Meet the NSP Team
All our videographers, photographers, and editors (even our project managers!) have training in movement, understand musicality, and have an experienced eye for viewing all styles of dance. We can make instinctual, in-the-moment decisions during filming and connect to each project with an increased awareness of nuance and choreographic voice.
Team 📸 at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2023Â
Our work is fueled by a devotion to dance and a feeling that the art form should be promoted often and easily, and preserved with utmost care.
“The videographers were professional, timely, and flexible throughout our camera rehearsal and the actual shoot. The whole team was a joy to work with, and clearly very passionate about their work, which means so much to us!”
— Sean McCabe, Flight Path Dance Project
Christopher Duggan
Photographer & Videographer
Christopher Duggan is a highly-respected NYC-based dance photographer who just so happens to also be Nel Shelby’s loving husband. Christopher is the NSP crew’s favorite wide-angle videographer and brings an easygoing, friendly energy to our on-camera interviews.
Heidi Gunter
General Manager
Heidi is responsible for fostering new and recurring projects with the talented NSP team. She’s on board to make certain your projects are handled with the utmost care and attention. And keep our whole team organized and thriving!
Loren Roberston
Assistant Producer & Editor
Loren is Nel’s West Coast collaborator, part of Nel’s Vail Dance team, and go-to colleague to swap advice and talk inspiration. Loren also runs a thriving company for video & performance in California, based out of San Francisco.
Ashli Bickford
Assistant Producer, Videographer, & Editor
Ashli is the one we turn to for lightning-speed, high-quality editing jobs and exuberant office cheerleading. Ashli was an intern under Nel at Jacob’s Pillow in 2011, Video Apprentice in 2012, and Videographer in 2014.
Mason Chapello
Videographer & Editor
Mason brings a zestful, collaborative spirit to every project he’s a part of. After working with Nel at Jacob’s Pillow and Vail Dance Festival, he’s now NSP’s go-to livestream technician and the 2021 Video Director of Jacob’s Pillow.
Sydney Samson
Co-Video Director at Jacob’s Pillow, Videographer, & Editor
Sydney met Nel as a Video Documentation intern at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 2021, returned to work with Nel in 2022 as an Assistant Video Director, and has continued to work with NSP and Jacob’s Pillow since 2023 as a Video Director. She is a professional dancer and as she roots herself within all of her work. She’s always excited to share her love for dance as a performer, filmmaker, and teacher alike!
Taylor Hutchison
Co-Video Director at Jacob’s Pillow, Videographer, & Editor
Taylor is a Boston-based videographer and editor who specializes in capturing live performing arts. Taylor was one of Nel’s Video Documentation interns at Jacob’s Pillow in 2021. She returned to the Pillow in 2022 as an Assistant Video Director and is now a co-Video Director. During the year, she works with Nel as a videographer, editor, and occasionally as a livestream technician.
Sonia Bartolomeo
Project Manager, Videographer, & Editor
Sonia has always been eager to connect her love for dance with her passion for media. She began working with Nel at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 2021 as Assistant Video Director. Since then, she has managed several NYC-based projects and has worked as a videographer at the 2023 Vail Dance Festival.
Cherylynn Tsushima
Senior Project Manager
Cherylynn is our prominent ray of video team sunshine, and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York as a freelance photographer specializing in live arts photography. She handles all of NSP’s invoicing and payment processing and leads projects with ninja organization skills.
Amber Schmiesing
Livestream Tech & Editor
Amber met Nel at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival as an apprentice in the video department. She has done video work for dance, musicians, corporations, theaters, and weddings, and loves to play with drone footage. Amber is still involved in the dance world, teaching dance to kids age 3-17.
Benjamin Richards
Motion Graphics Designer, Producer, & Editor
Ben is currently the Creative Services Video Designer at University of Nevada in Las Vegas. He has worked with Nel for years since meeting at Jacob’s Pillow, and he continues to work with NSP on livestream projects and other cross-country collaborations.
Amy Jacobus Marketing
Marketing Strategy & Management
Amy Jacobus Marketing dreams big with the entire NSP team and ensures that the company keeps in joyful communication with clients all year long. Also former dancers, Amy’s team specializes in digital marketing for creative entrepreneurs.
“I feel so fortunate to have found Nel and her team. Their filming is superb.”