Melissa RolnickFaculty

Melissa Rolnick began her training in New York with Andre Eglevsky, Valentina Pereyaslavic and Maggie Black in ballet (and floor barre with Zena Rommett). After receiving a B.F.A. from SUNY Purchase College she studied on scholarship at the Merce Cunningham Studio. In the the San Francisco Bay Area she danced with the San Francisco Moving Company, Cliff Keuter's New Dance Company and the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company touring nationally and internationally. She has also performed with many other notable choreographers including Joe Goode, Emily Keeler, Elina Mooney,and Mel Wong. She has an M.F.A. from Mills College and has taught at Sonoma State University, Western Washington University, Arizona State University (receiving the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Herberger College), and California State University Fresno. Her choreography has been produced at all of the above institutions including Dancer's Group San Francisco, On the Boards Seattle (12 Minutes Max), Kaleidoscope Dance, Firehouse Performing Arts, Cornish College for the Arts, University of Texas Pan American, Scottsdale Center for the Arts, Glendale Community College, Contemporary Dance Wyoming and Jacksonville Dance Theatre. Studies in Gaga both in Israel and the United States have been transformative. She was the recipient of the Frederick P Lenz Foundation Fellowship for Buddhist Studies and American Culture and Values at Naropa University during the spring of 2015. At Naropa she began developing MEISA- Movement-Exploration-Imagination-Sensation-Awareness a somatic, contemplative and creative practice. Melissa has also presented at many national conferences including the Congress on Research in Dance, the World Dance Alliance and the National Dance Education Organization. In recent years she has presented at the Jews and Jewishness in Dance Conference and the Body IQ International Somatics Festival. She has been teaching full-time at Gustavus since 2007.  She is currently an Associate Professor of Dance in the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Experience

• Former dance company member with Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, Cliff Keuter's New Dance Company, San Francisco Moving Company
• Performed professionally with many other notable choreographers
• Has taught and choreographed at Sonoma State University, Western Washington University, Arizona State University, Cal State Fresno, Cornish College

Teaching Areas

• Fundamental - Advanced Modern Technique
• Beginning Ballet
• Composition 1
• Composition 2
• Creative Process

Courses Taught