SHELBY NILSEN

Shelby Nilsen (she/her) is a multidisciplinary dancer, performer, movement artist, choreographer, and teacher. She is Toronto based, but was born and raised on Vancouver Island, BC. Shelby’s movement practice is influenced by her interest in the intersection between athletic dedication, art making, and expression. Her training encompasses a wide array of movement: contemporary dance, vernacular jazz, improvisation, heels, ballet, floor work, street styles, modern, tap, and West-African. Shelby has a BFA from the Performance Dance Program at Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a minor in psychology. Throughout her learning she has had the privilege of working closely with choreographers such as Hanna Kiel, Ryan Lee, Susie Burpee,  David Norsworthy, Raoul Pillay/Wilke, Esie Mensah, Francesca Chudnoff, and Jac Valiquette. Shelby has also trained across Canada with Modus Operandi (BC), DJD (AB), and RUBBERBAND (QC). She also spent two years dancing with Kode Red Company in Toronto. Her performance credits range from NIGHT/SHIFT at the Citadel Compagnie, to Canada's Walk of Fame 2023. Additionally, in 2024, Shelby choreographed, danced, and acted in "OTRA VEZ", an official music video for the artist ESCO [ft. BEBEBOY]. Shelby values fostering a career that encompasses her wide range of interests in creative process, movement dissection, and storytelling