Melinda Wilson

Teaches at Lou Conte Dance Studio

Melinda Wilson holds a M.Ed. from DePaul University (Chicago) and an M.A. from the University of Illinois with additional course work at Northwestern Illinois University. She has trained at Lou Conte Dance Studios, The Dance Center of Columbia College, the Joel Hall Dance Center, Moming Dance Center, Pineapples (London), The Dance Works (London), Centre de Danse de Paris (Goube of the Paris Opera Ballet), Batsheva Dance Company (Tel-Aviv), and Centre de Danse du Marias (Paris). Melinda has danced locally with David Dorfman, Urban Bush Women and Timothy Buckley. She has choreographed 15 full musicals, 6 full ballets, 13 dance concerts and over 37 concert dance pieces which have been performed and taught throughout the world. Her awards include the Golden Apple Award, Dance Chicago Outstanding Choreographer (New Voice) Award, three consecutive Suave Performance Plus Teacher Awards, two first place choreographic trophies from Barcelona Dance Grand Prix, Who’s Who Among Teachers, nine Oppenheimer Teacher Incentive Grants, Dance Teacher Magazine’s 2007 Honor Roll for Outstanding Teacher, National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teachers for Exceptional Performance in the Motivation and Empowerment of Today’s Youth, BP+ Educational Grant Award Recipient, Katy Memorial Foundation, and the Successful Strategies Award for Dance Curricula (Volume IV). She is a member of International Dance Council CID-UNESCO, has served as a dance curriculum specialist for the Chicago Board of Education, a test writer for the Illinois Board of Education’s Dance Certification section and a passing score reviewer for the National Evaluation Systems, Inc. She is a presenter for The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and travels throughout the world teaching master classes. Currently, Wilson is a teacher of Ballet, Modern and Jazz at The Lou Conte Dance Studios of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Dance Artistic Director at Curie Metropolitan High School for the Performing and Technical Arts.