Melissa Hough
Position
Regional, National Faculty
Dance Specialty
Best Advice to Young Dancers
"Figure out what drives you to dance (besides passion) and then find a way within your work to feed that drive. It is not an easy thing to figure out, nor is it simple to nourish, but it is worth searching for."
Favorite Thing about an NYCDA Weekend?
"The energy! There is always so much passion and commitment surrounding the weekend. I never leave uninspired, excited about dance! I've felt this way about NYCDA for 20 years, which is amazing!"
Background
Melissa grew up dancing and competing in Maryland before becoming serious about ballet and attending the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC. She has danced professionally with BalletMet in Columbus, OH, as a principal dancer with Boston Ballet, and currently is a First Soloist with Houston Ballet. She has worked closely with choreographers such as Andy Blankenbeuhler, Mia Michaels, Nicolo Fonte and Jorma Elo and has danced works by Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp & George Balanchine, among many others. She is a three time NYCDA National Outstanding Dancer - Junior, Teen and Senior.
Stage Performances
Melissa has worked as a professional dancer for 10 years, and has graced stages all over the world, including Boston, New York, Houston, Canada, Spain, Korea, Germany, Poland, and Helsinki.
TV/Film Performances
Credits include the feature film "The Game Plan".
Choreography
Melissa’s choreography credits include "Zero Hour" for Boston Ballet, "C Sharp Minor" for Houston Ballet.
Teaching Credits
Melissa has taught at various studios around the country- most recently she was a guest teacher for Houston Metropolitan Dance and Hopestone in Houston, TX. She has choreographed works on Boston Ballet 2, Houston Ballet as well as produced and choreographed fashion shows in Boston.