JOFFREY CONCERT GROUP
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR BRADLEY SHELVER
About the joffrey concert group
Founded by Robert Joffrey in 1981, and under the Direction of Bradley Shelver, this pre-professional performing ensemble provides young artists from the School’s year-round Trainee Program the opportunity to experience life as a professional dancer.
In the years since its inception, selected Trainees studied and performed some of the most celebrated classical and contemporary repertoire. This included the works of Gerald Arpino (Birthday Variations, Light Rain), Robert Battle (Battlefield), George Balanchine (Serenade), August Bournonville (La Ventana), Dwight Rohden (New Work) and Africa Guzman (The Stolen Path).
The Concert Group has toured domestically and internationally, providing dancers the experience necessary to confidently transition from student to professional.
Concert Group dancers have gone on to perform in premiere companies including Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the Forsythe Company, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Joffrey Ballet.
ABOUT BRADLEY SHELVER
Artistic director Joffrey concert group
Bradley Shelver trained at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, South Africa and The Ailey School in New York. He has danced with the
Ailey II, Elisa Monte Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, The Francesca Harper Project, Limón Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theater (UK), and in projects with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co., Lar Lubovich Dance, The Universal Ballet, Radio City Music Hall, and in productions with the Mark Morris Dance Group. He is in his 15th season as a principal dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. He has choreographed works for; Graham 2, Big Muddy Dance Company, Richmond Ballet, Ailey II, Ballet Austin, Lustig Dance Theater, Compania Rio Danca, New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble, Cape Dance Company, Cedar Lake 2, Sobers & Godley Dance, as well as creating works for The Royal Danish and Royal Swedish Ballet Schools, Joffrey Ballet School, Central Ballet School (London) The Ailey School, Boston Conservatory, Long Island University and Purchase College. He is the founder of Bradley Shelver Contemporary Dance Theater.
He was co-producer and curator for the annual REVERBdance Festival from 2010-2016. From 2013-2016, he was the Artistic Director of the STEPS Repertory Ensemble and the Production Director for Steps on Broadway. Mr Shelver is an Adjunct at Montclair State University and on the faculty of schools and universities worldwide including; The Ailey School, The Graham School, La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts, Joffrey Ballet School, Bikuratim (Israel), Pan American Modern Dance School (Brazil), Hinton Battle Academy. (Tokyo) DAR Jazz Academy (Russia), ABT/JKO, Limòn Institute, Royal Danish and Royal Swedish Ballet Schools, Ateballeto, Company teacher for Mathew Bourne’s “Adventures in Motion Pictures”, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Lion King, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet as well as on faculty of Artistic Dance Exchange. He is a certified ballet teacher with the ABT National Training Curriculum. He was a contributing writer for Dance Spirit Magazine and His book, “Performance Through the Dance Technique of Lester Horton” is available worldwide.
