Wes grew up in Grants Pass, trained with Karen Daggett as a young dancer, co-founded All That Jazz with her in 1989 at the age of sixteen, and later moved to Los Angeles to complete his senior year at the elite Orange County High School of the Performing Arts. At 18 he began his professional career as a dancer in the Disney film, "Newsies", followed closely by a co-choreographer job designing the dance sequences for Paula Abdul's video, "Blowin Kisses in the Wind". From there, Wes continued his career as a performer in film, video, tv, on stage, and in print-work working with industry and commercial giants too numerous to list. He was offered a teaching position at Tremaine Dance Center at the age of 19, and later taught and choreographed for the scholarship program at EDGE Performing Arts Center in Hollywood.
After moving to New York City in the late 90's to further his career, Wes founded his own professional dance company, The Wes Veldink Movement and began touring the world as a highly respected, accomplished, sought-after choreographer, director and teacher. He has since performed and/or choreographed for Kate Moss in commercial work, Virgin Records, Sparrow Records, EMI Records, Ani DiFranco and Righteous Babe Records. He has also taught and choreographed in Paris, Holland, Tokyo, Italy, Korea, Canada, Norway, Israel and across the United States for the Oslo Jazz Dance Ensemble and State Ballet, Le Harmonique, K-Broadway, Ongakuza Theater Company, Columbia University, Loyola Marymount University, UCLA, Barnard University and others. Adding to his credits, Wes and his company have been featured in articles for Dance Spirit Magazine, theYomiyuri Newspaper, Aftenposten publications, and European Dance News Magazine.
In 2005-06, Wes was the founding director of the professional scholarship program at Broadway Dance Center where he inspired and facilitated the transition of many young dancers into the professional world of dance. Currently he is on faculty at both STEPS and PERIDANCE in New York, and on national tour with Monsters of Contemporary. He can be seen in the upcoming new dance documentary, "Move" , has recently choreographed a dance vdieo and promo tour for vocal artist, Ashlyne Huff, and worked as the film choreographer for Gwyneth Paltrow in her movie, "Country Strong" in 2011."C
ountrFrom Grants Pass, to New York City, to Europe and beyond, Wes is known and admired internationally as a cutting edge choreographer, a true dance artist, and an inspiration to all who have had the privelege of working with him in any capacity. He continues to touch many lives through his art and with his life.
