Shelley also performed with the Barat Repertory
Dance Company, working with Rory Foster, Eileen Cropley, Emily
Stein, Julie Cartier, Wilfredo Rivera and many student
choreographers. After moving to New York City she began dancing
and performing with two independent companies, Danielle DePersis
and Dancers and Deborah Damast and Dancers along with
choreographing for a Tap group, Fiddle Faddle Feet. Shelley has been
teaching and choreographing for schools in Minnesota, Illinois, New
Jersey and New York for over 20 years, teaching Jazz, Modern, Tap
and Composition. Shelley has been coordinating all out-reach efforts
for both not-for-profit dance companies at Peridance, Peridance
Contemporary Dance Company and the Peridance Youth Ensemble
for over 15 years, working closely with organizations such as
University Settlement, Dancers Responding to AIDS, Free Arts and
NY Cares. In the out-reach efforts of both companies Shelley brings
art enrichment programs to hundreds of children from various
organizations and helps inspire participants to find their voice in the
arts and in return their community. Shelley also holds a certification
in Pilates from Core Pilates, NYC and teaches a classic and
structured Pilates. Shelley believes she is the person and educator
she is today because of her strong family and very supportive dance
teachers throughout the years. She cherishes every moment she is
able to give back to the dance community and arts education.
