Melanie George (Choreographic Advisor) is the founder and director of Jazz Is… Dance Project and Associate Curator and Director of Artist Initiatives at Jacob’s Pillow. As a dramaturg, she has contributed to projects by Raja Feather Kelly, Ephrat Asherie, Susan Marshall & Company, Kimberly Bartosik/daela, LaTasha Barnes, and Urban Bush Women, among others. Melanie is featured in the documentary UpRooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance and founded the global advocacy website  jazzdancedirect.com. She is the former Dance Program Director at American University and has guest lectured at Harvard University, the Yale School of Drama, and The Juilliard School.