Melissa Jones
Contemporary

Bachelor of Dance, Honours (VCA)

Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction (NPT)

A.R.A.D. (Royal Academy of Dance)

MELISSA JONES is a professional contemporary dancer, choreographer, movement educator and assessor.

In 2017 Melissa performed in Australia’s biannual contemporary dance festival, Dance Massive. Performing in two works, Small Details and Tiny Slopes. Melissa has performed in award winning works by Shian Law (Body Obscure Object , Proximate Edifice. Psycho), Opera Australia (The Ring Cycle), Zoe Scoglio (Shadow in Blue). Nat Cursio (Tiny Slopes Blizzard, With a Bullet: Remastered) Sandra Parker (Automaton, Small Details, Three Angles), Pomare Productions, ADT anniversary (Dancers with Dirty Feet), Robert McCredie (Who Knows What) amoung others.
Melissa received an Ian Potter Cultural Trust Grant and an Australia Council Artstart grant, to develop her improvisational and somatic practice, performing internationally. Melissa was named as a ‘dancer/choreographer to watch’ in Dance Australia after premiering Disquiet. Then choreographing Gather Way, for Lucy Guerin Inc’s Pieces for Small Spaces, supported by the Fling Flying High Residency. Melissa studied at VCASS and The Australian Ballet School, before graduating VCA with a Bachelor of Dance Honours, awarded The Phillip Law Travel Scholarship to dance with Rosalind Crisp and The Forsythe Company in europe.

As a teacher Melissa has taught contemporary dance, classical ballet, improvisation, choreography and movement for actors at private full time institutions and universities including The Victorian College of the Arts and The National Theatre Drama School. Along with local dance schools. Melissa is also a highly regarded pilates instructor.  Having taught professional dancers, circus artists, athletes, VCA and Australian Ballet students. While mentoring pilates diploma students and recent graduates.