Marissa is a New York based dancer from a small town in Southern California. She grew up in a Mexican and Yaqui household—surrounded and uplifted by family that understood and stressed the beauty and importance of art, history, storytelling, and community. 

She attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, majoring in International Politics and International Security Studies and minoring in Latin American Studies. Her particular focus was on military history, asymmetric violence, and nation building. While there, she was mentored by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Colonel Hrebenak. Her thesis on the financial markers of genocidal violence won two research awards.  

While in school, she took class at the Washington Ballet during the week and travelled to New York on the weekends to continue her training, often studying for exams and writing papers on the bus and train. These trips are when she first got to experience the magic and the spirit of the New York dance community — they are also what prompted curiosity and then a growing love for theater.

Marissa’s experiences have shown her that storytelling is not only beautiful, but essential to community. To Marissa, dancing feels like flying, and singing like freedom, and telling each other the stories we ought to remember feels like resistance and rebellion and joy. So she does her best to approach her art with passionate curiosity, discipline, fearlessness, and deep gratitude and joy. She carries her family and her faith with her in all that she does and hopes they are honored by the life she lives.

Having just finished performing in In the Heights at the Muny, Marissa is now currently in rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera, preparing to make her debut as a Niña in Ainadamar.