Melanie Dalaly-Slobodecki (originally from Naperville, IL) fell in love with dance at a young age. She always knew she wanted to pursue the art form professionally. She took residency in Pittsburgh, PA from 2014-2018 to earn her B.F.A at Point Park University and Conservatory, graduating magna cum laude. At Point Park, the program was multi-faceted, with training in Jazz, Ballet,Modern, Contemporary Partnering, Dance History, Kinesiology, Improvisation,and Composition. Prior to Point Park, she had the privilege of studying underthe direction of Lizzie MacKenzie at Extensions Dance Company in Chicago where there was a strong focus on contemporary, jazz, ballet, partnering, improvisational work, and pointe. Post college, Melanie realized her favorite thing of all was teaching andchoreographing for the next upcoming generation of artists. Teaching at multiple studios across the Chicagoland area, she likes to focus on a strong foundation of technique with an equal emphasis on exploration of movement in her classes. Since her start in 2017, she has set choreography for studios in both the Chicagoland and Indiana area. Her choreography has received many accolades, and her work has been accepted into shows such as Dance Chicago. She has also been on faculty as an adjudicator for StarQuest Dance Competition since 2021, providing feedback for dancers all over the United States. Whenever Melanie is asked what her favorite part of her job is, the answer is always watching her own students blossom and evolve into accomplished young adults— both inside and outside the studio.