MELISSA BAKER

Melissa Baker began her dance career with Prince Ballet in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1994. Her training includes ballet, modern, jazz, flamenco, Latin, and ballroom. She studied with Endelecia and Gina M. Prince and attended master classes as part of Lake Charles Civic Ballet's 35th Annual Festival. Performance credits include principal roles in The Nutcracker, Seasons, Swan Lake, Coppelia, and The Sleeping Beauty, with the following companies: The Foundation under Alex Ossadnik, Moving People Dance Theatre under Ron Stewart, and New Mexico Ballet Company under Suzanne M. Johnston and Patricia Dickinson. She also performed in several University of New Mexico faculty shows under Bill Evans, Jennifer Predock-Linnel, and Donna Jewell. In 2005, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance with an emphasis in choreography. Melissa is a professional Latin dancer and teaches salsa partner classes at UNM. When she is not dancing, Melissa enjoys a successful, professional career with Unifirst Corporation.