Melissa VanGeffen (Ballet, Pointe)

Melissa began her dance training with  Kim Mangerchine at the Slidell School of
Dance where she developed a deep passion and love for the art of dance. Because
of the talent Melissa displayed she was accepted into the New Orleans Center
for the Creative Arts school, also known as NOCCA, where she trained in
different styles of dance including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Modern. There she
had the privilege to study under accomplished dancers and instructors such as
Denise Oustalet, Alton Geno, and Lula Elzy. She was also a student at the
Giacobbe Academy of Dance where she was fortunate to train under Joseph and
GwenDelle Giacobbe and Richard Rholdon. For several years she performed as a
soloist dancer for the Delta Festival Ballet and New Orleans Youth Ballet,
where she performed in such ballets as The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Sleeping
Beauty, and Aladdin. During this time she began teaching others the art of
dance as a faculty instructor at the Giacobbe Academy of Dance in Slidell,
where she remained for over 20 years. Melissa is very excited to share her
knowledge, passion, and love of dance with the students of The Dance Project
this coming year.