Shay Kuebler began his performing career at the age of five with Stage Polaris Theatre Academy in Edmonton, Alberta. He soon after commenced his 8-year study in Shito-Ryu karate that would lead to his training in dance. With knowledge in many artistic forms, he has performed across the world, from contemporary dance in Brazil, to tapping and hoofing in Lebanon. With his unique background in the arts, Shay has become a very versatile, physical and dynamic performer.
Since moving to Vancouver in 2003, Shay’s background in Tap, Hip hop, Capoeira and Contemporary dance has lead him to perform for Naughty By Nature, Neil Young, Samsung, Science Friction, MmHop with Martha Carter, Battery Opera, Mascall Dance, Noam Gagnon, Animals of Distinction directed by Dana Gingras, the response., MovEnt and MachineNoisy. Shay has been a soloist for the Rythmatix where he tap danced with the Edmonton and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras as well as a choreographer/soloist for Ruckus Company, directed by Brock Jellison. His choreography has seen him create for 25th anniversary West Beach Fashion show, the 2010 Canada Dance Festival, International Dance Day in Vancouver, Dancing on the Edge Festival, “Romp” Festival in Victoria, International Dance Festival of Brazil, New Works’ “Arts on the Street Festival” for BC Day, BC Scene at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and for Toronto Music Week. He was the recipient of the 2008 Holy Body Tattoo emerging artist award and, as a winner of the Les Grands Ballet Canadiens Choreographic competition, he had the honor to choreograph an original work on the company under the direction of Gradimir Pankov.
He recently returned from Salvador, Brazil, where he exclusively trained in the Angola and Regional forms of Capoeira; and Tokyo, Japan where he studied dance, music, theatre and martial arts. Shay is currently co-artistic director of the Vancouver based 605 collective that recently toured across Canada and the United States. Some of his commercial highlights include feature films “Reefer Madness” the musical, Like Mike 2, The Cleaner, Nickelodeon’s Spectacular, Another Cinderella Story, dance film “Before the Light”, choreography and performance for Bravo fact dance film “RISEN”, “Geared Up” for the 2010 Olympics and most recently the Bravo Fact dance film “Double Bubble” choreographed by Dana Gingras.