Malinda LaVelle graduated with a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona and she is an alumna of the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Summer Lee Rhatigan. Malinda is the founding artistic director of Project Thrust and the company's work has been presented at venues in the bay area and in the southwestern region of the U.S. Alongside Project Thrust, Malinda has partic
ipated in various artist residencies and has been commissioned to choreograph by the University of San Francisco. In 2012, Malinda developed "Jam Class" at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, which was featured in Dance Magazine and has been taught regularly in the training programs at SFCD. Malinda has performed with Alex Ketley, Manuelito Biag, and 20 Moons Dance Theater and she was awarded two Isadora Duncan Awards for her work performing with Alex Ketley’s The Foundry. In 2014, Project Thrust’s work “Kingdom” was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Award in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Performance for a Company. As a teacher, Malinda has taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Ballet Durango, and the Southwest Safehouse (a domestic violence shelter for women and children). Malinda is currently pursuing her M.A. in Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling at Antioch University New England.
