Wes Veldink

WES VELDINK Director and Choreographer Wes Veldink, originally from Oregon, moved to California at the age of 17 after being accepted to the Orange County High School of the Performing Arts. During his 10 years in Los Angeles, Wes was a dancer, teacher, and choreographer working in film, television, stage, commercials, video and print. Credits vary from the movie musical Newsies, body doubling for Michael Jackson, and improvising live onstage with singer/songwriter Ani Difranco. In 1999 Wes relocated to New York City to start The Wes Veldink Movement, serving as artistic director. The company's first full-length evening of dance, Walking Through Walls, premiered in 2001 and enjoyed a successful tour in Los Angeles and Toronto. As a company, they have participated in numerous festivals in New York City and have presented work in South Korea for the International Jazz Dance Festival in 2003, 2004, and 2006. Wes and his company have been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine, European Dance News, and is the May 2006 cover of Expressions Italian Dance Magazine. Wes travels the world teaching and choreographing for companies and institutions including the Oslo State Ballet School and Oslo Dance Ensemble in Norway, the Osaka School of Music in Japan, the International Dance Meeting in Italy, the Dance Center in Amsterdam, Harmonique in France, and the Nadine Bommer Academy in Israel. In 2005 and 2006 he created and developed a ten-month intensive and mentoring program for young dancers aspiring to have professional careers. Recently, Wes choreographed supermodel Kate Moss in the international commercial campaign for NIKON cameras. To learn more about this family of dancers go to www.thewesveldinkmovement.com Class Description The class emphasizes the importance of breath, energy distribution, vulnerability, and musicality. Warm up is yoga based and designed to help dancers take inventory of their mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual state. I strongly believe we can only effectively share what we know. My choreography is a fusion of technique, numerous dance styles, and human movement. I strive to create a class environment that presents opportunities to gain self-awareness, mind and body connection, and how to be a conscious mover. Dancers are encouraged to have keen focus, boundless imagination, and a strong desire for evolution. And joy...lots of joy.