• Dancing with XAOC Contemporary Ballet
• Performed at NY City Center Studios

Spark premieres a contemporary take on the well-loved story The Velveteen Rabbit by combining dance, shadow play, and puppetry to create an engaging show for families to enjoy together. This new twist on a classic has a resounding emphasis on the importance of play. In the show, the title character is tossed aside for more high-tech toys. Once the Velveteen Rabbit is picked up by its companion, the Boy, they go on many imaginary adventures together. From the Velveteen Rabbit and the Boy traveling to a magical garden to deep-sea diving, the audience witnesses how using one’s imagination has no limits. This show is for all ages.

• Saturday, March 4 with shows at 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM
• The Town School at 540 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021
• Tickets $10 in advance or $15 at the door
• Featuring Serena Chang, Matt Dittes, Melissa Herchakowski, Brent Radeke, Kristen Santos, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, and Reginald Webber Jr.
• Guest performance by Ella Mansager
• Choreography by Chelsea Koenig
• Lighting by Steph Wessels
• Puppet design by Patrick Weigand

• Performed at Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center during Dumbo Dance Festival
• Performed in Allagi (The Consistency of Change) with XAOC Contemporary Ballet

• Performed at Wagner Park in Battery Park City, Manhattan during Battery Dance Festival
• Performed in Allagi (The Consistency of Change) with XAOC Contemporary Ballet

In a film shown to audiences during her final weekend of performances in Austin, Michelle describes what it has meant to her to be a part of the Ballet Austin family.

Jeanne Claire van Ryzin reviewed Ballet Austin's premier of Belle Redux: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast for austin360:

"...the final pas de deux of Belle (danced by Michelle Thompson who shared the role with Aare Krumpe) and Beast (Edward Carr who shared the role with Paul Michael Bloodgood), brought a refined elegance and emotional impact to the ending.... Thompson and Carr were at the most nuanced here too, their partnering dramatically seamless and heartfelt."

Michelle was interviewed regarding her title-character role leading up to the Valentine's weekend premiere of Belle Redux / A Tale of Beauty & the Beast.

Ballet Austin's 2014–2015 Season

The Firebird
Sep 26–28, 2014 at The Long Center
Choreography by Stephen Mills
Music by Igor Stravinsky

The Nutcracker
Dec 6–23, 2014 at The Long Center
Choreography by Stephen Mills
Music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

Belle Redux / A Tale of Beauty & The Beast
Feb 13–15, 2015 at The Long Center
Choreography by Stephen Mills
Score by Graham Reynolds

Director's Choice
Mar 27–29, 2015 at The Long Center
Luminaria by Stephen Mills; music by Jordi Savall
One / the body's grace by Stephen Mills; music by Bach and Handel
World Premiere by Jennifer Hart

Swan Lake
May 8–10, 2015 at The Long Center
Choreography by Marius Petipa & Lev Ivanov
Music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky