Director and choreographer, Wes Veldink, discovered his passion for teaching dance early on when he co-founded All That Jazz Dance Studio in Grants Pass, Oregon at age 16. He then moved to Los Angeles to complete his senior year of high school at the elite Orange County High School for the Performing Arts. Throughout the next decade, Wes became well known as a performer, teacher and choreographer. He appeared in the Disney film Newsies, co-choreographed Paula Abdul’s video for “Blowing Kisses in the Wind,” was Michael Jackson’s body double on two videos, and was invited to improvise live onstage with singer/songwriter Ani Difranco. Dance companies and institutions across the globe began inviting Wes to both teach and choreograph including the Oslo State Ballet School and Oslo Dance Ensemble (Norway), the Osaka School of Music and K-Broadway (Japan), the Mediterraneo Dance Festival (Italy), Le Harmonique (France), The Dance Center (Holland), and the Nadine Bommer Academy (Israel), not to mention universities, conservatories, and conventions throughout the United States and Canada.
In 1999, Wes relocated to New York City to found his own professional dance company, The Wes Veldink Movement. “Walking Through Walls” premiered in New York and toured to Los Angeles, Toronto and South Korea. Wes and his company have been featured in such internationally respected publications as Dance Spirit Magazine, European Dance News, Dance Life, Aftenposten Publications, Yomiyuri Newspaper, and they were the cover of Expressions Italian Dance Magazine. In 2008 Wes launched his own production company, Calm & Sense Creations, with his first dance short film “Full Circle” which he conceived, directed and choreographed.
Wes continues to work commercially having choreographed Kate Moss in an international NIKON campaign, Olivia Wilde for REVLON and Ashlyne Huff’s music video for “Heart of Gold” as well as her 30 city promotional tour. Wes is featured in the upcoming dance documentary film “Move” and choreographed Gwyneth Paltrow and Leighton Meester in the feature film “Country Strong.” Recently Wes returned to performing and danced on the LIVE Italian T.V. show “Panariello Non Esiste” while living in Rome for two months.
Meanwhile, the studio he co-founded at age 16 just celebrated its 23rd successful year in business.
