MELANIE FUTORIAN
Performing & Visual Artist/ Writer
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PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTIST & WRITER
DANCE:
As a choreographer, some of Melanie's dances premiered at Battery Dance Festival,Next@Graham,Harlem Arts Festival, Broadway Dance Center, Higher Ground Festival, Symphony Space ,Benjamin Briones Dance Company. American Youth Dance Theatre and for the Amazon Prime film, "Creeporia,"
Melanie taught/choreographed for Ailey Camp, M.I.T Dance Troupe, Harlem Children's Theater Company, Neighborhood Playhouse and other schools.
She previously performed with companies including The Linda Diamond/Anna Sokolow project, where she danced Anna Sokolow's roles, with The Haitian American Dance Company , Boston Repertory Ballet and others.
Melanie received certification in the Lester Horton teacher training @ the Ailey School.
Some of Melanie's training includes The Ailey School,Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Arts, Paul Taylor School, N.Y. Conservatory, STEPS, Peridance, Broadway Dance Center and others.
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CAMERA WOMAN/PHOTOGRAPHER :
She's been a camera woman/audio engineer for The United Nations, CNN News, SNY, Harvard University and FOX News Channel.
Her photography's appeared in "The New York Times,""Jazz Times", "Downbeat.com."
Melanie received 2 Grammy certificates for her photography for Arturo O'Farrill's,
"Four Questions" and Pablo Ziegler's, "Jazz Tango."
She photographed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Mark Morris, Dance Group, Limon Dance Company, STREB and other companies.
She was the official photographer for UNESCO APCEI at the United Nations.
Melanie created IPhone films which won 12 awards and was selected for 55 international and national film festivals.
Her film "Mel's Kitchen" was shown at AMT's International Film Festival in New York.
In 2023, Melanie's play "Mel's Kitchen" had a public reading at The Ellington Room in Manhattan Plaza, and in 2025 at the AMT theater.
Her monologues were performed by Essence of Acting.
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WRITER:
Melanie's the author of “Don Alias,Stories of a Legendary Percussionist", which received five stars on Amazon and favorable reviews in London and New York magazines.
Her book was required reading at New York University where she was a guest lecturer. Her book is at the Boston Public Library, Berklee School of Music Library, various bookstores and was listed on WGBH 24/7 Jazz Booklist.
Her children's book "What If..." is also available on Amazon.
Melanie's written featured articles for "Dance Teacher Magazine" and had her own column in "All About Jazz.com" and "Jazzespresso.com"
In 2020, Melanie received an honorable mention for her novel, "Rub" from the Emerging Writer's Fellowship through Miami Book Fair.
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ACTING:
Melanie portrayed Timothee Chalamet's mom for "W Magazine" (March 2026) and was Frani Drescher's sister in "Marty Supreme".
She performed in Tennessee William's,"Hello from Bertha" at H/B Theater and the Miles Theater.
She played Mel in "Mel's Kitchen" in a reading for The AMT Theater Short play Festival.
and appeared as "Niki Finklestein in the Amazon Prime film,"Creeporia.
Melanie was featured as a fortune teller for the HBOi video game:"The Game of Fate".
Melanie currently has a lead role for a Miami City Ballet commercial.
She has been a featured extra in many TV shows and films.
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VOICE:
She sung with The Middle Gospel Choir backing up Cissy Houston at Carnegie Hall and for Deborah Harry at The Gay Men's Health Center.
The choir also performed a staged reading featuring Danny Glover in "Emmit Down in My Heart."
Melanie sang for the film "Safe Harbour Amsterdam," which won festival awards and on a single for Bellyhouse Records.
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ART
Melanie's visual art has been shown at the Pictor Gallery in Chelsea, midtown at Jadite Gallery and Jakmel Gallery in Miami.
Her hand painted clothing was sold at boutiques in the Village and So-Ho predominantly to musicians for stage performance.
Her hand painted suspenders, worn by futurist/inventor/scientist Ray Kurzweil, appeared on the front page of The N.Y.Times, The Bill Maher Show, TED Conferences, C.B.S News and more.
Melanie received a certificate from the New York Sewing Center.
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Special Merit:
Melanie is certified by the American Red Cross CPR/AED/First Aid and implemented CPR training at Manhatthan Plaza in New York.
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Melanie was a student at Boston University's School of Visual Arts and Adelphi University's Visual and Literary Arts.
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