Shelby Blanchard

Shelby grew up in Southern Colorado, training under Ukrainian and Russian ballet teachers. Her early immersion in classical ballet shaped her love for teaching, precision, and craftsmanship—elements that later became central to her choreographic process.

She earned a BFA in Ballet from the University of South Florida, along with a certificate in Dance Medicine and Science Research. After graduating, she pursued outdoor theater, performing with Unto These Hills in Cherokee, North Carolina. Shelby later danced and choreographed with Relevé-tions, a ballet company dedicated to raising awareness for survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking. Many performances benefited survivors and supported the nonprofit A Priceless Journey, which provides sanctuary and shares the gospel.

Shelby eventually relocated to Bend, Oregon, where she now teaches and dances with the Central Oregon School of Ballet and works as a dancer-choreographer with Bend Contemporary Dance. She values collective work as a way to foster performance opportunities and creative collaboration for adults in the community. Her choreography includes Alice in Wonderland for COSB, as well as original works such as Hand Me Down and A Rainy Duet.

In 2025, Shelby participated in an artistic residency at Moulin Bell in Mareuil-en-Périgord, France. Research from this residency informed a work for the Iowa Choreography Festival, now continuing as a collaborative research project with Bend Contemporary Dance and Central Oregon Community College for the Season of Nonviolence. Her current piece, Paper Cuts, explores the theme of “Home” and how those closest to us can cause subtle harm.