Evolving/Revolving: "Angel Like a Bug"

teaches Pilates and Yoga and is a certified Simonson Dance Technique instructor. She
has taught Yoga and Simonson technique classes in Florida at SCD and New College
of Florida. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her dog, play musical
instruments, and spend time in bodies of water. Her choreographic inspiration
comes from patterns in nature and the ways the body copes with life’s unexpected
tides. Jessica loves wellness practices and is currently exploring the topic of mental
health and the roles that trauma plays in our physical bodies—taking time to listen
internally through journaling, watercolor painting, and, of course, dance-making.
Melissa Rummel (Dancer & Studio Coordinator) was
raised in Dryden, Michigan, where she started dancing at
seven. She graduated from Belhaven University with a BFA
in dance, emphasizing modern dance and choreography.
She has trained with companies such as Eisenhower
Dance Ensemble, RiverNorth Chicago, Ad Deum Dance
Company, and Sarasota Contemporary Dance. This is
Melissa’s Eighth season with Sarasota Contemporary
Dance and fourth as Studio Coordinator. Melissa is the
Associate Director for SCD Ensemble(Student Training program) and the SCD Summer
Intensive Director. She is passionate about teaching and teaches with SCD and
Woodland Fine Arts Academy. She also enjoys fitness and its positive effect on others
and strives to find new ways to combine her love of dance and fitness. She strives
never to stop stretching herself as a performer, choreographer, and teacher.
Monessa Salley (Dancer & Production Lead), South
Carolina native, has been with SCD for five consecutive
seasons, dancing, performing, choreographing, and
teaching professionally with Sarasota Contemporary
Dance Company, serving as Production Lead for the past
two seasons. After attending an SCD summer intensive in
2015, she knew this was a special organization, but it was
not until 2019 that she seized an opportunity to join this
unique company. Her desire to build community relations aligns with the company’s
mission, in addition to it being a safe and nurturing space that fosters artistic growth
in performance, teaching, and choreography. In addition to her work at SCD, she is a
Teaching Artist for New College of Florida an adjunct Dance Educator for the Booker
High School VPA Dance Department. She serves as an Arts Integration Teaching Artist
for several organizations, including The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Wholehearted
Education, and Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative. Salley enjoys choreographing for
musical theater and recently served as Assistant Choreographer for West Coast Black
Theater Troupe. She began training in dance at a young age and is well-versed in
various genres. She holds a B.A. in Dance Performance from Winthrop University and
a Masters of Education in Divergent Learning from Columbia College. After continued
education and serving as a certified Dance Educator and Theater Production Manager
for 12 years in SC public school, she went on to pursue her MFA in Dance Performance
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