Mary Ann Massa grew up in New Jersey, where mirrors first became her stage and a neighbor’s dance classes pulled her into the world of movement. That childhood spark never dimmed. After graduating in 2019 from The Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, she emerged as an artist shaped by the rigor of performing works from George Balanchine, Norbert De La Cruz III, Gregory Dawson, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, and Stuart Loungway. Her path has carried her across oceans—most memorably in 2017 when she performed a duet at the Kuan Du Arts Festival in Taiwan—and through the halls of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, BalletX, the San Francisco Conservatory Forsythe Program, The Rock School, and more. Professionally, she has danced with New Jersey Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Thang Dao Dance Company, and now with Continuum Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Révé, and throughout the freelance world of NJ and NYC.
Yet it is not her résumé alone that makes her unforgettable. Before rehearsal, she is a dancer grounded by iced coffee and Greek yogurt, energized by Pink Pony Club blasting through her headphones, laughing with her castmates one moment and surrendering her body to unflinching honesty the next. Her artistry is marked by empathy. In Vietnamerica: The Musical, she steps into the skin of a woman returning from war to a home destroyed, channeling the grief of the Vietnamese diaspora into every muscle, every pause, every breath. “The Vietnamese community has gone through so much,” she says. “This story is extremely emotional, and I hope to convey that through my body.”
Being part of Vietnamerica has opened new terrain for her as an artist. In embodying another people’s history, she has come to understand the universality of survival, memory, and resilience. She describes her castmates as powerful, talented, and fun, a constellation of artists who inspire her daily. Through them and through the process of building this story, she has realized that she longs to do more musicals, to embrace the layers of voice, story, and movement that expand beyond a traditional dance show. “I am definitely inspired to go outside of my comfort zone and box to try something new,” she shares, her eyes set firmly on the future.
For audiences, the invitation is simple. On September 7, 2025, at Capital One Hall in Tysons Corner, Mary Ann Massa will not simply be performing—she will be carrying the memory of a people forward. To watch her is to feel the echo of Vietnamese history resonate inside your own body, whether you share its language or blood. It is to remember that dance can make distant grief immediate, and that empathy, when danced, becomes contagious.
Get your tickets here to watch Mary Ann transport you! https://www.ticketsonsale.com/tickets/vietnamerica-capital-one-hall-tysons-9-7-2025-5818424