Owner/Artistic Director-
Melanie is thrilled to share both her love of dance - and her dedication to the arts - with all of her students at her studio, the Artistic Edge Dance Center. Melanie began her dance career in New York City, where she was a professional dancer/actor/singer, dance teacher and choreographer for over a decade. She received her training at two of New York’s foremost dance studios, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and Broadway Dance Center (BDC), where she also taught classes to professional dancers, as well as children as part of BDC's Children's Program. Many of her award-winning students danced professionally in Broadway productions, or as Radio City Rockettes.
After moving to Greenville in 2004, Melanie taught at several upstate dance studios where her students won top prizes in major regional and national competitions. She has also earned a growing reputation as a professional choreographer. Her critically acclaimed productions for the Greenville Symphony include the choreography for Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale and Holiday at Peace in 2009 and 2010 with International Ballet Academy (IBA). IBA used Melanie's choreography to "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" again in 2013. In addition, she also choreographed many contemporary and jazz pieces for International Ballet, including the critically acclaimed "Bump in the Night" in the spring of 2010. Along with teaching classes, choreographing, and running a studio, Melanie also enjoys traveling and judging for many nationals competitions.
Melanie’s stage credits include Guys and Dolls, Pippin, Anything Goes, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Brigadoon, The King and I, A Salute To Hollywood at NYC’s Lincoln Center, The Cotton Club Review in Japan and as a “Bond Girl” in The Magic of Allen Valentine in Atlantic City, NJ. She has been a professional dancer for Cunard Cruise Lines and performed throughout the New York area as a member of several dance companies, including The Reach Dance Project, Linda Diamond and Co, and 8 Count Dance Company. Some of Melanie’s television credits include a regular dancer/actor, as well as assistant choreographer, on the WB sitcom NIKKI starring Nikki Cox, episodes of Law and Order: SVU, Sex and the City, and Video Zone. Film credits include Far From Heaven, Angels in America, and The Stand In, Catch Me If You Can, Taxi, Two Weeks Notice, 25th Hour, School of Rock, Anything Else.