Melissa Castañeda was born and raised in Monterrey, México, where she started her career as a dancer more than twenty years ago. She recently received her M.A. in Dance Education with a focus on American Ballet Theater's National Training Curriculum from NYU Steinhardt. She is an ABT® Certified Teacher who successfully completed her Teacher Training Intensives in Pre-Primary through Level 7 and she also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Dance Education with a Specialty in Classical from the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey. Her dance training includes ballet, modern, and jazz in intensives and performances with different schools around the United States, such as Houston Ballet Academy, Orlando Ballet School, and The Ailey School. As a teacher, Melissa has prepared students for national and international dance competitions, where they have obtained successful results, and she has received awards such as the "Outstanding Scholarship and Service in Dance Education" award through New York University. She is a passionate dance educator who strives to positively impact the lives of her students, and she is very excited to be joining Ballet Hispánico School of Dance!