As a dancer, choreographer, and occupational therapist working in a rehabilitation centre, Melissa quickly realized the lack of recreational activities offered in the community for people with special needs. This lead her to co-found Projet RAD in 2012, an inclusive urban dance program for special needs youth. In parallel to her occupational therapist work, Melissa is involved in multiple dance companies in Montreal and Laval, teaching and choreographing. She is constantly on the lookout for new opportunities for projects and training.
to express myself as well as connect with myself, music and others.
ith passion and purpose.
by closing my eyes and letting the music lead me.
Mélissa earned her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from McGill University in 2008. She worked for several years as an occupational therapist at the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre as part of the Motor Developmental Disorders Program and was a facilitator for Viomax and the Avie program. Through these experiences, she developed her abilities for therapy, teaching, and adaptation, as well as her sense of organization and capacity to work in a team. Noticing a lack of recreational activities offered in the community, in 2012, she and 2 partners co-founded Projet RAD, and inclusive urban dance program to offer dance to special needs youth, but also in an effort to combine her two passions, namely dance and occupational therapy.
She has been dancing since the age of 3, particularly concentrating on contemporary dance and jazz ballet. It is only over the last few years that she has fallen in love with the essence of urban dance and thrown herself into this style with all her heart and soul. In only one year, she managed to join the elite hip-hop group C4 and teach at over 10 dance schools and studios across Montreal and Laval. More recently, Mélissa joined the Primadanse event team, where she runs thematic dance workshops in primary and secondary schools, day camps, youth centres, etc. She also teaches hip-hop dance classes at certain Montreal youth centres. In addition, she organizes several dance shows and works as a professional choreographer. She continues to improve herself at several dance schools in Montreal, Laval, Toronto and New York.
