Matthew Shaffer's Musical Theater Combination; Fluid Dance Convention
Matthew Joseph Shaffer (born May 4, 1978) is an American musical theatre, television, and film actor, director, executive producer, author , and choreographer. He was born in Florence, Colorado, USA.
Matthew Shaffer's Musical Theater combo for Dance United 2015
Career
Shaffer began his career in Southern California. He attended Orange County High School of the Arts. He was accepted as a performing apprentice to the concert dance company Giordano Dance Chicago in 1996. He became a principal in the company the following year. After three years touring the United States and Europe he left the company. He worked in the ensemble of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in New York City for five seasons. Shaffer was involved in the final stunt of the feature film Jackass Number Two, with Johnny Knoxville. Shaffer had comedic roles in two off-beat and independent short films: Feet Afire in 2005, and in 2006 the movie Queerspiracy, which was an official selection at the 2007 Breckenridge Film Festival. In November 2006, he originated the role of Bergdwarf Goodman, the narrative gnome in the Los Angeles Opera production of Hansel and Gretel at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. In October 2007, he completed his first 35 mm film project as choreographer on the set of Harrison Bergeron, based on the Kurt Vonnegut short story. In November 2007, Shaffer originated the lead role "Sim" in the revival of Ray Bradbury's Frost and Fire directed by Zina Bethune, at the Alex Theatre, in Los Angeles, CA. From 2010 through 2015 Shaffer and his producing partner, Jeff Payton created 40 pop culture digital shorts, which garnered a large fan base and led them to create and option two television pilots. In 2015 Shaffer's first book, "So You Want To Be A Dancer", was published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. In 2016 he was commissioned by Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania to choreograph his first concert dance piece entitled, "Give Me A Mingus" set to the music of Charles Mingus.
Theatre
Maggie Miguel ...a corporate American employee ...Directed and Choreographed... One Woman Show starring Maggie Miguel ...ACME Comedy Theatre Los Angeles, CA March 2009
Share Inc. Boomtown Benefit...Ensemble...Santa Monica Civic Auditorium...Santa Monica, California 2008
Frost and Fire…originated lead role “Sim”…Alex Theatre Los Angeles, CA 2007
Hansel and Gretel…originated the role “Gnome”…Dorothy Chandler Pavilion…Los Angeles, CA 2006
Stand Up Salad…Comic…Friars Club of Beverly Hills 2006
Radio City Christmas Spectacular…Ensemble….Radio City Music Hall…2000-2005 (Five Seasons)
Tess’ Last Night…The Stalker…Greenwich House Theatre…NYC…2003
Shaffer authored his first book, So You Want To Be A Dancer, March 9, 2015. On March 29, 2015 he launched So You Want To Be A Dancer at Broadway Dance Center and continued on a nationwide tour, teaching and promoting his book which was a Number 1 New Release in the Performing Arts category on Amazon.com. Matthew is also one of fifty contributing authors of the book, The I'Mpossible Project: Reengaging With Life, Creating a New You, an inspirational book which highlights topics including, empowerment, suicide prevention, and LGBT themes; released by Skookum Hill Publishing on January 13, 2016.
Published works
Shaffer, Matthew (2015). So You Want To Be A Dancer. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781630760267.
Shaffer, Matthew (2016). The i'Mpossible Project: Reengaging With Life, Creating a New You. New York: Skookum Hill. ISBN 9780986096471.
Filmography
Actor
2022
The Same Side of Danger
2022
The Constituents (Video short) as
Politician Dancer
2017
Social Movement (Short) as
Guy
2016
The 490th Incarnation of MaDame Düx (Video short) as
The Lover
2016
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV Series) as
Matt
- All Signs Point to Josh- Or Is It Josh's Friend? (2016) - Matt
2016
Broad City (TV Series) as
Dancer
- Jews on a Plane (2016) - Dancer
2015
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (TV Mini Series) as
Electro-City Chorus
- Electro/City (2015) - Electro-City Chorus
- Dinner (2015) - Electro-City Chorus
- Auditions (2015) - Electro-City Chorus
- Activities (2015) - Electro-City Chorus
- Lunch (2015) - Electro-City Chorus
- Campers Arrive (2015) - Electro-City Chorus
2013
Acting Out (Short) as
Matthew
2013
Bunheads (TV Series) as
Audition Dancer
- Next (2013) - Audition Dancer (uncredited)
2011
Gossip Girl the Parody (Short) as
Chuck
2011
The Real Housewives of the LDS Parody Movie (Short) as
Aria
2011
True Blood: The Parody Movie (Short) as
Bill Compton
2011
Kickin' It (TV Series) as
Disco Dude
- Road to Wasabi (2011) - Disco Dude (uncredited)
2010
The Real Housewives Parody Movie (Short) as
Jill
2010
So Bad the Lil' Big Crackerz Project (Short) as
Lil Big Crackerz
2009
Other People's Parties as
Party Deserter
2009
What the F&#$ Was That?! (Short) as
Suzette
2009
Michael Poppins in the Curious Case of the Beastie Yeasties (Short) as
Mr. Tambourine Man
2009
Twinkle Time (Video short) as
Zeke Zebra
2009
Addicted to Facebook (Short) as
Employee 1
2008
The Heart of the Matter (Short) as
Dean Warren
2007
Queerspiracy! (Short) as
Justin Davies
2006
The Plight of a Cheerleader (Short) as
Student
2006
Cold Case (TV Series) as
Kit Kat Boy #1
- Willkommen (2006) - Kit Kat Boy #1 (uncredited)
2005
Feet Afire (Short) as
Chad La Rosa
2003
Mona Lisa Smile as
Dancer (uncredited)
2001
All My Children (TV Series) as
Matt
- Episode dated 15 January 2001 (2001) - Matt
Producer
2022
Identity: The POV Project (Documentary short) (executive producer)
2017
Social Movement (Short) (executive producer)
2013
Acting Out (Short) (executive producer)
2012
The Outrageously Fabulous Weekly Parody Talk Show (TV Series) (executive producer - 3 episodes)
- Pilot (2012) - (executive producer)
- Glitz (2012) - (executive producer)
- Tic Talk (2012) - (executive producer)
2011
Gossip Girl the Parody (Short) (executive producer)
2011
The Real Housewives of the LDS Parody Movie (Short) (executive producer)
2011
True Blood: The Parody Movie (Short) (executive producer)
2011
The Pacellis (TV Series) (co-producer - 9 episodes)
- Standoff (2011) - (co-producer)
- The Meet Up (2011) - (co-producer)
- Buttercup's (2011) - (co-producer)
- Assembling the Troops (2011) - (co-producer)
- Desperately Seeking Amos (2011) - (co-producer)
- Joe (2011) - (co-producer)
- Amos Attack (2011) - (co-producer)
- Clean Up (2011) - (co-producer)
- The Threat (2011) - (co-producer)
2010
The Real Housewives Parody Movie (Short) (executive producer)
2010
So Bad the Lil' Big Crackerz Project (Short) (executive producer)
2009
What the F&#$ Was That?!(Short) (associate producer)