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founders and directors

The Roxeys

Mark and Melissa Roxey hug and smile to camera

Melissa Roxey​

Melissa Roxey began her studies with the syllabi of The Royal Academy of Dancing at 5 years of age. Before beginning her professional career at the age of 17, she studied at the School of American Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, the Joffrey Ballet, The Pacific Northwest Ballet School and finished her training with world renowned teacher Maggie Black. Mrs. Roxey danced with the American Repertory Ballet as a soloist, then as a principal with the Dayton Ballet Company. She has danced the roles of Sugar Plum Fairy in "Nutcracker" and Odile in "Swan Lake." Melissa has worked with choreographers including, Septime Webre, Marjorie Mussman, Dermot Burke, Bill Craty, Suki Schoer, Christine Holder, Patricia Mcbride, Mark Diamond, among many more. She has served on the faculty of many schools of ballet around the country and is currently the Founder and Executive Director of the Mill Ballet School in Lambertville, NJ.  She founded the professional Roxey Ballet Company directed by her husband. Mrs. Roxey is founder and former Dance Director of Wheels in Motion, which was part of the Arts Access Program at Matheny School and Hospital in Peapack, NJ. In addition, For over sixteen years Melissa has worked with Artists in Residence bringing the art of dance to our schools. Along with her husband, Mark, they continue to conduct highly successful residencies and workshops throughout the state and beyond

 

Mark and Melissa Roxey at the Roxey Ballet auction

Mark Roxey

Mark Roxey began his formal training at The Joffrey Ballet in New York City, to which he was awarded a full scholarship and later graduated at the top of his class. He went on to dance professionally with Joffrey Ballet Concert Company under the direction of Edith A'ddario, Joffrey Ballet II under the direction of Gage Bush and Richard England and The Joffrey Ballet under the direction of the late Robert Joffrey. He then joined American Repertory Ballet and Dayton Ballet as a principal dancer under the direction of Dermot Burke and Marjorie Mussman. Mr. Roxey has performed in works by George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Robert Joffrey, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe, John Cranko, John Butler, Maurice Petipa, August Bournonville, and many others. He has appeared as a principal guest artist around the world with his partner and wife, Melissa Roxey. He has also performed for over 200 hundred regional companies including Eglevsky Ballet, Septime Webre Dance and The North Star Dance Theatre. Mr. Roxey has won critical acclaim as a performer from dance critics around the world. He has served on the faculty of public and private schools around the country, including Princeton Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Wright State University, Trotwood Madison City Schools, Northeast Youth Ballet and most recently, Raritan Valley Community College. Since becoming founder and director of Roxey Ballet and associate director of The Mill Ballet School, Mr. Roxey has choreographed the company's full-length ballets which include "The Nutcracker", "Dracula", "Pied Piper of Hamelin", "Peter and the Wolf", Carnival of the Animals", "Mowgli",  "Graduation Ball", "Celebrating Diversity", "Othello" “JLS” and "Cinderella." Roxey has created an impressive list of over 50 repertory works including "La Baliene Blanche," "Women and Children to the Left," "Write Between the Lines," "Palace of Mirrors," "Temptation," "Appreciation," "Inside the Out," "In Excess of Four," "MLK," 'Celebrating Diversity," Love in Motion, Buble’, “Time Square Goodbye”and "Artillery Man." Mr. Roxey has served  as dance program coordinator for the Hunterdon County Teen Arts Dance Festival YMCA, and adjudicates for the State Teen Arts Festival and other festivals around the country. Mr Roxey has served as the dance director of Matheny's Schools "Arts Access Program" for more than a decade. In 2006 Mr Roxey was honored by VSA New Jersey for outstanding achievement in art education and received the highest honor given in New Jersey that recognizes the outstanding creative achievement of art educators and leaders, “the New Jersey Governor's Award”. He continues to develop artistic and creative opportunities for the dance community. Mark has served as an adjunct professor of dance at Raritan Valley Community College and Wright State University . He has created, directed and taught in programs for organizations such as Educational Services Commission, Matheny 's Medical and Educational Center, Fellowship Farm, Crotchet Mountain among others. He is also an active member of Dance NJ, Dance USA, IPAY, APAP, Arts Presenters and others. Mr. Roxey has served on the Board of Trustees of Dance/USA as Managers’ Council Chair, program committee chair, Manager Council Chair and an ex-officio member of the Board. He has choreographed for the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra and Singing City Chorus and Westchester University. He is married to his partner of over 30 years, Melissa Roxey and is the proud father of his two beautiful children Mirabel and Benjamin Roxey.​​

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