Jennifer Schwartz Bell-Grey
ARAD, Diploma RBS TC
Co-Director & Co-Founder
Jennifer started dancing from the age of three in Hong Kong. Born in California, grew up on Kauai, Hong Kong, Thailand and England. First full time,professional training at the Legat School of Russian Style Ballet, and later won a place at the Royal Ballet School in London England at age 11.
Trained by world class teachers, Jennifer performed at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden with the Royal Ballet Company, and danced for members of the English Royal family, the schools patrons including the late Princess Margaret and her sister Queen Elizabeth.
Graduating in 1998, having studied a wide spectrum of dance genres (ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop,flamenco Spanish dance, national folk dances of Russia, Poland, Hungary,Germany, France, England and Ireland), music, theatre and art, Jennifer graduated earning her teaching Diploma from the Royal Ballet Teacher's Course and the Royal Academy of Dancing.
Jennifer returned to Kauai where she founded Kauai Dance Center with Mel Bell-Grey, 1998.
A winner of several prestigious choreographic awards, Jennifer created arrangements for White Lodge Royal Ballet School, and the Royal Ballet Senior Summer School program, as well as theatre productions like Fiddler on the Roof.
Full-length productions to original concepts and music are in collaboration with Meledelicious Productions such as Mother Earth SOS, It's a Beautiful World, The Symphonic Safari, Twilight,Mother Earth SOS Revisited 2009.
The rich legacy of traditional repertoire as well as contemporary work and new wave Hip Hop and Pop fusion dance culture taught to students, keeps classes fresh and exciting. The Bell-Greys also wrote a book on Dance and Kauai call the “Adventures of Nani & Koa” . For more information on the book, see our Store page.
On Kauai she has performed as a soloist with Guest Ballet Company “Ballet Hawaii” in the Nutcracker, and worked with local artists, musicians and promoters.
2006 Best Dancer Awarded to Jennifer by People Choice on Kauai.
As well as directing and teaching at Kauai Dance Center, Jennifer also teaches in local schools and college. If you would like a closer look and further insight into Jennifer Bell-Grey, please view the Documentary on the Video page.
Mel Bell-Grey
Co-Director & Co-Founder
Mel Bell-Grey’s extensive background in the world of Theater, music, dance and film, has given him an experience second to none.
First, Mel’s training as a dancer touring England and Europe then touring in a successful band. He’s modeled professionally and has worked in London creating programs and designing instrument to facility children and adults with special needs. Mel was awarded a special grant from the Prince’s Youth Business Trust, for his innovative contributions to the arts.
He has taught music and dance with the YMCA in London, setting up and teaching Music and Drama workshops, performing in plays and writing scripts. As singer songwriter, Mel has toured extensively as a solo artist, produced and written numerous albums, also composed and scored sounds tracks for Theatre Productions, movies, and commercials, set and costume designing.
In 1998, Mel co-founded and became co-director of Kauai Dance Center (www.kauaidancecenter.com) which for the last 7 years has been performing his original productions such as It’s a Beautiful World, Twilight and Once Upon a Dream.
Mel has been extensively involved in every aspect of creating and developing artistic products, and has worked with photographers and graphic designers, web designers, as an image consultant and project marketing coordinator.
In 2009,Mel graduated from the San Francisco School of Digital Film, and established Eyes Wide Open Productions. His vision for the future where all multimedia art will bleed into one, is what lead him to pursue the art of film making. As a director, videographer, composer, screenwriter, multimedia artist, Mel is forever pursuing new innovative ways to exploit today’s diverse communications environment to the fullest.
Drawing from the past, the present and into the Future.
For more information on Mel's projects, please visit eyes wide open productions.
