About
Janelle Abbott Staley is a dancer, educator, choreographer, and certified Pilates instructor based in southern Maine. She has performed nationally and internationally with dance companies, in film, and in theatre. In New York City, Janelle worked with Andrew Palermo and Taye Diggs’ dre.dance, Salim Gauwloos aka Slam (rehearsal assistant), Terra Firma Dance Theatre, Adam Cates, John Byrne, and Ollom Dance, among others. On screen, she was featured in Elton John's The Red Piano in "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and in Norah Jones' "Those Sweet Words" music video, both directed by David LaChapelle. Janelle has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and on Broadway stages in Broadway Cares’ Red Bucket Follies (award-winner with Aida cast) and BC/EFA's Easter Bonnet. Her regional credits include Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Twelfth Night directed by Tony Award-winner Rebecca Taichman, Peter Pan at the Sondheim Center (Tiger Lily/Dance Captain), A Chorus Line, and Cabaret. Most recently, Janelle has worked with Annex Contemporary Dance and with Boston-based artists Peter DiMuro, Lorraine Chapman, and Kat Nasti Dance. She is a company member of Articine, a New England-based organization that integrates arts education and performance with healthcare.
Janelle began her early career as a company member of the Grand Rapids Ballet in Michigan, and received her BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah. She has taught at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway, and has lead master classes around the country. A certified Pilates and barre fitness instructor, Janelle trained celebrity clientele at top fitness studios in NYC and Boston, and has led workshops for Audible and Amazon in Seattle, WA. She is currently a faculty member of The Dance Annex in York, Maine, and teaches Pilates in-studio and virtually.
