Nel Shelby Productions

Home
United States
New York, NY
Nel Shelby Productions

A team of dance videographers who are dancers themselves!! Dance Videography, Dance Films, Livestream Production, and more!

Let’s collaborate ↓
http://nelshelby.com/

10/30/2026

Nel here with her thoughts on Vogue article about the return to long-form videos on social media!

As a filmmaker Nel is always getting asked about what she believes is the best length of specific types of videos and films, check out what she has to say here!

Conversations like this fill our cup and we love getting to talk more about creating films and what makes sense for flow and pacing from project to project. 🎥💜

10/19/2026

A finished documentary is the result of so many people doing work an audience will never see.

Producers. Directors. Cinematographers. Editors. Translators. Production managers. Local collaborators. Sound teams. Photographers. The people who help solve problems. The people who ask the question that changes a scene.

On The Essence of Us, every one of those contributions mattered.

Making a documentary takes a real level of heart and grit. It takes deep collaboration. It takes listening and being empathetic to the moment.

And it takes knowing when to step in, when to ask for help, and when to get out of the way.

Because the finished film is only the part people see.

Behind it are hundreds of decisions, conversations, questions, problems, ideas, relationships, translations, edits, and people.

That’s the real work of making a documentary.

Want to read more about the process behind making "Essence of Us: A Cuban Story" here:
https://www.nelshelby.com/dance-documentary-film-producer/

photos by:

10/15/2026

It may be fall, but we’re not quite ready to let summer go! We wrapped up another incredible season at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, filled with so much excitement and inspiration.

We’re so grateful to do this work and to collaborate so closely with the incredible artists and staff at Jacob’s Pillow. Take a look at our summer recap and relive the magic!

Our 2026 Jacob’s Pillow Team

Co-Video Directors: Taylor Hutchison and Sydney Samson
Festival Photographer: Jamie Kraus
Assistant Photographers: Grace Copeland and Becca Oviatt
Video Assistant: Grace Hankins
Video Interns: Nastia Yavorski, Klaudija KlavaBumane, and Delaney Gondo
Photography Intern: Hannah Murphy

Check out the blog written by our wonderful video interns here!
https://www.jacobspillow.org/blog/capturing-joy-in-motion/

And check out more on the NSP blog!
https://www.nelshelby.com/the-magic-continues-all-year-long/

10/11/2026

We’re so grateful for this beautiful review of "The Essence of Us: A Cuban Story" by Karen Greenspan for Fjord Review!

Writing about the experience of filming in Cuba, Nel Shelby shared:

“When I got over there, I couldn’t believe my eyes. We hear about it in the news and think, ‘Oh, they don’t have electricity. That’s interesting.’ I tried so hard in the film to show what this really means.”

That became such an important part of making this film. Not just documenting the challenges, but being there with the artists, listening to their stories, and witnessing the incredible energy and commitment they brought into the studio every day.

As Karen writes, the film moves between “crumbling exteriors and the elevated activity within the building walls,” capturing the contrast at the heart of this story.

We’re incredibly grateful to Karen for seeing the film so deeply and for recognizing the artists, collaborators, and people behind it. 🥰❤️

10/01/2026

“These dancers gave their full commitment, their discipline, their honesty…” – on the dancers of

This is *exactly* what we witnessed in Havana while making "The Essence of Us."

The artist's commitment to the work, to each other, and to the creative process was incredible. I’m so grateful we had the chance to document a small part of it.

Thank you, , for sharing more of the story behind the film. 🥰

Read more here:
https://dancemagazine.com/malpaso-dance-company-92ny/

09/20/2026

Didn't make it to the world premiere last night? You can still see "The Essence of Us: A Cuban Story"!
Come meet the artists of Malpaso Dance Company, spend some time with Pedro Ruiz and the creative process behind his new work, and see the people and stories that made this film what it is.

Streaming starts TODAY at 12pm EST for $20 via 92NY.

Get access →

📸 Christopher Duggan

09/16/2026

While making "The Essence of Us," I kept coming back to something said:

“In the middle of all this chaos that we’re living through — not only in Cuba, but in the world — it is only our human essence that can truly perhaps give us that hope, that possibility of understanding each other.”

That idea became part of the heart of this film for us.

Because ultimately, this isn't just a film about dance or about Cuba. It’s about people coming together to create, to listen, to connect, and to understand one another.

And we could all use more of that right now.

📆 Watch: "The Essence of Us: A Cuban Story" at on September 19 at 7pm or stream it for $20 starting September 20.

Check out more here:
https://www.nelshelby.com/why-we-made-the-essence-of-us-cuban-dance-documentary/

09/14/2026

We went to Cuba because the artists couldn’t come to New York.

So instead, we went to them.

We spent time with the dancers, sat in on rehearsals, listened to their stories, watched them create, and got to know the people behind the work.

There were difficult realities all around us. But there was also so much humanity.

Friendship. Humor. Determination. Creativity. And an incredible love for dance.

Those are the things we wanted to bring back with us.

"The Essence of Us: A Cuban Story" is our way of sharing a little piece of what we experienced with the artists of and the people who welcomed us into their world.

I can't wait for you to see it!!!

📆 Watch the World Premiere at on September 19 at 7pm or stream it for $20 starting September 20.

Get tickets → https://shorturl.at/tqX2Z

📸 Christopher Duggan

Address

130 West 56th Street, 5M
New York, NY
10019

Website

http://www.nelshelby.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nel Shelby Productions posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.