Missy is transforming the dance world with her choreography’s unique vision, style and musicality. Her professional credits include: the original Broadway and National companies of CATS as Victoria (“the white cat”), Jesus Christ Superstar (Broadway National/Anniversary Tour), Saturday Night Live “I’m 50” with Molly Shannon, Mariah Carey “All I Want for Christmas” (dancer/choreographer), MTV|VH1 appearances.
Films: Little Man Tate with Jodie Foster (Jodie’s Double) and Netflix movie with Don Cheadle and Adam Driver, White Noise September 2022.
Other choreography credits: Peter Frampton (LIVE) with Cincinnati Ballet, husband and wife duo, international songwriters, Over The Rhine, rapper Rakim, Tarkan (Turkish pop star), legendary Bootsy Collins, Paramount Productions, Cincinnati Ballet, Exhale Dance Tribe “25 to Watch” Dance Magazine, Kings Productions, Nickelodeon, Orion Pictures, and Tommy Boy Records (Joc Jams).
Missy has also been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, Dance Teacher Magazine, Pointe Magazine and Cincinnati's City Beat, Enquirer, Post, and CIN Weekly.
Missy and partner Andrew Hubbard co choreographed for Broadway Cares and Equity Fights Aids /The Easter Bonnet Choreography Award with (co-Recipient) Broadway choreographer Chris Gattelli (Newies/The Cher Show).
In Cincinnati, she won the Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Critical Achievement in Choreography, for her work in the original musical, ‘Christmas Yet to Come’ (Know Theater). Missy also has choreographed, ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ with Cincinnati Shakespeare Theater.
With her husband Andrew, Missy has been on faculty for 20 years at the acclaimed Broadway Dance Center in New York City and have taught at numerous colleges and universities as adjunct faculty: Dean College (MA), University of Cincinnati (CCM) Musical Theater (current Jazz Level 3&4),Wayne State University Detroit, MI (Guest) Lexington, KY High School for the Arts (SCAPA), University of Kentucky, Wright State University (Dayton, OH), Northern Kentucky University, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Performing Arts High School (SCPA) and national Dance Festivals. She and Andrew Hubbard taught in 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand at UNITEC University/Ōkareka Summer school. Their nonprofit dance company, Exhale Dance Tribe spent six weeks rehearsing and performing for a World Premiere of Hōkioi me te Vwōhali at The New Zealand Festival for the Arts (Te Papa Museum - Wellington, NZ), This was a collaboration with the brilliant New Zealand based company, ŌKAREKA Dance Company, under the direction of Taiaroa Royal. This collaboration was one of 100 artists invited worldwide. Most recently this program premiered in the U.S. to rave reviews.
Hubbard and Zimmer were top 10 finalists for the Capezio ACE Choreography Awards in 2011 and in 2013 (NYC).
Missy and Andrew have co-founded nationally recognized Contemporary company, Exhale Dance Tribe, Dance Magazine's ‘25 to Watch’. Exhale is a resident company at the Broadway Series theater in Cincinnati, the Aronoff Center for the Arts for the past 19 years.
Exhale premiered works at Merce Cunningham Performance Studio in 2008. In addition, the couple choreographed for Cincinnati Ballet's New Works Program (2009-2011) with world premieres of Retrospect, Barre et Trois and Burning Moon (2012) Infamous Love Songs with International music talent, Over The Rhine. Their choreography can also be seen in Cincinnati Ballet’s Nutcracker (Victoria Morgan’s) Arabian dance for 10 seasons. Missy and husband, Andrew have been honored with a Princess Grace nomination from Cincinnati Ballet for 2010-2011 for Excellence in Choreography. The couple created work for FRAMPTON project where legendary rock icon Peter Frampton played LIVE to their piece entitled Anthology in 2014.
Lay-Zimmer has been an educator and judge for over the past 2 decades for many convention/competitions. Inspiring the next generation of performing artists has been a constant passion for Missy.
Missy understands her creativity is the ultimate form of expression while here on this earth and continues to inspire others to honor their unique artistic expression/path.