Shelley Straff:  

Life Prior to attending PCPA (Phila. college of Performing Arts) on a full scholarship, I spent my freshman yr. at Temple U. on a partial scholarship. Due to a serious dance accident in 1987, I was paralyzed for almost 2 yrs. and, due to the extent of my injuries, I deveoped a very rare neurological condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. It's a condition that attacts all the involuntary organs of your body while causing CONSTANT unbearable pain. I started working w/ the Phila. Civic Ballet Co. as the asst. to the director in a fund raising position, but in 1994 I made my debut as a disabled dancer. Wearing hip-to-toe leg braces I created my own "free-form" style of dance and it's debut was at the Annenberg Theater during the dance co's. 40th anniversary gala. I've been doing telethons (mostly out of the country) since then, but recently that work has dried up. I'm currently writing an outline for a screenplay and am searching for a screenwriter to help me develop it. I'm hoping to use some of the contacts that I've made w/ famous people that I've met while doing these telethons to get the movie produced. Everyone cross your fingers for me!! In the meantime I'm still developing/adding on to the current outline and have every intention of being an intrigal part of the actual production of the movie. That is why I chose to write a screenplay instead of an autobiography. Anyone out there who is in the business, please feel free to help me out in any way possible. Trust me, it's ...Expand for more