Melissa Turnage: BA UAB, Arts in Medicine Graduate Certificate, UFL // Melissa is a dancer and choreographer and has taught dance for over 40 years to a wide range of ages, abilities and to those who have physical and mental challenges. Presently she is an Artist in Residence with Arts in Medicine at UAB Hospital (dance/movement specialist) and at Children’s Hospital of Alabama. She also teaches adult dementia persons, special population adults and seniors in the Birmingham community and is a 2019 recipient of the Excellence in Medicine award at UAB Hospital.

She created The Episcopal Place Dancers, a dance company of seniors who perform locally. She formed the committee who created the UAB labyrinth. She is a 2019 graduate of the UAB Geriatric Scholar Program. She taught Creative Movement and Adult ballet at ArtPlay and is a former Adjunct Professor of Dance at Birmingham Southern College. While living in Baltimore, MD she taught dance at The Peabody Preparatory and was Director of Dance Education for St Paul’s Lower School. In Atlanta, Georgia she founded Dance South and created a dance program for the Georgia Academy of the Blind. She has her teacher certification from the National Center for Creative Aging, is a member of The Labyrinth Society and the National Dance Education Organization and is Co-Director of People in Motion.

Melissa is a published author and wrote a weekly column for the Birmingham News called, “Making a Difference.” She served on board of The Literacy Council for two years.