FOUNDED ON

THE FLY     

2013

Ten years ago, Creative Director, Ashley Selmer and a collective of then 8 dancers, joined together to create a one time show for their generation – something fresh and innovative that would feature all types of dancers from various socio-economic backgrounds, trained in dance styles from hip-hop, contemporary, to modern and Ballet.

SHAPESHIFT’s November 2013 self-titled production at the New Century Theatre in Minneapolis, sold out to rousing applause and standing ovations, moving their audience to tears. That got the attention of presenters and audiences, which began to build.


Thereafter, they continued their sold-out performances at The Lab Theater in September 2014 with their production “XI:XI” and again at the Cowles Center in 2015 with “XI:XI: The Awakening.”

The company continued to perform to sold out audiences with their debut of “Grey Skies Blue” at the Cowles Center in February 2016.

After being selected in 2017 as a juried artist to perform at the International Performing Arts for Youth Conference in Madison, WI, SHAPESHIFT was booked 11 shows at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Ashley Selmer founded SHAPESHIFT on the fly in 2013 after dancing in a music video with Prince’s band 3rdEyeGirl, and performing in front of 20,000 screaming fans for We Day at Xcel Energy Center.

ILLUMINATE THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

SHAPESHIFT was formed to create a fresh innovative dance style, combined with the lyricism of contemporary dance, hip-hop and other dance styles to illuminate the human experience and fuel social change. SHAPESHIFT’s productions boldly tackle issues of social justice, loss, love, and human emotions. SHAPESHIFT’s patented hybrid storytelling productions include full and small ensembles and solo pieces, combined with hip-hop/contemporary movement and other dances sty, fused with popular and old school music, dialog, acting and props.

OUR PERFORMERS

Hannah

Sophia

Gabriel

Nate

Ashley

Alan

Rachel

Nate

THE SS CREATIVE TEAM

Ashley

Alan

Gabriel

Rachel

SS CREATIVE TEAM 4 Midwest kids who work together to produce creative concepts, build choreography and style the collective.

OUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

  • JAMES GAVINS

    Creative Collaborator

    James is an all-around artist who was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where here attained a B.A. in Theater & Drama. In 2008, James was granted the First Wave Hip Hop & Urban Arts Scholarship. He started off a bboy (breakdancing) in his early teens, which led into popping (funkstyles). He then took a two-year break from college to dance professionally with GForce Entertainment on various Carnival CruiseLine ships. James also is a Professional Teaching Artist with the Wallace Foundation/Youth Arts Initiatives/Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee. James' goal is for youth to turn their ideas into life changing opportunities.

  • H. ADAM HARRIS

    Acting Coach / Cultural Equity Consultant

    H. Adam Harris is an actor, director, teaching artist, and cultural equity consultant. He works at the intersection of theatre, education, social justice, and community engagement. He has worked with the Guthrie Theater, Seattle Children’s Theater, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Park Square Theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre, and the Minnesota Orchestra. H. Adam is the Education Coordinator at the Playwrights’ Center; Lead Facilitator at Penumbra Theatre Company; a resident teaching artist with the Guthrie Theater and CTC, and a freelance equity, diversity, and inclusion consultant for various organizations. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program.

  • LAURA TOPHAM

    Stage Manager

    Laura (she/her) received her B. A. in Theater Arts from the University of Minnesota. Her credits include Regional Theater: Guthrie Theater: (Stage Manager) Skeleton Crew, A Raisin in the Sun; (Assistant Stage Manager) A Christmas Carol, English, Murder on the Orient Express, The Little Prince; History Theatre: Behind the Sun, Handprints, The Boy Wonder, Diesel Heart, Parks; Park Square Theatre: Holmes and Watson, The Rocky Horror Show, Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant; Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, The Diary of Anne Frank; Yellow Tree Theatre: A Streetcar Named Desire, Another Miracle on Christmas Lake; Theater Latté Da: Candide, Beautiful Thing; Artistry: Godspell, Follies.

  • CLARA STARKWELL (she/her)

    Lighting Designer

    Clara is is an Oklahoma City-based lighting designer for theater and dance. Her credits include A Christmas Carol (Theatre Silco); Romeo and Juliet, Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker, Born with Teeth, Twelfth Night, & A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oklahoma Shakespeare); The Chinese Lady, & Silent Sky (Southern Plains Productions); Ride the Cyclone, Ada and the Engine, & May We All (Oklahoma State University); Myriad & Bright  (Crystal Bridge Botanical Gardens); All My Sons, & Middletown  (Citrus College) Legally Blonde, & Children of Eden  (Oklahoma Opera & Music Theater); Woe Is Me, & A Bright Room Called Day  (TheatreOCU). Clara has been honored as a recipient of KC/ACTF National Barbizon Award for Excellence in Lighting Design. Clara is passionate about storytelling through the expression of color and design. She enjoys oil painting and sees lighting as an extension of that art form coming to life.