Evolving Perspectives Through Embodied Experiences

Graham Shelor (He/Him), founding artistic director of Graham Shelor Dance, is a Tampa-raised, Atlanta-based movement artist, improviser, and dance educator.

Graham holds a B.A. in Dance from Middlebury College, where he trained under Christal Brown, Laurel Jenkins, Lida Winfield, Kari Borni, Meshi Chavez, and Michael Abbatiello. Since 2025, his company has produced numerous contemporary dance performances in the Atlanta area to widespread acclaim. Graham’s choreography has been presented at the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival (GA), Fall for Fall Dance Festival (GA), and Middlebury College (VT). As a performer, Graham is a company member of Monica Hogan Danceworks and has performed in works by Tori Lawrence, Monica Hogan, Maia Sauer, Dahyun Kim, Atarius Armstrong, and Yoshito Sakuraba. Known as G-Baby in the Ballroom scene, he is also the Atlanta Princess of the Kiki House of Bodega, walking underground kiki balls in Atlanta and beyond in the butch queen vogue femme category. Graham continues to share his love for dance by teaching a wide variety of ages and abilities in spaces across Florida, Georgia, and Vermont. He has been commissioned to create original works for Rise City Dance/Neighborhood Ballet, Decatur School of Ballet, and Lyrric Jackson Dance Company.

Graham's work is mindful of transcending community boundaries and fostering dialogue through diverse collaborations. He is dedicated to creating performance and teaching spaces that challenge individual movement paradigms. His research explores the limitations imposed on our bodies, the factors that inhibit our movement, and the ways we can liberate ourselves to experience movement patterns freely. Graham’s work also investigates the dynamics of collective art-making, examining how shared movement experiences can foster community engagement, radical organizing, and collective care. Graham's praxis and research in this area are recognized by the Alexander Twilight 1823 Diversity and Community Leadership Award and the Mahalingaiah Family Dance Prize, awarded by Middlebury College for his work on movement repression and liberatory dance pedagogy.