shelley yacopetti
 

Bio

Shelley Yacopetti is an accomplished arts executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience across the professional dance, education, and cultural sectors. Her career spans senior governance, organisational management, higher education, and professional training, underpinned by deep sector knowledge and a commitment to strategic excellence.

Shelley trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), completing a Diploma of Performing Arts in 1993, and later returned to WAAPA to complete a Bachelor of Arts by thesis in Reflective Teaching Practices in 2013. Her early professional career as a performer included engagements with Tasdance, Fieldworks Performance Group, and ID339, touring nationally and internationally and collaborating with leading choreographers.

Since joining the Royal Academy of Dance in 2013, Shelley has progressed through a series of senior leadership roles, including Regional Manager Western Australia and Head of Department – Faculty of Education. She is currently the National Director, where she is responsible for organisational governance, people leadership, strategic planning, and the overall operational performance of RAD in Australia.