About Melmacpink and Asheville Hoops

Melanie "melmacpink" MacNeil is a true movement specialist. With a background in yoga, fire dancing and hooping, in conjunction with her experience in social work and mental health care services, she takes a unique approach to help people "come home" to their bodies by utilizing a variety of movement techniques. Born and raised in Plymouth, MA, she relocated to Western NC to attend Warren Wilson College where she attained a degree in Social Work. During her years at Warren Wilson she established intimate ties to Asheville's burgeoning electronic music scene in which she began to participate in TOUCH Samadhi psytrance music events. This connection led her to explore black light theatre and fire dancing which grew into her co-creating the all women ritual performance troupe Tranceform Venus, with which she is still active today.

To follow her heart's work of promoting movement as a mode to physical, emotional and spiritual health, Melanie completed an Introduction to Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training then later became certified as a yoga instructor in 2004 through the Yoga Alliance, at Asheville Yoga Center. She also received training at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in 2006, learning LifeForce Yoga for depression and anxiety. In the summer of 2007 Melanie received her certification as a Hoop Dance Instructor with Christobel Zamor, the original "HoopGirl."

Today Melanie lives in a lovely mountain chalet in Hendersonville, NC and works at the Cooper Riis Healing Farm, a holistic, therapeutic farm community for mentally ill adults. At the farm she works as a Life Skills Coach, as well as teaches a variety of Yoga and Hoop Fitness classes as well as to the Asheville community at large.

Through the years Melanie has honed her performance skills and now has the reputation as one of Asheville's finest fire and hoop performers. She currently performs with Unifire Theatre with whom she also works on performance creation, production and fire safety coordination. Additionally, she is still very active in the psytrance community and can be found at music festivals throughout the East Coast creating black light art installations, ritual altars and participating in ritual performance. Her detailed costumes and hand-crafted mask designs enhance her performances and demonstrate her appreciation for black light art and an aesthetic of the sacred. Resonating with the full-participation and gift economy ethic of Burning Man culture has brought her to share her many performance, design and movement specialties with kindred spirits in Black Rock City for the Burning Man festival in recent years.

Bio by Justina Prenatt
http://just-a-position.blogspot.com

Resume

Melanie L. MacNeil aka “melmacpink”
853 Wickins Drive
Hendersonville, NC 28791
melmacpink@hotmail.com
ashevillehoops.com


Objective: To perform, teach and create, using Hoops, Dance, Yoga and Fire performance.


Strengths:

*Motivated, organized and focused.
*Fun, creative and colorful.
* Independent, easy going and personable.

Training:

*Asheville Yoga Center: Yoga Alliance Certified 200hr Level; April 2004
*Hoopgirl Level I, Hoopdance Teacher Training: SF, CA; July 2007
*Social Work: B.A.S.W. from Warren Wilson College, Class of 2000. Over 15 years experience in the Mental Health, Community Service and Wellness fields.

Relevant Work History:

*Tranceform Venus: Blacklight Theater and Fire Dancing: Founder, Performer, Costume Design, Secretary. 2000-2004

*Unifire Theater: Professional Fire Performance Troupe: Dance and Theater Performer, Costume/Mask/Face Paint Designer, Choreographer, Treasurer and Booking. Proficient in Poi, Double Batons, Fire Eating, Fire Hoops, Fire Bellydance and Safety Procedures. 2005-Present

*Yoga Instructor: Taught a variety of styles including Kundalini, Flow and Pre-Natal Yoga. 2000-2008

*Freelance Burlesque Performer: Specializing in Blacklight and LED Hoopdance Performance. Performed with Seduction Sideshow at Tri-numeral Festival, 8-8-2008. Instructed and Performed at The Americana Burlesque Sideshow Festival, The Orange Peel, Asheville,NC. June 2008.

*Professional Hula Hooper: ashevillehoops.com Owner, Crafter, Teacher, and Performer. Duties include developing website, maintaining and teaching weekly Hoop Dance classes, planning and leading workshops, crafting hoops, sales managing, bookkeeping, performing and booking. March 2007-present.

*Featured at festivals including LEAF Fest, LAAFF Fest, Urban Trail Block Party, French Broad River Festival, Hoop Convergence, Tri-numeral Festival, Sacred Music and Yoga Festival, and Flat Rock Music Festival.

*Performed and collaborated a Hoopdance routine with local area talents such as David Wilcox, Snake Oil Medicine Show, and The Mad Tea Party.

Community Events; Local and International:

*Arts2People: Pritchard Park Cultural Arts Program- Hoop Jam Organizer, Performer, Hoop Sales; Summer 2008. Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival: 2 year recipient of LAAFF Artist Grant to construct and offer demo hoops for festival go-ers; Asheville, NC. September 2007, 2008.

*Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC): National Eating Disorder Awareness Week- Volunteer, Presenter and Performer; April 2008. Women's and Addictions Conference: Presenter and Performer; Flat Rock, NC. May 2008.

*T.H.E. Center for Disordered Eating: Come as You Are Fundraiser- Performer and Donated Hoops; Asheville, NC. August 2007.

*Blue Heart Sanctuary: Fundraiser for No Kill Animal Shelter- Volunteer and Activity Leader; April 2008.

*World Hoop Day/Deep Blue Ripple: Scholarship recipient for Hoop Ambassadorship. Volunteer Activity Leader; Contributed Hoops at the West End Kids Fair; Negril, Jamaica; February 2008, 2009.

*Blue Ridge Roller Girls: Performer and Donated Hoops; December 2008.

Interests: Nature, reading, dance, yoga, art, fashion, music, healthy foods, community building, spirituality and the meaning of life.