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Melissa Haizlip

Los Angeles

Director / Producer

Tags: public television  music documentaries  ida fiscal sponsorship program  history documentaries  docs about the arts  

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Brief Message to Members: 

Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was Mr. SOUL! The film spotlights an important chapter in the history of black America, and the man behind SOUL!, one of the most successful, culturally significant black-produced television shows in US history.

Biography: 

Melissa Haizlip (Director/Producer) first collaborated with her uncle, Ellis Haizlip, on Three by Three for the series Great Performances: Dance In America. This groundbreaking television special, produced by Mr. Haizlip for Thirteen/WNET New York and directed by Patricia Birch, featured the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It opened many doors for emerging black choreographers, including Bill T. Jones and Donald McKayle. In subsequent years, Melissa assisted Mr. Haizlip at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on such prominent events as Heritage Weekend and The Arts of Black Folk. After studying at Yale, Melissa enjoyed a twenty-five year career as a professional performer, appearing on Broadway, international and regional stages as well as screen and television. She appeared with the late Gregory Hines in the original Broadway production of Jelly’s Last Jam, and again in his last feature film Bojangles for Showtime. She also danced with Mikhail Baryshnikov in The Gershwin Gala for Great Performances on PBS. After relocating to the west coast, Melissa became an original Los Angeles cast member of Disney’s The Lion King. She has worked in development at the American Film Institute and recently cast the feature film 40, which received the “Golden Orange” award for best new talent at the Antalya International Film Festival in Turkey.