Meet Melissa Schade

Melissa is a choreographer, movement director, entertainer, and teacher whose work explores the connection between emotion, music, and physical storytelling.

With over 25 years of experience in dance and performance, Melissa has built a career that moves fluidly across many worlds: film, television, musical theatre, concert dance, music videos, fashion, live performance, and immersive events. Her work has taken her from professional stages and film sets to rehearsal studios, classrooms, and community dance spaces.

As a former performer, Melissa understands movement from both sides of the stage — as the person performing and as the person guiding the work. That perspective allows her to collaborate closely with actors, musicians, models, dancers, athletes, and non-dancers alike, helping each person find movement that feels authentic, confident, and expressive.

Melissa’s background as a teacher deeply shapes her creative work. She is especially skilled at translating choreography and physical ideas for people who may not have formal dance training. Whether working with seasoned performers or complete beginners, she knows how to break down movement in a way that makes it accessible, expressive, and performable.

This ability to bridge artistry and education allows Melissa to guide performers of all kinds in discovering their physical voice — whether preparing for a role, developing stage presence for live performance, or bringing choreography to life on camera or on stage.

Alongside her professional work, Melissa remains deeply committed to community and teaching. Her open dance classes create a joyful space where dancers and non-dancers alike can move, sweat, and reconnect with their bodies through music and movement.

Melissa believes dance should feel as much like a celebration as it does a craft — and that movement has the power to connect people to themselves, to each other, and to the stories they want to tell.