Who

The longtime executive director of the Joyce Theater Foundation, Shelton is one of the most prominent figures in the world of dance.

Backstory

Shelton earned a degree in dance education from NYU, then took an internship with the New York State Council on the Arts, where she met choreographer Twyla Tharp. Shelton spent five years in the '80s at the notoriously demanding choreographer's beck and call, managing Tharp's company and handling everything from travel arrangements to fundraising. She later became general manager of the Joffrey Ballet, and in 1993 took over as executive director of the Joyce Theater and its sister location in SoHo. Now in charge of the theater's programming calendar, she decides which barefoot companies will take the stage.

Of note

Shelton manages the Joyce on a budget of about $4 million annually, putting on an average of 48 weeks' worth of programming per year for a total audience of 140,000. The Joyce has played host to virtually every famed choreographer working today; one recent performance of note featured avant-garde modern dancer Karole Armitage and her dance company Armitage Gone! and the world premiere of her "Time is the echo of an axe within a wood" at the Joyce in March 2007. The Times described it as "one of the most beautiful dances to be seen in New York in a very long time." Shelton's latest undertaking is a new 1,000-seat Frank Gehry-designed theater at the World Trade Center site. Construction isn't slated to begin until 2011, though, since the planned location for the theater is currently occupied by a PATH exit.

Personal

Shelton lives on West 9th Street with her husband, David.