Ashley Selmer (Founder and Creative Director of SHAPESHIFT) Ashley is trained in Jazz, contemporary, ballet, hip-hop and African. Ashley’s credits include SHAPESHIFT productions: Grey Skies Blue, Superhero, XI:XI, and XI:XI: The Awakening, and SHAPESHIFT’s self-titled work; Choreographer hip-hop musical Last Stop On Market Street (Children’s Theatre Company); Associate Choreographer In The Heights, Jesus Christ Superstar (Ordway Center for Performing Arts); Ensemble West Side Story, 2nd Assistant Director Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (Ordway); Cast role as Swing  Lady Maria, the Queen, and Queen Bee in the Queen’s Ball Bridgerton Experience (Shondaland/Netflix/Fever), and  Ensemble The Amen Corner (Guthrie/Penumbra Theater). Ashley also performed in Direct TV’s Now Promotion for Jennifer Lopez’s Super Bowl LII Concert. In studio, Ashley draws from life’s real and imaginary experiences to craft stories that emote feelings and reflect diversity & inclusion. She emphasizes technique while utilizing each dancer’s unique and beautiful movements as tools for telling and moving interwoven narratives. Ashley encourages SHAPESHIFT dancers to openly share their personal experiences, and together they design choreography that captures common elements that make us the same, in so many ways, despite our socioeconomic or racial differences. Ashley is a Rom-com collector, lover of overpriced lattes and vintage furniture. She is annoyingly organized (as her friends and family tell us). Ashley earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (emphasis in choreography and performance) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Alan Mure Alan is a two-time Minnesota Sage Award Nominee. His passion and purpose is rooted in performance and choreography. Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Alan has performed professionally for fifteen years, while sculpting his craft as an all-around dancer/performer. Alan is a key member of SHAPESHIFT's Creative Team. His credits include performer and choreographer in SHAPESHIFT’s productions Grey Skies Blue, Superhero, Struck, and dancer for Direct TV’s Now Promotion for Jennifer Lopez’s Super Bowl LII Concert. He also is Choreographer of the ensemble Immortal Dance Team, Lead Choreographer for Legacy/Live/Entertainment and Co-Founder of Rebirth of Quality Art. 

Gabriel Blackburn, dancing since the tender age of 5, is trained in concert and urban movement. As a key member and choreographer of SHAPESHIFT’s Creative Team, his credits include SHAPESHIFT’s productions Grey Skies Blue, Superhero, Struck and dancer for Direct TV’s Now Promotion for Jennifer Lopez’s Super Bowl LII Concert. Gabe is the founder and Artistic Director of PBC Nation LLC (Pulling Back the Curtain). He has trained with Carl Flink, Toni Pierce-Sands, Erin Thompson, Jason Noer, and Andy Mor, and performed with RatHaus and Curio Dance. He is a member of the 612 Crew for the MN Timberwolves and Lynx Entertainment. He also is the District Dance and Music Educator for the MTCS School District in Minneapolis. He received a BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota.

Nate Kay, dancer, actor, model, born and raised in South Minneapolis, describes his dance style as unorthodox - not being limited to any style within hip-hop. At a very young age he began dancing and training in various dance styles, including Krump, Hip Hop, and Animation. His credits include dancer/performer in SHAPESHIFT’s productions Grey Skies Blue, Superhero, and Struck at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Dance Nate’s first language, his authentic a way to fully expressing himself. He feels “it is truly an honor to be able to share his love of dance and hopefully inspire other.” When Nate is not performing, he can be found scouting out for new places to eat, spending time with his wife and son, hanging with the cats, and just enjoying life.

Nate Maliscke started Breaking in 2012 and has taken his passion globally. He has competed in some of the largest breaking events in the world: Outbreak Europe, Silverback Open Championships, and Freestyle Session. He has traveled and performed in 6 different countries with Break Free Ministries and IMPACT Spain, performing at large-scale stadium events to small charity events. Nate has performed at various Twin Cities theaters including the Cowles Center, the Barbara Barker Center and the Ordway. His credits also include SHAPESHIFT’s productions Grey Skies Blue, Superhero, and Struck Nate continues to spread light to others through his gift of dance. 

Sophia Meza, a Minneapolis native, has been dancing since she was 3 years old. Sophia has performed in and created various works around the Twin Cities and had the honor of presenting her work at the Indonesia Institute of The Arts of Yogyakarta (ISI). Sophia’s credits include performer in SHAPESHIFT’s productions Grey Skies Blue, Superhero, and Struck, and lead role as Lady Maria in the Queen’s Ball, Bridgerton Experience (Shondaland/Netflix/Fever). She received her undergraduate degree in Gender, Women, Sexuality and Global Studies from the University of Minnesota.

Rachel Miller has been dancing since the tender age of 5 at dance studios throughout Minnesota. She is trained in ballet, contemporary, lyrical, modern, hip-hop, jazz, musical theatre, pointe, and tap. She has worked with artists from New York, Los Angeles, and the Twin Cities including artists Gregory Dolbashian, Wynn Fricke, and Gerald Casel. She also has trained in intensives in Italy and LA, performed backup for Tori Kelly at Prince’s Tribute Concert at Xcel Energy Center in 2016, and as a member of the Creative Team, she has performed as a dancer and choreographer in SHAPESHIFT’s productions Grey Skies Blue, Superhero, Struck and dancer for Direct TV’s Now Promotion for Jennifer Lopez’s Super Bowl LII Concert. Rachel pays it forward as she has taught and choreographed movement and technique in contemporary, hip hop, lyrical and ballet at Studio 4 Dance. Rachel received her BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota.

Hanna Herrig has been dancing since age 7. She is trained in all styles from hip hop to contemporary, jazz to ballet, and more. Hanna’s credits include performer credits include performer in SHAPESHIFT’s productions Grey Skies Blue, Superhero, and Struck. She also is Captain of the Minnesota Timberwolves Dancers and has traveling internationally with the National Basketball Association and Timberwolves to Mexico and China. Throughout her professional dance career, she has performed with national recording artists G-Eazy, Lil Jon, and Coolio. Hanna is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.

Clara Starkwell (Lighting Designer) she/her 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.

Laura Topham (Stage Manager) 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.