River Valley Dance Project

Ms. Linalynn Schmelzer is the Artistic Director of River Valley Dance Project. She is an Artist Instructor at the Greater Hartford Academy Middle School where she teaches Contemporary Dance Forms, Composition, Repertory, Improvisation and Ballet. Ms. Schmelzer also teaches private dance instruction and leads dance therapy groups in various locations for a range of populations. Her professional experiences as a performer, choreographer and teacher, have taken her to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and throughout CT. Linalynn was a member of the O’Brian Dancers, Sorvino Dance Project, Judie Clark Dance Theater, and La Claire Dancers. She also works with independent artists, musicians and film producers to create original dance works. Her choreography is rooted in collaboration and revolves around themes of nature and human relationships. Ms. Linalynn Schmelzer holds a B.F.A. in Dance from University of Massachusetts Five Colleges, an M.S. in Dance/Movement Therapy from Pratt Institute, and is a Register Dance/Movement Therapist with the American Dance Therapy Association. Ms. Linalynn Schmelzer was the recipient of high honors and awards from National Endowment for the Arts. Her work has been recently presented at Green Space in New York, Spectrum Gallery in Connecticut, Buttonwood Tree in Middletown CT and the 5x5 Dance Fesival at the University of Saint Joseph in Hartford CT. In 2018 Ms. Schmelzer joined the Connecticut Dance Alliances Board and is the Regional Coordinator for the Central Southern Connecticut Region.