Daria Lynne Melendez, originally from Massachusetts, owned and operated her own dance studio prior to moving to New York City to study and pursue a professional career. She performed on Broadway in "It's So Nice To Be Civilized," with Mable King, Vivian Reed and Obba Babatunde, at The Martin Beck Theater. She was also a dance consultant for "Got to Go Disco" at The Minskoff Theater on Broadway, in 1979, with Irene Cara.
While in NYC, Daria studied with Jazz Master, Luigi, Phil Black, Henry LeTang, David Howard, Frank Hatchette, Jo Jo Smith, Judy Bassing, and The American Dance Machine. She has taught for Dance Masters of America, Professional Dance Teachers Association, Dance Caravan, The Newark School of Ballet, The Ft. Lauderdale Ballet Company, and Fred Astaire Dance Studio of New York City. She has had the priviledge of working closely with Gregory and Maurice Hines. Also while in New York, Daria studied and taught Ballroom Dance with her husband, Nelson.
Other credits include, "All My Children," and "The Golden Eagle Awards," where she was a featured dancer. She toured South and Central America with T.K. Records, then made her way to South Florida, where she began working with recording artists "Expose." Since then, she has successfully choreographed productions for Tupperware, Barbizon International, Lipton, and Met Life. In 1995, a Carbonel Award was presented to Daria for her choreography in Annie Warbucks, at The Broward Performing Arts Theater.
Daria continues to coach, judge and teach for many conventions and theater groups throughout the US, and recently conducted a Jazz workshop at the University of Idaho.
"My passion for Tap dancing started at a very young age. To feel the rhythm on a train or listening to hoofers stomp and stamp to a beat, I call it singing with your feet, ya gotta hear it and feel it.
Also, I have had the awesome privilege of working with some great teachers and artists.
To share my knowledge with our young dancers is very exciting to me.
Tap dancing is a style of dance that helps dancers to develop a good sense of rhythm and coordination, fun and great exercise are the added pluses to this style of dance.
I look forward to sharing my passion of sound and rhythm to any hoofer past and present.
Let's ignite our feet together."
-Daria
