Melissa Beck Matjias

Lecturer of Dance
mlbeck@umich.edu
734-647-9336

Education:
A.A. (English), College of the Canyons
B.A. (English), M.F.A., Univ. of Michigan

M.F.A (Dance Performance and Choreography), Univ. of Michigan

Melissa Beck Matjias has built a reputation both as a ballet instructor and a choreographer.

Besides teaching for both the Department of Dance and the Department of Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan, Melissa has taught for the Paul Taylor Summer Intensive, Interlochen Arts Camp, Arts Unlimited: A Lincoln Center Institute, and Wolftrap Ohio. Additionally, she has taught for MPulse’s Summer Dance Institute and was the acting director of the program in 2008. Melissa was an adjudicator for the Ohio Dance Festival presented by the Ohio Dance Council (2006).

Ms. Beck Matjias is the 2006 recipient of the Maggie Allesee New Choreography Award presented by the Michigan Dance Council.  In 2004, she was invited to present her choreography in Chicago at Around the Coyote Dance Festival. Melissa has choreographed for dance, opera, theatre, and musical theatre productions. She has had the pleasure of working with renowned directors Robert Benedetti (The Cradle Will Rock) and  Nicolette Molnar (Jackie O). She has been commissioned to create works for the Bates Dance Festival: Youth Arts Program (1999), Bowling Green State University (2001), multiple productions for University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Chamber Music Ann Arbor (2003), and Ann Arbor Dance Works. 

Melissa trained and performed at length with Susan Marlys Zaliouk, former soloist with The Royal Ballet, and performed extensively in Los Angeles as a freelance artist.

School of Music, Theatre & Dance Faculty and Staff Directory:
Alphabetical Listing
Departmental Listing