Faculty

Malinda LaVelle

Emerging choreographer; artistic director of Project Thrust; dancer with The Foundry, Shift>>> Physical Theater, and Alyce Finwall Dance Theater

Biography

Malinda began studying dance with Summer Lee Rhatigan in her mid teens (in 2004) and has participated in every one of SFCD’s summer intensive programs ever since—initially as a student and eventually as a guest choreographer (in 2009 and 2010). The Conservatory is delighted that this gifted, young dancer/choreographer chose to move to San Francisco upon earning her B.F.A. degree in Dance (on an Arizona Excellence scholarship, Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Arizona, and now calls the Conservatory home as Artist-in-Residence.

In addition to choreographing on the Conservatory’s younger students during the summer programs, Malinda is a featured artist in the Conservatory's 2010 DanceMaker's Forum series.

Selected for a Resident Artist Workshop by The Garage during 2010, Malinda used the occasion to launch a project-based dance company called Project Thrust—all eight dancers of which are SFCD alumni. The company created and performed a brilliant work which was performed at The Garage and at Studio Gracia. Malinda will be building upon this work, to be presented by SFCD at Theater Artaud during the summer of 2011.

Originally from Colorado, Malinda began her early training with Irina Brecher and at the Academy of Colorado Ballet. In addition to the summer programs she attended at SFCD, she also spent summers at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, The Kirov Academy in Washington D.C., and Alonzo King's LINES Ballet (under the directorship of Summer Lee Rhatigan at the time). While at the University of Arizona, Malinda worked with various choreographers including Charles Moulton, Paul Sanasardo, and Amy Ernst.

Malinda now alternates dancing with Alex Ketley's The Foundry, Manuelito Biag's Shift>>> Physical Theater, and Alyce Finwall Dance Theater.