bio

DJ Salisbury (Director-choreographer, writer) has worked nationwide as a director-choreographer at theaters that include Papermill Playhouse, California Musical Theatre, the ArtsCenter of Coastal Carolina, The West Virginia Public, Gateway Playhouse, Dallas Summer Musicals, Bristol Riverside of Pennsylvania and Riverside Theatre Florida. Among his Favorite experiences as director-choreographer are Man of La Mancha, The Will Rogers Follies (starring Larry Gatlin), They're Playing Our Song, Evita, The Full Monty, La Cage Aux Folles, Ragtime and The Wizard of Oz, and he has delighted in choreographing the new musicals Femme Fatale and Long Road Home as well as familiar shows like Paint Your wagon, A Funny Thing/Forum, Grease! and The Secret Garden. DJ was fortunate to work as dance assistant on the original productions of The Will Rogers Follies with Tommy Tune and Jeff Calhoun, and Titanic with Lynn Taylor-Corbett, and Time and Again (workshop) with Kathleen Marshall in New York. He also acted as dance captain and swing for national tours of The Will Rogers Follies, Grease! and The Wizard of Oz starring Roseanne, Eartha Kitt and Mickey Rooney. He performed in the original production of Jekyll and Hyde with Linda Eder at the Alley Theatre in Houston, and he was swing and assistant choreographer for Off- Broadway's Zombie Prom. Recent choreographic endeavors: Seven.11 for Desipina Theatre Company in NYC, a movie musical for RIPFEST NYC, and Irving Berlin's White Christmas and Hello, Dolly!.

 

New/recentdirector, or choreographer:

DJ will be directing the reading (presented by The Araca Group- producers of Chix 6concert; Leftfield Productions' Broadway in Barbados concerts; attending artist (writer/lyricist) at the August 2009 festival reading of Issaquah, WA; specialty lyrics for The Salvation Army and other major corporations; screenwriter/lyricist for "Only Time Will Tell" - one of 6 short films produced by RIPFEST NYC in June 2009.

Celebrities with whom DJ has worked include Brooke Shields, Dodie Goodman, Jon Secada, Sheena Easton, Sally Struthers, Sutton Foster, Robert Cuccioli, Brian d'Arcy James, Mac Davis, Alyson Reed, Keith Carradine, Larry Gatlin, Estelle Parsons, Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Joe Piscapo and John Davidson. DJ was the choreographer and Artistic Director for the “Dancing with the Stars 2007” promotional “Road Trip” which included his national television choreographic debut on the Rachael Ray Show.

 

DJ received a BFA from Western Kentucky University. While there he wrote and directed an original musical based on the Mary Poppins series of books. In NYC, DJ co-founded the Musical Writers' Playground, a peer support organization for writers of musical theater. He co-wrote the book and lyrics for Christmas Spectacular co-wrote and was director-choreographer for yet another Christmas spectacular- 2003, 2005 and 2008.) Other writing projects include book and lyrics for Broadway's presented as part of the inaugural New York Musical Theatre Festival, a new project with composer Todd Almond based on a Belgian film, and many industrial shows for Overland Entertainment in NYC, Creative Innovation Team NYC, Barkley-Kalpac NYC, and CorporateMagic, a division of Gaylord International based in Dallas and Nashville. His children's musical magic show, Magicademynationwide. In 2007, he acted as head writer for the state of Oklahoma's Emmy winning Centennial parade and broadcast special featuring Reba McIntyre, Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood, Kelli O'Hara and Shirley Jones and no less than five former Miss America title holders.