Meet the 2024 NEXT STEP Artist: Melisa Guilliams
In this blog, you’ll learn more about PNB Company dancer Melisa Guilliams and her new work for NEXT STEP! NEXT STEP provides opportunity, infrastructure, and support to grow tomorrow’s choreographic talent while providing a unique performance opportunity for PNB School’s Professional Division dancers. This year, Professional Division students will perform original work from company dancers Lily Wills, Noah Martzall, Luca Anaya, Melisa Guilliams, and the co-choreographer teams of Elle Macy/Dylan Wald and Amanda Morgan/Christopher D’Ariano. Learn more about this exciting step in Melisa’s creative journey below.
![Guilliams 0027-468×601-dad2c76](https://www.pnb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Guilliams-0027-468x601-dad2c76.jpg)
What themes/concepts are you exploring in your Next Step Piece?
I am exploring a social phenomenon called the spotlight effect. This is when people believe that others are paying more attention to them than they really are. A shared quality of self-consciousness will be present throughout the piece.
What is your choreographic process like?
What choreographers inspire you?
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
![LLBackstg 126_websize](https://www.pnb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LLBackstg-126_websize.jpg)