A.J. Harpold
Candidate for City Council · Salem City · Independent
On the ballot for Virginia's November 3, 2026 election.
About A.J. Harpold
Facts About Me Page: I am currently opening an afternoon tea room in the downtown business district in Salem, VA . I hope the Gilded Rose Tea Room will become a cornerstone of the community and a gathering space for small events and celebrations for all ages. I am currently the Secretary-Treasurer of the Choreographers Guild, a 501 (c) 5 labor union advancing the causes of choreographers working in film in television. The Choreographers Guild just recently celebrated a major victory getting union coverage under SAG-AFTRA for choreographers working in film and television. This win came on the heels of another big step for the Guild, getting category credit on IMDB and verified badge status for its membership. I am a Board Member of the G. W. Carver PTA in Salem, a Member of the Salem/ Ro Co. Chamber of Commerce & the Salem Museum, and a Volunteer at Feeding Southwest. Prior to moving back to the Roanoke Valley my daughter and I lived in California where I worked as a Choreographer, Performance Producer, Stage Director and Movement Coach for Film, Television, Live Music Touring and Music Video. With Choreography & Appearances on the Oscars, the Super Bowl LII, the Super Bowl LVI, the MTV Video Music Awards, the VH1 Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards, the CMT Awards, the BRIT Awards, Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards, the Young & the Restless, Saturday Night Live and the Tonight show, I have had years of experience working on some of the biggest productions on television. I had the opportunity to work along side some of the biggest names in dance, in music and television. As my career evolved I leant my talents in choreography, production & performance to the Dreamworks Animated films: Shrek Forever After, Trolls, Trolls World Tour & Trolls 3. I have choreographed performances and worked in Stage Direction for Cirque du Soleil, the boy band One Direction, The Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Justin Timberlake & the Tennessee Kids, Sean Kingston, Brandon Flowers, Bebe Rexha, Thomas Rhett & RaeLynn; as well as commercials for Caress Body Wash, DHL, Old Navy, Wild Turkey, Badoit Sparkling Water and Target.