Melissa McCrary

Melissa McCrary is a native of Charlotte, NC and moved to South Carolina to attend Winthrop University where she earned her B.A. in Dance with a minor in Science, then completed her K-12 teaching certification.  She also holds a Master of Education degree in Education Administration from the University of South Carolina and is completing coursework toward her Educational Doctorate degree in Education Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

Melissa began dancing at the age of 3 and taught dance in the SC Public Schools for the past 15 years at all levels from pre-kindergarten through high school.  In addition to teaching, Melissa has managed grants from the SC Arts Commission and the SC Department of Education to ensure quality, comprehensive, sequential arts education programs for the students she teaches.  Melissa also facilitates a graduate-level institute through the SC State Department of Education for novice visual and performing arts teachers to gain experience and insights into effective planning and management strategies to ensure their success in the profession.

Melissa is a long-time member of the South Carolina Dance Association and was named the 2020 SCDA Dance Educator of the Year.  She served in the 3-year presidential rotation from 2019-2022 and currently serves on the board of directors as the finance officer.  

While dance will always be her first love, arts integration has become Melissa’s new passion and teaching integrated lessons to students, co-teaching with academic teachers, providing professional development for academic teachers to effectively integrate the arts into their own classrooms, and expand the reach of the arts to more teachers and students throughout the state is her present career goal.

When she is not teaching dance or leading other teachers in professional development of some sort, Melissa enjoys teaching swim lessons at her local YMCA and traveling and spending time with her husband, Cameron, and their son, Jackson.