Melissa Pilgrim has over 15 years of experience writing for projects in all mediums—film, TV, theatre, and book publishing. She has had 4 screenplays optioned, 1 TV series optioned, and has been hired to write for various film and TV production companies including Martin Sheen's ESP Productions (Warner Brothers Studios). She has had 16 plays for children and teens produced in theatres from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale (8 are published in the Chicago Alliance for Playwrights Directory). She has edited 12 books with authors from L.A. to N.Y.C. She has 2 books published: 1) Animal Motions, a children's picture book for ages 3 - 6, and 2) Sergeant Stubby In The Great War, a historical fiction novella for ages 9 and up. Melissa was the artistic director for The Sheil Park Players, a community theatre in the Wrigleyville area of Chicago, for 5 years where she produced and directed 16 original shows and worked with adults and children of all ages. While teaching the younger actors from the ages of 3-8 how to feel more confident being on stage, Melissa used many improv-type of theatre games. She instantly saw how much they enjoyed combining learning with interactive-type of movement games, especially when they were mimicking “acting” like animals. Animal Motions was inspired by these fun, low-impact movement theatre improv games and created to help all children everywhere learn how to be more "creatively fit" and confident with how their body moves, as well as allow them to have fun using their imaginations!