Our Staff

Originally from San Diego, Melissa began her dance training under the direction of Michelle Noblejas-Bartolomei at Balletcenter West. There she studied classical ballet intensely and was featured in many ballets including as the title role in Snow White and as Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. To broaden her dance knowledge, she also studied modern ballet, jazz, dance history, choreography, and improvisation at Coronado School of the Arts for 2 years. She went on to join City Ballet of San Diego as a trainee where she danced in several ballets by resident choreographer Elizabeth Wistrich, in George Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht Ballet, and as an original cast member of Geoffrey Gonzalez's Mechanical (E)Motion. While performing with City Ballet of San Diego in 2010, she began her teaching career at Ballet center West instructing students in all levels of ballet and privately coaching pointe and variations. In order to further her performing career, she moved to train with Miami City Ballet School for the 2011-2012 season. Here she had the opportunity to study and perform many ballets by George Balanchine and August Bournonville, including as a Russian Girl in Balanchine's Serenade and as the Sylph in Bournonville's La Slyphide. Additionally, she has trained and performed through summer programs at the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell, and Ballet Austin. She danced professionally as an Apprentice with Ballet Austin, performing in Stephen Millls' Not Afraid of the Dark, The Nutcracker, and Luminaria and Bournonville's Napoli. As well as that, she had the opportunity to be involved in the creation of Nelly Van Bommel's Snow White, which was taken on tour throughout Texas, and danced a featured role in the world premiere of Jennifer Hart's Wavemakers. She is currently pursuing dance as much as possible and most recently performed with The Dance Project for their May 2015 production, "Sentiments". In addition to teaching at AcroTex Dance since August 2013, she currently teaches at several schools throughout Austin, Texas and hopes to continue teaching and passing on her love of dance for as long as possible.