Artistic Director/Choreographer
Melissa Kelley's Dance Studio of Braintree,LLC was founded by Melissa Kelley in 1991.  Melissa has been teaching the art of dance for 25 years.  She began her own dance education at age 2 ½ with Leslie Vinson and the Quincy School of Ballet.  During her earlier years as a dance student, Melissa danced many principal roles in ballets such as Coppelia, Hansel and Gretal, Alice in Wonderland, La Boutique Fantastique, Circus Days, Cinderella and many more. In 1989, Melissa graduated from The Dance Teacher’s Club of Boston/American Society teacher training course.  Melissa has been a member of DTCB/AS since 1992.  She is certified by test to teach.  Melissa is also a member of the Greater Brockton Dance Teacher's Association and is a past president.  She has also held positions on commitees as well as worked as scholarship chairperson for many years and continues to find extraordinary staff to bring to the club's workshop and competition judging panel.   

While attending Bridgewater State College she was a member of the Dance Company at the college.  Melissa helped with choreography for Winterdance, the annual holiday performance in 1990 and was highlighted as a soloist. 

During the regular dance season Melissa participates in many programs offered by major dance organizations sometimes as a "student" and sometimes as faculty. She has taught for various competition workshops and master classes and has also had the privilage of teaching and judging for DMA Boston as a ballet judge for their scholarhsips.   She has performed for noted composer and choreographer, Dr Leland Owen Clark, and has danced as the soloist in one of his videos for classical piano music.  Melissa also teaches many master classes and choreographs competition pieces for many other dance studios as well as at DSOB.

From 1991-1995, Melissa was the choreographer for the Archbishop Williams High School drama department.  She worked with the students on such plays as Saturday Night Live, Bye-Bye Birdie, The Pajama Game, Pippin, Anything Goes and her favorite, Godspell.  It was this time that gave Melissa a great opportunity to explore her love for stage direction and prodcuing shows outside of her annual dance recitals.  This was a stepping stone towards the big plan...... her own ballet company.

For many years Melissa entered her top level dancers in dance competitions at both regional and nation levels.  Her students have been awarded some of the highest medal standings possible.  Her students have won numerous high scores and special awards.  Melissa has received awards for “overall Excellence” for her ballet and pointe choreography as well “The Carole Miller Award” for having the highest standards for dance education.  Some of Melissa’s students have gone on to win both regional and national dance titles.  Her choreography often wins judges choice awards for the judges favorite. 

Many of Melissa's students have gone on to college after receiving dance scholarships. These scholarships have been awarded from top dance organizations as well as the colleges based on audition and testing scores. Melissa is also proud to have students that have moved on to dance at the professional level as performers, teachers, and choreographers, and directors.

Besides teaching at her own studio, Melissa is often asked to teach master classes in classical ballet, pointe and lyrical dance.  She has taught classes for private dance schools as well as organizations such as Dance Master’s of America, Dance Teacher’s Club of Boston and Dance Ovations Performing Arts  Competition.  Melissa has also worked as a judge at both regional and national levels of competitions and scholarship programs. Melissa developed a special ballet program, " A New Way To Ballet" that she has taught for some of these master classes and it was nationally recognized in Dance Studio Life magazine, where and article all about Melissa and her ideas was available for all to read.

In 1994, Melissa began forming The Braintree Ballet Company.  Since that day the company has continued to grow and is known as a "Gem" on the south shore and a gift to the art community.  The company has provided her students with spectacular opportunities.  Student members perform some of the most loved and well known classical ballets.  The company has performed ballets such as “Cinderella”, “Coppelia”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Hansel and Gretal” a company original tilted “An Evening with Degas”, A Gala Performance, and Melissa’s annual production of “The Nutcracker”.  The company dancers have also had the opportunity to dance selections from Giselle, Swan Lake, A Mid- Summer Night’s Dream and many others including original works of both classical and contemporary dance.

Melissa continues her dance education by attending classes and workshops to provide the most current trends in dance to her students as well as educate her dancers with the newest techniques on classical styles.She continues to give every opportunity to her dancers that she is able to with hopes that they will enjoy the art of dance to it's fullest.