Melinda Larson

Melinda is the Artistic Director at Diamond Arts Wellness Project, Programs Director at Diamond Arts Dance, and Academic & Performing Arts Instructor at Diamond Arts Preschool. She also trains Diamond Students to teach children with fun and safety in mind in her Diamond Student Teacher program. 

Melinda is well known all over the country for her choreography and teaching abilities especially with children and teens. She was one of 15 teachers from around the world invited to attend a special workshop for dance educators with the faculty at The Juilliard School of Dance. Over the past 35+ years, she has taught and mentored hundreds of young people in the art of dance, voice, acting, and performing. Among her student alumni include six Broadway Performers, 2 Juilliard graduates, a Radio City Rockette, an American Idol Top 20 semi-finalist, multiple students in top dance and musical theatre programs in universities across the country, and many performers off-Broadway, dance companies, regional and community stages, cruise ships, and theme parks worldwide. But more than anything Melinda is proud of the many, many outstanding human beings that she has had the honor of teaching. 

As a choreographer outside of Diamond Arts, she has worked with thousands of performers in multiple shows and productions. As a performer, Melinda was the original Narrator in Tuacahn’s first production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". She also performed at Tuacahn as Marion in "The Music Man", Hodel in "Fiddler on the Roof", and Rachel in "UTAH! The Peacemaker Saga" and she choreographed Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and understudied the role of Millie at the same time. She was also featured on the Tuacahn stage in “Broadway Diva’s In Concert” with the Southwest Symphony, and she starred with David Osmond in “Broadway in Concert.”  

Before moving to St George, she was featured across the country as a musical theatre and live performer including multiple shows at Opryland USA in Nashville, TN.  

Her nearly 40 years as a performer, teacher, choreographer, and director have been filled with great rewards including her marriage to Brian and three children Miranda, Zachary, Alex, and her daughter-in-law Emily & son-in-law Al.