FULL LENGTH BIO

BIO

Neil Giroday was raised in a small town on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. He spent his adolescence as a competitive figure skater. Coached by Linda Brauckmann, Neil was the Junior Men’s Figure Skating Champion of Canada; Silver Medalist at the Canada Winter Games, Western Canadian Senior and Novice Men’s Champion, and was named Most Artistic Skater in British Columbia.

ACTING SCHOOL

  Neil is a graduate of the Professional 

Workshop at the Circle in the Square where he 

studied acting with Larry Moss, Alan Langdon, 

Nikos Psacharopoulos and Edward Berkeley. 

He studied the Meisner Technique for 5 years  

with William Alderson (Associate Director of 

the Neighborhood Playhouse with Sanford Meisner 

for 20 years), and Fred Kareman at Carnegie Hall Studios

FILM  

Neil has played principal roles in 15 films including My Dinner with Shakespeare, FILUM, Prisoner of War, The Ongoing Audition, Max Lozzer, Fathers and Gaiety, and Margaret and the Dollhouse, which won Honourable Mention at the Montreal World Film Festival.  

STAGE

Neil has performed in theatres across Europe and North America. He played Alonzo, Mr Mistoffelees, and Skimbleshanks for more than 5 years with the Vienna, Zurich, Basel, and First International Tour of Cats. Other musicals include 3 productions of A Chorus Line (Greg), and the Wizard of Oz (in which he played the Lion for 8 months.) 

He apprenticed and acted with the Mirror Repertory Company, and is a Charter member of the OHIO Theatre in SOHO New York. His numerous plays include All My Sons (Chris), Home of the Brave (Coney), Enemies (Ryabtsov), Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth (Ophelia),  Orphans (Phillip), and Three Sisters (Andrei).

DANCE: 

Neil was fortunate to be taught to dance 

by Master Teacher Lynn Simonson, who awarded 

him her scholarship to the Jacob’s Pillow Dance 

Festival, and put him on faculty at Dance New 

Amsterdam; her studio in New York. 

He was awarded a full scholarship at Steps NYC 

where he studied Fosse with Ann Reinking, 

Theatre Dance with Michael Owens, Ballet with 

Peff Modelski, and Floor Barre with Zena Rommett.  

TEACHING: 

A Certified Simonson Technique Dance and 

Movement Instructor, Giroday has taught Musical 

Theatre Dance and Movement for Actors at numerous studios in New York and in Vancouver.

Neil is a member of SAG-AFTRA, UBCP-ACTRA, AEA and CAEA.

Student comments:


"The warm up became something I had to do 

before every show"


"Thank you for teaching me that dance is 

something anyone can do"


"Thank you for your passion and 

endless enthusiasm"


"Class is so positive and encouraging"


"I loved the upbeat atmosphere"


"I've now found my standing leg. Thank you."


"You changed the way I look at dance."


"Class was so freeing"

 

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Art seems persuaded there is beauty in 

anything,  Absolutely anything.   
                                                                    

Sherwood Anderson