Anne Marie Melendez

Anne Marie Melendez is currently in her seventh season at Ballet Austin. She began her ballet training in Torrance, California with Diane Lauridsen at the Lauridsen Ballet Centre. Ms. Melendez has previously performed with the South Bay Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, and Nevada Ballet Theatre.

She has appeared in works by Twyla Tharp, Marius Petipa, Alun Jones, Nicolo Fonte, David Parsons, Ron Cunningham, Val Caniparoli, Choo-San Goh, George Balanchine and has had more than twenty original works created for her by Stephen Mills, Charles Maple, Thaddeus Davis, William Whitener, Susan Hadley, Jacques Heim, Robert Sund, Ann Marie DeAngelo, Thang Dao and Gina Patterson.

Professionally, her favorite roles include Ophelia in Stephen Mills’ Hamlet, the White Cat in The Sleeping Beauty, Cupid in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an evil Stepsister in Cinderella, one of Kitri’s Friends and Cupid in Don Quixote, and originating the role of the Tsarevna in Stephen Mills’ Firebird. Ms. Melendez has been proud to represent Ballet Austin on tour to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and at the Joyce Theatre in New York City.

Ms Melendez is a contributing blogger at theWinger.com as well as an avid dance photographer. Together with her husband and fellow company dancer, Paul, Ms. Melendez runs a photography and graphic design company, Bloodygood Pictures, and has recently had her work featured in Pointe Magazine.

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