- Mia Michaels
-
Mia Michaels (Melchiona)
Doing interviews backstage after the "So You Think You Can Dance" season four finale.Born February 22, 1966
Coconut Grove, Florida, United StatesOccupation Choreographer Home town Miami, FL Height 5'11 Awards Outstanding Choreography
2007 So You Think You Can Dance
Outstanding Choreography
2010 So You Think You Can Dance
Outstanding Choreography
2011 So You Think You Can DanceWebsite MiaMichaels.com Mia Michaels is an American choreographer best known for her judging and contemporary choreography on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). She has worked with musical artists such as Celine Dion, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, and Prince.[1] In 2005 she choreographed Cirque du Soleil's world tour, "Delirium" as well as Celine Dion's Las Vegas show "A New Day..."[2] for which she was later nominated for Emmy. In 2007 she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for her "Calling You" routine on season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance; she won again in 2010 for her work on season 5.[3] She was a main judge of So You Think You Can Dance together with Adam Shankman and Nigel Lythgoe for season 7. She choreographed the dance sequence of "Get Happy" in Season 7 Episode 15 of the "House" episode "Bombshells".[4]
Contents
Early life
Michaels was born in Coconut Grove, Florida on February 22, 1966, to a family of dancers.[5] Her father Joe Michaels taught her jazz, tap, and ballet from the age of three at the Miami Dance Center.[5][6] Her sister Dana Michaels taught her contemporary dance.[7][8] While growing up she attended summer sessions at Interlochen Center for the Arts and at Jacob's Pillow in Massachusetts.[5][7]
Career
Mia’s choreography for Celine Dion’s "A New Day" under the direction of Franco Dragone at Caesars’ Palace in Las Vegas has received stunning reviews. The show features a cast of 50 dancers. Currently her work can be seen on Cirque du Soleil’s first touring show, Delirium, which premiered March 2006. She has also created works for numerous recording artists including Madonna, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Anna Vissi, and Prince.[9]
On television, Mia is a judge and contributing choreographer for the Fox television show (and touring company) “So You Think You Can Dance.”[10] Mia won an Emmy award for Choreography on a Television Series for her work “Calling You” on SYTYCD.[11] Other work in film and television includes “Cool Women” for AMC/DreamWorks Television and award winning commercials for Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Bacardi, Coldwell Banker, and Ziper.[9]
On October 14, 2009 Mia Michaels cryptically announced via her Twitter account that her status on SYTYCD was changing. She tweeted “I AM OFFICIALLY AN ADORING FAN OF SYTYCD….THANK U FOR 5 WONDERFUL YRS,” then she followed up with, “THANKS SYTYCD AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHATS AHEAD FOR ME…LOOKOUT WORLD!!!!!”[12] The show’s executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe confirmed on October 15, 2009, Michaels’ immediate departure from the show. Lythgoe thanked Michaels for her assistance during the auditions phase of season 6 which was being broadcast during the fall of 2009. He also made it known that Michaels was welcome to return to the show at any time during season 6 or in subsequent seasons.[13] Michaels later revealed she left the show to participate as a choreographer for the Canadian, UK and Australian versions of SYTYCD. In addition, Michaels shared she was moving forward on several other projects, including her own choreography show, participating in a documentary/reality show, working on a clothing line, and working on a book deal.[14] Michaels did choreograph a routine for So You Think You Can Dance Canada's second season finale on October 25; the theme of the piece evoked her choice to depart the franchise. During rehearsal in Toronto, she injured her back and could not be present for the live performance. On January 25, 2010 The New York Post claimed she was returning to SYTYCD for season 7.[15] Michaels confirmed it via Twitter on January 28.[16]
She will soon be seen on the big screen in the new motion picture Move, directed by Kurt E. Soderling and Melinda Songer, due in 2010. She plays herself in the film along with others like Tyce Diorio, Paula Abdul, Wade Robson and Nigel Lythgoe.[17]
Since June 2006, Michaels is a columnist for Movmnt magazine.[18]
Bravo (US TV channel) recently announced a new docuseries focusing on Michaels.[19]
Included in her concert and stage work is the critically acclaimed New York based dance company RAW (Reality At Work), for which she is the founder, artistic director and choreographer since the beginning in 1997.[5][20] She has created works for the Paper Mill Playhouse’s production of “Hello Dolly!” starring Tovah Feldshuh, Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Jazz Dance Chicago, and Oslo Dance Ensemble. Her choreography has been seen off-Broadway with “If These Shoes Could Talk,” and “Fort Chaffee.”[21]
Michaels was one of many choreographers set to pay tribute to Michael Jackson at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Michaels was to join Wade Robson, Tyce Diorio, Laurie Ann Gibson, Brian Friedman, and other dancer-choreographers in performing with Janet Jackson for her rendition of the song Scream,[22] but suffered an injury during rehearsals and was thus unable to perform on the show.
