BalletFools Artistic Director
Shon Wilson
With 30+ years of professional experience in dance, theatre, film, television, and voiceover, choreographer and performer Shon Wilson is a classically trained ballet dancer and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Musical Theatre Performance from American University. In addition to leading BalletFools she is also a Principal Dancer with the company.
Currently an instructor in residence at Open Door Studios in Charlotte, Shon has previously worked with Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre/Media City Dance and Exceleration Studios in L.A., as well as some of Charlotte’s most notable arts organizations including Charlotte City Ballet, Sullivan Dance Centre, The Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Lumi School of Musical Theatre, and the Afro-American Cultural Center (legacy). In addition to the requirements for her performance degree, she trained at Edge Performing Arts Center, Millennium Dance Complex, Westside Ballet, Charlotte City Ballet under the direction of Melissa Hale Coyle and Lisa Leone, Media City Dance, Sun King Dance and Sullivan Dance Centre. And she loves taking regular classes with her colleagues at Open Door!
Shon has received several awards and nominations for her over 100 stage performances as an actor. Her favorite theatre roles so far have been Lady Macbeth with the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Helena in Epic Arts Repertory Theatre’s Midsummer Night’s Musical, The Boy in Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s Velveteen Rabbit, and Vixen in The Eight Reindeer Monologues, which she performed at the EXTREMELY missed Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte.
Shon’s L.A. theatre credits include the female lead Kate in Sylvia by A.R. Gurney, Jr. and a lead role in the world premiere of #WhenLivesMatter directed by Monti Washington. During her 13 years in Los Angeles, Shon also acted in film and TV projects for several major networks and studios. She’s co-starred with Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm and was a frequent collaborator with Mercedes Bryce Morgan who tapped Shon for a supporting role in AMC/Shudder's Spoonful of Sugar and a special appearance in the official music video Marshmello feat. Bastille: Happier, which received a 2019 MTV Video Music Awards nomination. Shon also starred opposite Suzanne Cryer and Rumer Willis in the film Six Letter Word, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2023, Shon had the honor of two feature films premiering on the same night - one on each coast! Summer of Violence, in which she had a lead role opposite Black Lightning’s Damon Gupton, opened in Los Angeles at the DTLA Film Festival and took home the Best Picture Award. At the same exact time, It’s Not About You screened at the 168 Film Festival in Atlanta, giving Shon a Best Actress nomination for her performance as the star of that film. Earlier in 2023, Summer of Violence also had an extremely successful debut at Cannes.
During her years as a performer, Shon was also developing a reputation as an empowering and FUN teaching artist to students in both California and North Carolina! In her experience passing on the traditions of dance, acting, and vocal music she's directed full-length shows for Fort Mill Community Playhouse, as well as her own production company, and served as choreographer and musical director for several productions for The Ballantyne Arts Center.