I spoke to Shelley over the phone last Friday, and asked her how she had enjoyed working on RENT. She seemed very enthusiastic about the show. “It’s going well! It’s the second time that I’ve had the opportunity to work on this exiting, vibrant show. The first time was at North Vancouver’s Centennial Theatre in 2016.”

RENT is an ensemble piece, with cast members needing different skill sets. I asked Shelley if she had a method of creating choreography for varying levels of dancer’s strengths and talent. “I’ve worked on TUTS (Theatre under the Stars) productions where we would get a mix of professionals along with emerging talent. I use the natural strengths that the individual artist brings and allow the music to dictate the movement.” Following up, I asked “Did you need to come up with original choreography for RENT, or did you keep it simple?” ”There was nothing really specified. I worked with ensemble dance captain Hailey Fowler and together we created it all from the beginnings.”

I was curious to learn about how injuries are avoided – especially during long rehearsals. Shelley was pretty clear on the issue. “We haven’t had any injuries so far. The stage manager and the intimacy coordinator are involved with ongoing discussions with the artists to make sure that repetition, inappropriate footwear and even awkward sets are minimized and serious incidents mitigated.”

Like many young people who choose a career in the creative arts, Shelley grew up in a nurturing family that encouraged her in a number of different activities. Both of her parents were teachers, so as a result, she got involved in high school musicals. “I was always singing and dancing and early on went on a national tour of CATS,” she affirmed with some pride. “I was one of the ‘cat characters’ that went out into the audience.” In speaking with Shelley, I realized that I had enjoyed some of her previous work without being aware at the time, so was interested in knowing which dance styles she most experienced in. “I’ve been exposed to all dance styles. I grew up participating in a lot of jazz dance, as well as figure-skating, acrobatics, tap-dancing and Polynesian dance forms” was her generous response.

Following up on a similar thought, I asked Shelley “What would you consider to be the most successful project you have ever worked on?” “Everything I’ve done!” she proclaimed with some amusement. “But really, whatever I’m working on at the time I try to make it my most success project. I recently worked on Waitress for the Arts Club, which was a rewarding experience.” “Working with a young cast on Beauty and the Beast with TUTS was a personally satisfying project.”

After talking with Ms. Stewart Hunt for about half an hour, It struck me that while she may take her work seriously, she likely didn’t take herself seriously, so I asked if she concerned herself with receiving criticism about her dance syntax. “Not really, not everyone takes away the same thing from dance. I just want people to come out and see for themselves – I don’t judge reactions.”

I’ll be coming out next week to see RENT for myself – with a special interest in the choreography.

© 2025 John Anthony Jane