Kelley Abbey

Kelley Abbey
Kelley Abbey
Born	July 28, 1966 (age 60); Brisbane, Australia
Occupation(s)	Performer, choreographer, vocalist, dancer
Years active	Over two decades
Known for	Portrayal of Jo-Jo Adams in E Street; choreography for Hair, Grease – the Arena Spectacular, The Boy from Oz; associate director for Strictly Ballroom the Musical

Kelley Abbey (born 28 July 1966) is a distinguished Australian performer, choreographer, vocalist, and dancer with a career exceeding two decades in television, cinema, and musical theatre. She gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Jo-Jo Adams in the soap series E Street.

In 2003, Abbey took on the role of Sheila in the Australian production of Hair and later appeared as Rizzo in an arena rendition of Grease. She also contributed as choreographer for the arena tour Grease – the Arena Spectacular. Her choreography portfolio includes notable works such as Follies at the Sydney Opera House, Footloose, and Hugh Jackman’s arena tour of The Boy from Oz, which earned her a Helpmann Award alongside Kenny Ortega.

Career

Abbey’s choreography expertise extends to productions including Xanadu, Funny Girl featuring Caroline O'Connor, Jesus Christ Superstar, Miracle City, and Cabaret. She has collaborated with Opera Australia on Gail Edwards's productions of both Carmen and Salome, including a John Bell-directed staging at the Sydney Opera House. In 2010, Abbey directed and choreographed a revival of Fame the Musical, securing another Helpmann Award, and acted as associate director to Baz Luhrmann for Strictly Ballroom the Musical.

She plays a vital role mentoring emerging artists across Australia, focusing on fostering creativity and professional mindset within the entertainment sector. Her contributions were recognized at the Choreography Media Honours in Los Angeles for her involvement in the Oscar-winning film Happy Feet, where she also served as head motion capture consultant and principal performer.

Abbey’s film choreography credits include In Her Skin, featuring Guy Pearce and Sam Neill, in which she also performed. In 2004, she facilitated the debut of the one-woman play "Yours for Humanity – Abby," underscoring her dedication to historical storytelling.

She has been featured as a guest judge and choreographer on the U.S. edition of So You Think You Can Dance and contributes to its international versions. Additionally, she represented Australia on NBC’s reality competition Superstars of Dance. More recently, Abbey has fulfilled the roles of creative director and choreographer for the sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars Australia.

Patronage

Abbey is deeply engaged with supporting arts initiatives, holding positions such as Patron of the Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge and Ambassador for Dancelife Unite as well as The Australian Dance Festival. She hosted Women 2000, a nationwide conference commemorating 150 years since the inaugural National Woman's Rights Convention, which produced the original play "Angels and Infidels." Her efforts to honor women’s achievements include projects like installing portraits of Clara Barton, Abby Kelley Foster, Dorothea Dix, and Lucy Stone at Mechanics Hall.

Her outstanding performance in Sweet Charity earned her both a Green Room Award and Variety Heart awards. Moreover, her work on Fame the Musical was recognized with a Mo Award along with an additional Green Room Award acknowledging her choreography excellence.

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (known simply as the Mo Awards) were annual accolades celebrating achievements within Australia’s entertainment industry. Kelley Abbey received two awards during this era.

1997	Kelley Abbey	Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year	Template:Won
1999	Kelley Abbey	Female Dance Performer/Choreographer of the Year	Template:Won

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