Faculty
Meet the Faculty who will be teaching at La Zooz this summer!
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Melissa Lineburg
Melissa Lineburg is a professional ballet dancer, teaching artist, and licensed dietitian nutritionist based in the Washington, DC area. Originally from Charles Town, West Virginia, she has performed throughout the DMV with companies including Misako Ballet Company, Agora Dance, and Ballet Embody—a contemporary ballet company she co-founded and co-directs. Her repertoire spans classical roles such as Titania from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Maryland Nutcracker, as well as original contemporary works by choreographers including Emery LeCrone, Michael Smith, and STEWART/OWEN DANCE.
Melissa is an emerging choreographer whose work has been commissioned by Ballet Embody and includes ongoing collaborations with composer Arsen Sumbatyan. Their joint projects explore the intersection of live, original musical compositions and contemporary ballet and have premiered in venues across Maryland and Virginia.
Melissa holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Radford University and an MS in Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport. As a licensed nutritionist specializing in dancer and performance athlete wellness, she supports performers through her private practice, eMpower Performance Nutrition. She also serves as the in-house nutritionist at On Pointe Wellness + Rehab in Gainesville, VA, and teaches adult ballet at Maryland Youth Ballet.
Whether onstage, in the studio, or working 1:1 with dancers, Melissa brings warmth, experience, and a deep passion for supporting artistry at every stage of life. She believes ballet classes are a space for growth, expression, and joy—where technique is nurtured without judgment and dancers of all backgrounds are welcomed and empowered in their movement journey.
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes has been a dance educator in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area for 35 years. She was the recipient of the Metro DC Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in dance education in 2009. In addition to her teaching, she co-founded and co-directed a local professional modern dance company, CrossCurrentsDance Co., which performed at a variety of venues across the DMV for over a decade. She performed on numerous occasions at the John F. Kennedy Center, including the Kennedy Center Honors, in tribute to the late Chita Rivera. She has also taught master classes and performed across the U.S. and internationally, including the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. She developed and directed an award-winning children’s dance program for the developing young dancer during her tenure at Joy of Motion Dance Center. She currently teaches jazz and modern dance to dedicated adult students.
Emily Lucas
Emily Lucas was born and raised on Cape Cod Massachusetts. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with minors in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL) and Dance from the University of New Hampshire. During her time at UNH, Emily studied several genres of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, and aerial. Emily began teaching dance in 2017 at a studio close to her university. In 2021, Emily moved to Maryland to begin her graduate studies at Gallaudet University in DC. During her time at Gallaudet University, Emily continued teaching dance as well as dancing herself as a member of the Gallaudet Dance Company (GDC). Emily graduated in May of 2024 with her Masters of the Arts in Elementary and Deaf Education. Emily now works full time as a second grade teacher at the Maryland School for the Deaf. When she's not teaching second graders, Emily finds time to continue dancing herself as an alumni member of GDC as well as continuing to teach for La Zooz.
Jennifer Ferguson
After graduating from Indiana University, with a BS in Ballet Pedagogy, Jen Ferguson began her professional career dancing for the Nashville Ballet & then the Atlanta Ballet. Following that, she spent a year as Assistant Artistic Director of Metropolitan Ballet Theatre. She also went on to dance for several other companies, including Arka Ballet, Hosanna, Bowen McCauley Dance, and Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company. It was during her time as a dancer that Jen became aware of the profound positive impact of Pilates on her career. Therefore, she became certified in Polestar-Pilates (the post-rehab series) in 2001 and worked for several years for Body Dynamics, Inc. (a Physical Therapy group that specializes in performing arts therapy & training.) She was also certified through American College of Sports Medicine as a Health/Fitness Instructor in 2004. Jen worked for Fit 4 Life DC and Core Studios, Inc. before starting her own business, En Pointe Pilates, LLC in 2017. She has enjoyed teaching Pilates and ballet classes at Maryland Youth Ballet for over a decade, and she finds great joy in helping others discover their true strength!