melissa west is an independent mover, choreographer and poet based in New York City. She graduated from Hunter College with a double-degree in Dance and English. Since 2008, melissa has presented work at venues throughout the city, including the Alice Austen House, Corson Gallery, the Living Theater, Nicu’s Spoon Theater, Triskelion Arts, Art by the Ferry, and the Bowery Poetry Club. She has danced for Barbara Mahler, Olsi Gjeci, Yoshiko Chuma and Gerald Otte. In addition to her performance career, melissa has worked with Staten Island Collaborative (SiCoLab), Public Acts of Decency, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, LaMama e.t.c., the East Village Dance Project, Hunter College Performing Arts, Movement Research, and was production assistant to Yoshiko Chuma and the School of Hard Knocks (2010, ACE One Project). During the summer, melissa danced for Marta Renzi at the Yard on Martha's Vineyard. She enjoys writing, making things, and believes strongly in advocating an inclusive, merit-based arts community.
In addition to making dances, melissa is an active poet. She has read her poems at the Muddy Cup Cafe, the Bowery Poetry Club, Bar 82 and has participated in peer writing workshops throughout nyc. She also had the pleasure of reading at the West Tisbury Library on Martha's Vineyard. Her poems are periodically published here on the independent mover shaker. She hopes to publish a chapbook in the near future.
