Sherene Melania, Executive & Artistic Director of Presidio Dance Theatre, is known for seamlessly blending classical tradition with innovative forms of artistic creation. She is an acclaimed performing artist, director, choreographer and producer. Specializing in classical ballet, dance theatre, multi-disciplinary productions, arts education, and cultural diplomacy through dance.
Sherene served as a San Francisco Arts Commissioner for 12 years, representing the fields of dance and arts education. In 2019, she was appointed by UNESCO’s International Dance Council (CID), as the founding President of the UNESCO CID West Chapter, representing the western region of the United States.
From Harvard University, she holds a Master of Arts in Education; a Certificate of Ballet Direction Specialty and Choreography from the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia, and a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from the University of San Francisco in Performing Arts and Social Justice, where she received the Dean’s Medal for Excellence in the Arts.
Sherene has performed and choreographed for dance companies nationally and internationally. She has been commissioned to present pieces for the United Nations, the European Parliament, the International Red Cross, and PBS. Her work has been recognized by the press nationally in Dance Magazine and Dance Teacher, and has been internationally broadcast.
As an Iranian American, she is widely regarded for her work in cultural preservation and dance ethnology. Known as the prima ballerina of the Assyrian nation, Sherene has served as a Principal Artist & Choreographer with Les Ballets Persans, UNESCO’s Journée Internationale de Norouz, Aga Khan Foundation, and the Assyrian Aid Society. A visionary leader in the world of arts & culture, she is recognized by the U.S. State Department for “Distinguished Service in Cultural Diplomacy through Dance” and by the European Parliament “as an exemplary artist, merging art and social justice.” Sherene is fluent in French, Russian, and English.