See Marlis McChesney in Preconceived Motions, a showcase of the choreographic talents of Colorado State University senior dance majors on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8. Click here for details.

Marlis McChesney grew up in Colorado, training in ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical at Fabulous Feet Dance Academy in Arvada, and Eagle Dance Academy in Gypsum. She performed across the country in regional and National dance competitions, receiving a scholarship to the 1999 Company Dance Convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma and qualifitying for the National Dance Competition in Orlando, Florida. As a freshman, Marlis formed the Eagle Valley High School dance team, choreographing and leading the team to second place in the 2003 State Competition. In 2003, she was an All-Star for the Universal Dance Association, dancing in London, England for the 2004 New Year’s Day Parade.

During her time as a dance major at Colorado State University Marlis has worked with CSU faculty members, Jane Slusarski-Harris, Chung-Fu Chang, Melissa Corr, Coleen Walsh, and Carol Roderick, as well as nationally and internationally known guest artists Mary Wohl-Haan, Jaques Heim, of Diavolo, and Katie Elliott. Since 2008, she has been a member of the CSU Tour Dance Company, a pre-professional company, under the direction of Chung-Fu Chang, and was an assistant to the director for the 2009-2010 season. With the company, she has performed at more than thirty schools across Colorado, as well as Murfreesboro, Tennessee for the American College Dance Festival, and Merida, Mexico for the X Festival Internacional de Danza Contemporanea Avant Garde in 2009. Marlis received a Performing Arts Scholarship from the CSU Dance Department from 2008-2010.

In the last four years, Marlis has showcased her choreographic works in several Student Dance Concerts, and two of her pieces were selected for the dance program’s main-stage concerts. She has choreographed for the Tour Dance Company and served as a director for the fall 2009 Student Dance Concert. Marlis taught dance at Fabulous Feet Dance Academy, Eagle Dance Academy, and for CSU’s beginning modern class for non-major students. She also choreographed the state routine for Eagle Valley High School for 2009 and 2010.

After graduating, Ms. McChesney plans to move to Kentucky with hopes of teaching elementary school where she will incorporate dance into their PE Program.