Ballet
Michelle Thompson, originally from San Francisco, trained at San Francisco Ballet for nine years. During her two years with Ballet Austin II she studied with Truman Finney and was privileged to perform Ulysses Dove's Vespers. In her fourteen seasons with Ballet Austin, Michelle loved dancing in works by Mills (silence within silence, Red Roses, Light, Angle of My Nature, Kai), Gina Patterson (Free to Fly, Red Line, Liquid Eyes), Twyla Tharp, and George Balanchine. Her performance highlights included the roles of Kitri in Don Quixote, Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker, The Chosen One in The Right of Spring, and Belle in the premier of Belle Redux/A Tale of Beauty & The Beast. Michelle was selected for new works by Sidra Bell, Thang Dao, Sonya Delwaide, James Greg, Jennifer Hart, KT Nelson, Jimmy Orrante, Amy Seiwart, and Nelly van Bommel. The annual Austin Critics Table awards twice recognized Michelle as Best Dancer— in 2012 for her role in the New American Talent choreography of Gregory Dolbashian and in 2015 for her lead in Belle Redux. Michelle relocated to New York City in 2015. She now performs with XAOC Contemporary Ballet, Spark Movement Collective, and freelances. Additionally, she is teaching ballet as adjunct faculty at SUNY Purchase and is pursuing choreographic endeavors.