Melissa Zaremba
Melissa grew up on Long Island, NY and in Colorado Springs, CO. She has been dancing since she couldn’t walk; beginning ballet at age 2 ½ as a means to correct ante version of her hips in place of surgery, and has been dancing ever since. She graduated Cum Laude from Oklahoma City University with a BPA in Dance Performance and is currently obtaining her MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University. She has been performing, teaching and choreographing professionally for 15 years. She spent 8 years as a Radio City Rockette (half as a Swing), a year tapping across the country on the First National Tour of “42nd Street,” and some time in the National’s Capital as a Principal Dancer in “Showboat” at the Kennedy Center. She has performed and Dance Captained dozens of shows at Regional Theaters including: 42nd Street, Shout!, For The Boys (World Premiere- Originated the role of Victoria Lee), My One and Only, Now and Forever, 9 to 5, Mary Poppins, Cabaret, Cats, On the Town (Marriott Theatre – Chicago), Sweet Charity and Cabaret (Drury Lane – Chicago), The Most Happy Fella (Ravinia- Chicago), Showboat (Lyric Opera of Chicago), 42nd Street, The Music Man and Meet Me in St Louis (The MUNY- St Louis), Pippin and Carousel (Lyric Theater of Oklahoma). She has also performed as a guest on Dancing With the Stars, for Holland America Cruise Lines and at the Flo-Bert Tap Awards in NYC. She has Directed and Choreographed for theaters in Colorado, Georgia, Texas, New York and Chicago. Credits include: La Cage Aux Folles, Sister Act and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Choreographer, Marriott Theatre- Chicago), Addams Family, and All Shook Up (Choreographer, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre- Colorado), Smokey Joe’s Café and A Taffeta Christmas (Director/Choreographer -The Legacy Theatre – Atlanta), Mary Poppins (Choreographer- Abilene Christian University), A Funny Thing Happened….(Northwestern University). She served as Assistant Director of “Showboat” with The Dallas Opera. Her most recent choreographic work was seen Off-Broadway this past summer in “Attack of the Elvis Impersonators.” She was a Spokesmodel/Product Specialist for Honda Automotive for 6 years working special events across the country. She has served as Adjunct Faculty for Roosevelt University and Columbia College in Chicago as well as a Guest Artist at Abilene Christian University. She has taught both the Rockette Summer Intensive (as seen on MTV) and Rockette Experience at Radio City Music Hall. She is currently exploring dance/choreography in un-traditional capacities while working on her thesis studying dance in National Parks through Artistic Residency.