KELLY HAMLIN
CHOREOGRAPHER | DIRECTOR | FILMMAKER | PRODUCER
Kelly, a native of Richmond VA, began performing as a youth competitive dancer. By age fourteen, she was awarded a scholarship to The Jofferey Ballet by (the late) David Howard. Over the course of her training Kelly has also studied at The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico, Broadway Dance Center and The Ailey School.
Having spent 13 years in New York as a professional dancer, Kelly has performed works by Alvin Ailey at City Center & The Apollo Theater. She has also performed with The Nai Ni Chen Dance Company, Errol Grimes Dance Group, Genesis Dance, Jennifer Archibald/Arch Dance Co., Earl Mosely, Milton Myers, M'bewe Escobar, Stephen Contreras/SDance, The Riverbank Dance Collective and JP Dance Group. In addition, Kelly has also toured nationally & internationally, performing abroad in Lithuania, Russia, Poland, and Germany as part of the International Dance Festival and Malta Dance Festival.
By 2015 Ms. Hamlin launched "KrasH!Dance Productions" thanks in part to the Space Microgrant of Dogtown Dance Theatre. Since then the company has performed numerous original works in dance festivals and concerts spanning the Northeast. In addition, Ms Hamlin has taught dance for over 20 years for various dance studios, workshops, Master Classes and community dance classes. In 2018 & 2019 KrasH!Dance hosted The Small Plates Choreography Festival. And prior to her departure from Richmond, VA, Ms Hamlin was featured in "Dancers of RVA" , a project by Katrina Boone of Giana Grace Photography.
In addition to her dance career, Ms Hamlin is also a passionate Director and Filmmaker currently residing in Los Angeles. Of her growing catalog of Short Films, her film "Black Kings Dance Too"(2019) was selected for screening in the Afrikana Independent Film Festival, 6th Annual Richmond Dance Festival, and the Silicon Valley African Film Festival. In Fall of 2022, she served as Producer of Trans-comedian Tuesday Thomas' comedy special "Tuesday's Trash" (now on Amazon Prime.) And she also served as Director of "An Addict's Love Letter to His Prayerbook" by award winning playwright Cris Blak.