Mo Allen
Melissa “Miss Mo” Allen is a professional dancer, choreographer and aerialist. A Northern Californian and graduate of the University of California, Berkeley where she studied Martha Graham with Marni Wood, Melissa started dancing professionally at age 18 and has held contracts for the NBA, Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus and Harrah’s Casinos and has toured nationally with the Broadway show Saturday Night Fever. Since calling St. Louis her home, Miss Mo has worked as an i-Candy girl at Harrah’s, a member of the Kari James Dance Ensemble, “Mini MoLove” of Rock Steady Heels and as an aerialist for shows at the Pageant and the Fox Theatre. She has produced and performed in shows for St. Louis PRIDE and the STLFringe Festival and even created the Fringettes, a cheer squad for local theatre.
Contact:
Moallen@me.com; 314-359-6773
Melissa studied the work of Joseph Pilates under Elizabeth Larkam with Balanced Body and has experience with Feldenkrais, Alexander, Limon, Graham and Horton Dance and movement techniques. She has been teaching Pilates since 1999, managing studios in San Francisco and Las Vegas and St. Louis. After taking a break to raise five kids and beat breast cancer, she’s back to cultivate a safe space for learning about the body-mind-spirit connection. She is studying The GYROTONIC Expansion System under Master Teacher Anne Thomasson. Because Melissa has over 35 years of teaching experience in dance and Pilates, she has a discerning eye; especially when it comes to anatomy, technique, musicality and presence. This is tempered with work in pre and post-rehab considerations, injuries, imbalances and compensation patterns. She most recently completed her license to teach Zumba and has no hang-ups or snobbery when it comes to getting the blood flowing but will not hesitate to offer proper alignment, safe pathways and optimal expression for efficiency and style. She recently earned a certification in Neurokinetic Therapy and is excited to apply recent breakthroughs in neuroscience to movement. Melissa practices radical acceptance of each person and body in her classes and just wants to have fun.