Melissa Cesarano

Artistic Director

Melissa has been teaching and choreographing for over twenty years. She was the Owner and Artistic Director of Studio One Performing Arts Center, in Phoenix for ten years. Her performing company were national competition title holders and she has received national recognition for her creative choreography. In 1992 she opened her own production company, Sophistakit Productions, which worked the industrial and nightclub circuit in Arizona. Industrials that her dancers performed include the "Candlelight Capers," an annual fundraiser for Desert Samaritan Hospital and "Night at the Ritz," a benefit for Crisis Nursery, and "The Broadway Awards," for American Express. She has produced many dance theater shows including "Strange Things Happen In The Woods," "The Curse of the Purple Tutu," and "Gilligan’s Island." Her choreography has been sought after by many musical theater directors and she has choreographed shows such as "West Side Story," "My Fair Lady," and "Grease." She has choreographed over twenty musicals in all. In 2003, Melissa received an AriZoni Award for Best Choreography in a non-contracted musical for Mesa Community College's production of "Lucky Stiff." Melissa holds a Bachelors in Secondary Education and a Masters in Talented and Gifted Education. She has created this professional jazz dance company that is entering its sixth season, continuing to grow and embark on a new journey, enriching the lives of dancers & Arizonan’s alike.

Kelsey Wolf

Assistant Director

Kelsey, an Arizona native, is the Assistant Director and Rehearsal Director for Gravity Jazz Dance Theatre. She received her training starting at the age of three from Eastside Ballet Center and from Melissa Cesarano at Studio One Performing Arts Center, where she studied ballet, jazz, modern, tap, pointe, and musical theater. Beginning at the age of 14, she started teaching classes in ballet, jazz, and tap to young children and developed her skills as a teacher and choreographer. As a graduate of Arizona School for the Arts, in Phoenix, Kelsey also trained at the School of Ballet Arizona. Upon graduation, Kelsey was accepted into the prestigious dance program at the University of Arizona. While in the program she studied ballet, modern, jazz, improvisation, and floor barre. Returning to Phoenix, Kelsey became the Rehearsal Director for Gravity Jazz Dance Theatre and quickly moved into the role as the Assistant Director for the company. Since 2006, she has been teaching classes at DancEnergy and has a passion for inspiring a love of dance in all her students and emphasizing proper technique and health. She is currently the Board Secretary with the Arizona Dance Coalition, working to provide a dance service organization for Arizona's dance community. As a student at ASU, she is majoring in Nonprofit Leadership and Management.

Rehearsal Director

Michelle Arroyo

Production Manager

Donna Bennett

Artistic Consultant

Daniel Trujillo

Board Members

Tony Cesarano

Dyan Wolf

Vanessa Gissel

Sara Ramos

Cindy Iverson