Dr Melina Scialom is a dance scholar, dramaturge, choreologist and performer. She has an eclectic background in dance training, which expresses her interest in expressive movement and choreographic practice. She has expertise in Dance Dramaturgy, Dance Studies, Choreological Studies (Rudolf Laban praxis), Somatics, Improvisation, Actor Training and is interested in intersecting these with performer training practice and philosophy, having published papers, book chapters and book on the topic. Her extensive background in training in a range of dance, movement and body techniques associated with scholarly study and dance making are the inspiration and source of her teaching, professional practice and embodied research.

Alongside her teaching and research, she has been working as a dance dramaturg for different choreographers and dance ensembles. She is founder of the dance company Maya-Lila, established in 2005 where she choreographs, dramaturges and performs. In addition, she has been an aerial acrobat and continues to exercise her passion for the vertical dimension through rock climbing, which feeds a constant interest in dances that happen beyond the horizontal dimension.

She maintains a strong research profile and collaborates with a range of international researchers. She is co-convenor of the Embodied Research Working Group (IFTR) and Somatics and Practice as Research working group (ANDA) and has been awarded with different sponsorships and bursaries from arts and research funding agencies to develop dance productions and research activity.

She holds a PhD in Dance Studies from University of Roehampton UK, a Specialist Diploma in Choreological Studies from Trinity Laban Conservatoire UK, Master in Performing Arts by the Federal University of Bahia UFBA, Brazil, Bachelor in Dance and Licensed in Dance Teaching by the State University of Campinas, Brazil (UNICAMP).