Bradley Shelver has danced professionally with a list of companies and choreographers the length of a paragraph, including Elisa Monte Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispanico of New York, Limon Dance Company, William Forsythe, and Lar Lubovitch. He's also the Artistic Director of his own company, Bradley Shelver Contemporary Dance Theater, a prolific choreographer, and a much sought-after teacher.

"Your plié should gather energy for you, not  distribute it." This was the first advice that Bradley Shelver offered in a ballet class he recently taught. Later on in the class, he called on students to express optimism with their movements, affectionately poking fun at the classic tragedies. "My prince stood me up and cheated on me!" he sarcastically bemoaned, improvising a White Swan-esque adagio. "At least in this class, dance like there's hope!" Afterwards, dancers described their connection to the music and their transitions as feeling much freer.

Shelver's blend of humor and philosophy is evident in his choreography as well. (You can watch some of it here.) Shelver is also currently dancing with the Metropolitan Opera, which opens its season this month. His company, Bradley Shelver Contemporary Dance Theater, will be performing in NY this fall. To read Shelver's insights and valuable advice on training, recovering from injury, performing experience, and much more click here.