About MDG

An LA native now settling in the Lenape Territory, Melani is an embodied performer, educator, and community space holder. Upon receiving her B.F.A in Dance and Sociology from LOYOLA Marymount, Melani danced as a guest artist for a season in Lula Washington Dance Theatre before traveling to Israel to study under Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company 6 month Masa program. She has performed works by Daniel Ezralow, Barak Marshall, Bernard Brown, and Lilian Barbeito. In 2016 she moved to New York and has worked as a freelance movement artist with choreographers and producers such as Anne Bogart, Prospect Theatre Company, Jesca Prudencio, Bill T. Jones, Leimay Ensemble, Raja Feather Kelly, and Florence Montmair.

Besides performing for companies and productions, Melani’s movement practice involves collaborating with classical and contemporary musicians. She’s created a duo movement language with Double Bassist, Sarah Favinger; sharing improvised works on reclaiming, rejoicing, and revisiting lineages. She enjoys collaborating from a place of healing and performing in community spaces that allow accessibility.

Melani has presented her interdisciplinary solo works at Dixon Place, Liberty DanceHall NJ, NYC10, and ArtShareLa, Be The Cure, and Leimay’s OUTSIGHT 2022. Along with being a movement artist, Melani is a Teaching Artist for Marquis Studios, developing her therapeutic movement curriculum working with students of all ages and the neuro-diverse. In December 2019, she received her certification in Teachers’ College Cultural Responsive Pedagogy from Columbia University. 

The heart of her work is rooted in healing, sensual embodiment, and social justice. She integrates her diverse practices and collaborative partnerships into site-specific solo works, sound baths, dance films, and movement offerings. Melani reclaims her power and truth by studying somatic movement practices, mysticism through astrology, and community activism. Her evolving purpose is to create potent and inspiring medicine projects, initiatives, works, spaces, and movements to elevate the way all bodies exist inclusively.