Melissa Rolnick is a life-long dancer. She has a BFA from SUNY Purchase and MFA from Mills College. Her teaching/movement practice have been informed by dance, somatic, contemplative practice and movement research in many forms. Melissa has taught at Sonoma State, Western Washington, California State Fresno, and Arizona State University. Melissa was the Lenz Residential Fellow at Naropa University where she began developing MEISA. She is an associate professor at Gustauvs Adolphus College in Minnesota.