Matthew Joseph Shaffer (born May , ) is an American musical theatre,
television, and film actor, director, executive producer, author , and
choreographer. He was born in Florence, Colorado, USA.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 . 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 , and in the movie Queerspiracy, which was
an official selection at the Breckenridge Film Festival. In November
, 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 , he completed his first mm film
project as choreographer on the set of Harrison Bergeron, based on the
Kurt Vonnegut short story. In November , 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 through
Shaffer and his producing partner, Jeff Payton created pop culture
digital shorts, which garnered a large fan base and led them to create
and option two television pilots. In Shaffer's first book, "So You
Want To Be A Dancer", was published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishing
Group. In 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.Shaffer authored
his first book, So You Want To Be A Dancer, March , . On March , 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 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 , . On September , Shaffer releases his
sophomore book Dancing Out of the Closet, a collection of comedically
true stories about his life as an performer living "in" and eventually
"out" of the closet.
television, and film actor, director, executive producer, author , and
choreographer. He was born in Florence, Colorado, USA.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 . 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 , and in the movie Queerspiracy, which was
an official selection at the Breckenridge Film Festival. In November
, 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 , he completed his first mm film
project as choreographer on the set of Harrison Bergeron, based on the
Kurt Vonnegut short story. In November , 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 through
Shaffer and his producing partner, Jeff Payton created pop culture
digital shorts, which garnered a large fan base and led them to create
and option two television pilots. In Shaffer's first book, "So You
Want To Be A Dancer", was published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishing
Group. In 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.Shaffer authored
his first book, So You Want To Be A Dancer, March , . On March , 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 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 , . On September , Shaffer releases his
sophomore book Dancing Out of the Closet, a collection of comedically
true stories about his life as an performer living "in" and eventually
"out" of the closet.
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