MELANIE FUTORIAN
Performing & Visual Artist/ Writer
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 Theatre Company, The Hebrew Arts School, The Dance Complex,Nautilus Jr High School, the Neighborhood Playhouse and other schools.
She previously performed with New York and Boston dance companies including The Linda Diamond/Anna Sokolow project where she danced Anna Sokolow's roles.
Melanie received certification in the Lester Horton teacher training @ the Ailey School and is on the board of directors for City Dance NY.
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 been featured 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 short films which have won 17 awards and been selected for over 55 international and national film festivals.
Two films were presented at The New York Cat Festival @ The Angelika Theater in New York. The festival received positive reviews in the New York Times and on NY 1.
Melanie was also interviewed on Miami's WLRN regarding her film,"Sick,Scared, Secluded."
Melanie's play "Mel's Kitchen" had a public reading at The Ellington Room in Manhattan Plaza and will go Off Broadway in the spring of 2025.
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 can be found in 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 now out on Amazon.
Melanie's written featured articles for "Dance Teacher Magazine" and had her own column in "All About Jazz.com" and "Jazzespresso.com"
Her monologues were performed by Essence of Acting theater company, directed by Lynnie Godfrey.
In 2020, Melanie received an honorable mention for her novel, "Rub" from the Emerging Writer's Fellowship through Miami Book Fair.
ACTING:
Melanie performed in Tennessee William's,"Hello from Bertha" at H/B Theatre and the Miles Theater.
She played "Niki Finklestein in the Amazon Prime film,"Creeporia and was the featured character in the HBO's video game:"The Game of Fate".
She acted in her short films which appeared in national/international festivals.
She was a featured extra in many TV shows and films.
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.
ART
Melanie's visual art has been shown at the Pictor Gallery, located in New York's art district, Midtown's Jadite Gallery, the Jakmel Gallery in Miami with her photo book available at Miami's Bass Museum Shop.
Her hand painted clothing was sold at boutiques in the Village and So-Ho predominantly to musicians for stage performance. It can also be seen on the front page of The N.Y.Times, The Bill Maher Show, TED Conferences, C.B.S News etc
She won second prize at The Cambridge Art Association in Cambridge, MA for her ceramics.
Melanie was a student at Boston University's School of Visual Arts and Adelphi University's Visual and Literary Arts.