Gail Melfi began her early ballet training in her home state of California. Under the direction of Rose Ann Sayler, she studied at the Menlo Park Academy of Dance, Silicon Valley. Melfi completed her formal training as a scholarship student at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Richard Cammack and other faculty, including Anatole Vilzak.

Melfi began her professional career with Ballet Pacifica, Laguna Beach, founded by Lila Zali of Col. De Basil’s Ballet Russe. She studied under the private guidance of Natalia Krassovska. She then joined the San Antonio Ballet Company, directed by Vladimir Marek, dancing the company’s repertoire including Michael Uthoff’s Coral of the Sun and Alberto Ginastern’s Concerto for Harp. Melfi was later invited to join the Cincinnati Ballet Company under the direction of David McLain and David Blackburn, performing classics such as Nutcracker, Coppélia, Swan Lake Act II, Giselle, Peter and the Wolf, Hansel and Gretel, Les Syphides, Sleeping Beauty, and George Balanchine’s Serenade and Concerto Borocco. Melfi worked with legendary Frederic Franklin in his setting of Tribute and Pas de Dix. Additionally, she performed Daniel Levan’s Concert Waltzes and David McLain’s Concert for Organ, Strings & Timpaniand Winter’s Traces.

Following her move to Baltimore, Melfi joined the Maryland Ballet Company, directed by Petrus Bosman of The Royal Ballet. In addition to the company’s classical works, she performed contemporary choreography including Lambros Lambro’s Sun Dances. Once again, Melfi had the honor of working with Frederic Franklin while performing Monotones I and II, and Napoli.

Presently, Melfi is a faculty member of Dance Conservatory of Maryland, Towson University and Sudbrook Arts Centre. She joined the faculty of Peabody Dance in 2014.