Shaleigh Comerford

Artistic Director

ShaLeigh Dance Works

ShaLeigh Comerford is an Irish & Native American choreographer, performer, educator, advocate, and the artistic director of ShaLeigh Dance Works, a dance-theatre company based in Durham, NC and founded in 2005. Her work centers the human experience of “othered” bodies in direct conversation with its environment, history, culture, and forces of erasure. She believes in an approach to art that democratizes process and performance through autonomy and agency. Her work is driven by a desire to uplift powerful stories and voices that address the human condition in relation to political, cultural, and societal oppression and inequalities. Her work stresses human connection and our instinctive human need to connect regardless of race, class, age, ability, or gender. Her engagement practices are an integral part of her work and include partnerships with The Reality Center and Arts Access to provide advocacy, opportunities, and access to the arts for people of all abilities.