Meet Melissa van Wijk
Director of Tiny Tot Fitness Program at Gymtime
Originally from the Netherlands, Melissa Van Wijk provides Gymtime’s youngest students with early instruction in movement, dance and sign language. Melissa offers a depth of experience in both movement instruction and childhood development, holding a Master’s in Dance Education from NYU, with a focus in Special Education, as well as a B.A. in Dance and a B.F.A. in Theatre from Hofstra University. Melissa loves signing with babies in their own ‘secret language’ and is also owner of New York-based company, Signing Up, dedicated to teaching families, teachers and caregivers how to use vocabulary from American Sign Language (ASL) with babies. Melissa is a proud owner to three bunnies and a dog and spends her time volunteering with Animal Care and Control at Mount Sinai Children’s Hospital.