Zalmen or the madness of God

 

A play by Elie Wiesel

Directed by Guila Clara Kessous

Melissa Alexander


Melissa Alexander hails from Birmingham, Alabama, where she began training in classical ballet at age 5. In addition to ballet, she learned several other styles of dance—such as jazz, modern, African, and flamenco. Melissa became involved with theater as a singer, dancer, and actor in her high school's production of Cabaret.  When she entered Harvard College as a freshman in 2006, she joined Candela Hip Hop, an on-campus hip hop and Latin American dance troupe. In spring of 2009, Melissa choreographed a solo, contemporary ballet piece “Wild is the wind,” which she performed at the ARTS FIRST Dance Festival. That same year, she directed and starred in her own short film called "Through the eyes of Irene: The curious case of Clare Kendry," which is based off of Nella Larsen's Passing. In her senior year (2009-2010), Melissa performed in principal roles in "Take the Zen Train!" (The World of Fred Ho) and Budzyn and the Show of Shows, both produced at Harvard University, and performed in Cecilia Raassina's piece "The Transport" in the Shared Choreographers' Concert at the Dance Complex the following fall. In 2011, she joined a modern dance company led by choreographer Kelley Donovan in Boston and choreographed a solo piece entitled "captivité."