Melissa started her dance career at 4-years-old, at Dance Elite Studio for the Arts. Melissa also trained in gymnastics and figure skating, however she fell in love with dance and performing onstage. During her 14 years of dance, she trained in various disciplines, including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap (her favourite!), hip-hop, lyrical, acro, musical theatre, and modern dance. Melissa was a member of Dance Elite’s competition team for 12 years, earning many special awards and workshop scholarships. She also competed with the Canadian National Tap Team that traveled to Germany to compete in the 2008 World Dance Championships. Melissa performed with the Ballet Jorgen Canada in a production of The Nutcracker as two characters, and competed with the Carleton University Dance Team.

Melissa graduated from the concurrent education program with a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Studies from Ryerson University, and a Bachelor of Education for the Primary/Junior level from York University, earning many special recognition awards and scholarships. Melissa has always loved working with children, and spent many years working with the Town of Milton as a one-on-one support worker for children with special needs, assisting dance classes with The Dance Ability Movement, tutoring, and working in childcare settings. Over the past few years, Melissa has taught summer dance classes, and has been a supply teacher for Dance Elite. Melissa is ecstatic to be joining the amazing staff at Dance Elite this year as an official faculty member! For Melissa, dance has been her happy place, an outlet during difficult times, with her fellow dancers becoming her best friends, and the staff becoming positive role models. Dance Elite was a second home for Melissa, so she is thrilled to be able to teach at the studio where she spent her childhood!