Charles "Chuck" Kelley taught dance in New York City since in the late 1960s and had an international reputation as a "teacher's teacher." His students, who numbered in the thousands, have gone on to careers in film, TV, Broadway musicals, and as dance teachers. Chuck had the distinction of being recognized for his contributions in the art of teaching dance by every major dance teacher association in America. Chuck shuffled along on Jan 3, 2017, and we will miss him greatly.
MORE ON CHUCK KELLEY
Chuck Kelley earned both a National and International reputation in the field of dance as a "Teacher's Teacher" and has consistently taught in New York City since the late 1960s, being associated with the June Taylor School of Dance, Harkness Ballet, Farnworth and Hauer Studios, New York Centre of Dance and Broadway Dance Center.
He taught thousands of dancers and teachers over the years and was represented on the Broadway stage with dancers in every major musical comedy, as well as dancers in every phase of theatre including bus and truck tours, stock productions, dinner theatres, television, movies and casino revues in Reno, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Monte Carlo, etc. He taught teachers across America and in foreign countries who use his technical material in Tap, Jazz and Acrobatics/Tumbling.
He taught for every major and minor dance teacher's organization in America (doing his first convention at age 14) including NADAA, DANCE EDUCATORS OF AMERICA, DANCE MASTERS OF AMERICA, PDTA. DANCE OLYMPUS, DANCE TEACHERS CLUB OF BOSTON, DANCE MAKERS, DANCE CARAVAN BLUE, etc. He also taught for dance teacher organizations in Canada and Mexico and conducted master classes and workshops for hundreds of dance studios and colleges in this country, as well as in France, Italy, Germany, the Bahamas, Jamaica and Hawaii. He was on the 25th Anniversary program of the International Summer Academy of Dance in Koln, Germany and was professor of dance for the University of Quebec at Chicoutumi in Canada.
Mr. Kelley was in constant demand as an adjudicator for dance competitions at both regional and national levels and has done those in conjunction with dance associations, as well as private commercial organizations. He staged and choreographed for regional ballet and jazz companies, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, stock productions, night club acts, television, competition numbers and for the Miss America Pageant.
He also wrote articles on Acrobatics and Dance, produced records and videotapes for jazz, acrobatics/tumbling and tap techniques; wrote a Dictionary of American Tap Terminology and a dictionary for Acrobatic/Tumbling. He was a Senior Faculty member for the Dance Educators of America's Teacher Training Program, instructing in Tap, Jazz, Acrobatics/Tumbling, Music Theory and Basic Anatomy and was an Administrator of this program.
Mr. Kelley's former professional career included work in stock productions, bus and truck tours, National tours, Broadway Musicals, Television, concert work and night club productions. He studied with the foremost teachers of his time, i.e. Matt Mattox, John Plaza, Jack Stanly, Paul Draper, Paul Haarkon, Leon Danieleon, Frank Wagner, Claude Thompson, Aubrey Hitchens, etc.
He and his students appeared in the film "I Love New York" produced by the state of New York to promote tourism for the section on New York City as the Dance Capitol of the World.
Mr. Kelley has been honored by Dance Educators of America (1985), Dance Teachers Club of Boston (1988), Dance Masters of America (1989) and the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists (1990) for his contributions to the art of teaching dance. One of the only teacher in America to be so honored by all of these major associations.
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