Melissa Schoenfeld

Raised in Shawnee, OK

Lives & works in Fort Smith, OK

 

Profile

I am dance educator in the Arkansas River Valley. I have served many areas of this organization over the 35 years I have been with Western Arkansas Ballet. I am confident that my professional experience and my commitment to the dance profession will provide a strong foundation for my next endeavor of becoming certified to teach Dance for Parkinson's at the Arkansas Colleges for Health and Education Wellness and Research Center. 

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Experience

Executive Artistic Director 

Western Arkansas Ballet (WAB) Fort Smith, AR — 2010-2024

In my role as the Executive Artistic Director, I have focused on the expansion of outreach programming and fundraising throughout the River Valley Region. These activities further the mission of WAB which is “to create a community dedicated to the fine arts through quality dance education training and performance”. This expansion has challenged me and added depth to my experience in development and management of successful programs and fundraisers which positively impact Fort Smith and greater River Valley Region . Our outreach programming now includes BOST Human Development (“a community-based nonprofit agency providing services for individuals in Western Arkansas who have mental and developmental disabilities”). I teach dance at the Children’s Development Center. My goal is to use dance experiences to support these children in their development and readiness for kindergarten. 

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As a non-profit dance academy and regional dance company, WAB relies on fundraising as a key pillar to it's growth both financially and socially. I have developed a fundraiser that showcases WAB and promotes education to our patrons. With the help of my staff, we have developed and launched a  social and performance evening housed in an art museum that is connected to a historic theatre. This event in its second year enables us to socialize with our patrons before and after a performance of our company in a newly renovated art museum.  Adding collaborations with area nonprofits has always been a goal of WAB and this event checked many boxes for us. We have also danced for our  local Fort Smith Symphony and other nonprofit organizational fundraisers.

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Artistic Director 

Western Arkansas Ballet Fort Smith Ar — 1988-2009

All of the duties with this title carry into the Executive Artistic Director.  Artistic Director for me has always been faculty, choreographer and developer of our academy and company. I teach predominantly ballet and some tap. My classes incorporate a broad age range, from young children 4-years of age to adult classes and are held four days a week. Also my teaching responsibilities also include teaching for our local University Theatre degree program and past and present outreach programming. All of our outreach programming has been with children, focusing on using dance to help them learn and grow.

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I have set multiple full-length ballets including our most recent  2022  performance "The Nutcracker" ( 36th annual). Other performances include Cinderella 2008-2010 and 2019, Peter Pan 2014 and 2022,  Alice in Wonderland 2011, 2016 and 2021 and Wizard of Oz 2023. Our performances include dancers from our academy and the community. Since we are nonprofit, we have purchased all the costumes and sets which enables greater access and involvement of dancers to be a part of our large productions.

During my years with Western Arkansas Ballet, I have prepared our regional company for membership in Regional Dance America (RDA). RDA is a national organization that promotes dance in it’s highest cultural form. RDA is divided into 5 regions. WAB is a member of the Southwest Region. Each Spring each region of RDA attends Festival. During Festival the dancers take classes from renowned faculty from across the United States. In the evenings Member companies perform. My choreography has been chosen several times to be shown at Regional Dance America Southwest Festival.  WAB has also hosted this event in Fort Smith in 2013 and will again in 2025.

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Education

University of Oklahoma, Norman Oklahoma Bachelors of Fine Arts Ballet Pedagogy  -  1985

University of Oklahoma, Norman Oklahoma Masters of Fine Arts Ballet Pedagogy -1991