The numerous styles and genres of dance I have trained in give me an arsenal of diverse vocabulary to pull from
photo by Karolina Turek
CHOREOGRAPHER
I used to go with my family to watch the musicals and concerts that came into town and though I always thoroughly enjoyed them I never just came for the show. I was always wondering and observing how they made visual moments and magic happen, from the transitions to the technical aspects, I was fascinated! Now having the opportunity to create for film, television, and live theatre, the thrill I get from making something come to life from merely thoughts on paper is as rewarding to me as being the performer on stage.
CREATIVE
Often times Choreographers get brought in to work with productions on the creative team, and though we may not be giving set choreography or a sequence of steps, our creative insight is drawn on to add to the visual impact of what is being presented. Some examples of this in Melena’s career include staging drones, placing people in a visually pleasing spacing for the camera, walking/traffic patterns, working hand in hand with animators, developing fountain shows, wardrobe suggestions to enhancement the safety of a performance or signify a story line and most often coaching actors or non-dancers movement. You may be surprised at just how many times a creative like Melena will be brought on to a project to add to what may look natural, when in fact it just means we enhanced the production value and excelled at our job!
