Melissa was born and raised in southern California and pursued dance as an undergraduate at California State University, Long Beach. She first came to the Berkshires in 2015 to intern at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket. After her internship, she decided to stay in the region, working first at the Pillow, then at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. Currently, Melissa serves as the Executive Director of the Berkshire Immigrant Center in Pittsfield. She holds a Master of Science in Arts Administration from Boston University. In addition to her professional work, Melissa volunteers with Latinas413, a group dedicated to empowering Latina women in Berkshire County, and continues to nurture her passion for dance by performing in local choreographers works and as the founder and artistic director of her own dance company, the Melissa Martinez Project.
A dynamic, welcoming, nonprofit dance, world music and movement arts education center