Guest Artists

Kayla Farrish is a NY based dancer, choreographer, director, and photographer. She is a North Carolina native born into a dance-loving family.  In 2013, she graduated from the University of Arizona summa cum laude, and was awarded the Gertrude Shurr Award for excellence in modern dance and passionate dancing. Since moving to New York, she has freelanced with various artists and companies including Punchdrunk Sleep No More NYC, Kyle Abraham/Abraham. In. Motion, Kate Weare Company, Helen Simoneau Danse, Rashuan Mitchell/Silas Reiner, Aszure Barton and Artists, Madboots Dance, Nicole Von Arx, Danielle Russo Performance Project, Chris Masters Dance Company, Elena Vazintaris/Dance Projects and others.   Blending dance forms, blending artistic mediums, Farrish questions how they could bring honesty, personality, and unabashed humanness into dance and art. With roots as an African American woman from the south, Kayla has always been aware of the displacement of colored bodies and our continuous seeking for identity and community. Always out of place, and never agreeing to be defined as one thing or one idea, they came closer to their own identity in things that they love.

Bradley Shelver (South Africa) trained at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg and at The Ailey School in New York. He is currently the Artistic Director of The Joffrey Concert Group, The Jazz and Contemporary Trainee Program at the Joffrey Ballet School and the Joffrey Pre Professional Contemporary Summer Program. 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, and others. He is in his 15th season as a principal dancer with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Mr. Shelver has choreographed works for; Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, Contemporary West Dance Theater, Graham 2, St Louis Dance Theater, Richmond Ballet, Ailey II, Ballet Austin, Bryant Park Summer Stage , Lustig Dance Theater, Compania Rio Danca, New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble, Cape Dance Company, Cedar Lake 2, Sobers & Godley Dance, and more. He is on the adjudication panel for numerous international competitions including;  Valentina Koslova Ballet Competition, Festival Internacional de Dança (Brazil), Artistic Dance Exchange (USA) ,  Miami International Ballet Competition (Columbia), Global Dance Open as well as competitions in Italy.