Michaels has been on the faculty of schools including the Harid Conservatory, the Ailey School of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Broadway Dance Center, in New York City,[23] and her alma mater, the New World School of the Arts. Her choreography has been enlisted for the Miami City Ballet, Joffrey II, the Kirov Academy and the Jazz Theater of Amsterdam.[5]
Michaels served as a regular judge on So You Think You Can Dance for its seventh season, but decided to leave the show in November 2010 because she felt she did not belong on the panel and also wanted to focus on other projects.[24] She will, however, still be choreographing for So You Think You Can Dance Canada.[25]
So You Think You Can Dance
Season Week Dancers Dance style Music Notes 1 2 Destini Rogers
Blake McGrathLyrical Jazz "A Song for You"—Donny Hathaway Ashlé Dawson
Artem ChigvintsevJazz " I love Rachael"—Donny Hathaway 5 Kamilah Barrett
Nick LazzariniContemporary "King of Pain"—The Police 7 Ashlé Dawson
Melody LacayangaContemporary "Message in a Bottle"—The Police 2 6 Travis Wall
Heidi GroskreutzContemporary "Calling You" —Celine Dion Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography 2007
Heidi Groskreutz’s favourite routine of the seasonAllison Holker
Ryan RankineContemporary "Ethna"—Klement Bonelli 8 Top 6 Contemporary "Hide and Seek" from Imogen Heap 9 Donyelle Jones
Travis WallContemporary "Georgia on My Mind"—Ray Charles 3 1 Lacey Schwimmer
Kameron BinkContemporary "Dancing"—Elisa 3 Shauna Noland
Cedric GardnerContemporary "I Thought We Had"—The Family Stand 5 Lauren Gottlieb
Neil HaskellContemporary "Let the Drummer Kick"—Citizen Cope 6 Top 10 Contemporary "The Moment I Said It" —Imogen Heap 7 Lacey Schwimmer
Neil HaskellContemporary "Time"—Billy Porter Dan Karaty’s favourite routine of the season 8 Lauren Gottlieb
Danny TidwellContemporary "Then You Look at Me"—Celine Dion 9 Neil Haskell
Danny TidwellContemporary "Are You the One?"—The Presets 4 1 Chelsie Hightower
Mark KanemuraContemporary "Beautiful"—Meshell Ndegeocello 3 Top 16 Contemporary "The Dance"—Charlotte Martin 4 Kherington Payne
Stephen "tWitch" BossContemporary "Dreaming with a Broken Heart"—John Mayer Katee Shean
Joshua AllenContemporary "Hometown Glory"—Adele 6 Top 5 female dancers Contemporary "Ave Maria"—Celine Dion 7 Katee Shean
Stephen "tWitch" BossContemporary "Mercy"—Duffy Nominated for the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography
Mary Murphy’s favourite routine of the season9 Top 4 Contemporary "Hallelujah"—The Vitamin String Quartet 5 2 Top 18 Contemporary "Higher Ground"—Stevie Wonder 3 Randi Evans
Evan KasprzakContemporary "Koop Island Blues"—Koop featuring Ane Brun Won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography
One of Adam Shankman’s favourite routines of the season5 Kayla Radomski
Kūpono AweauContemporary "Gravity"—Sara Bareilles Won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography
One of Nigel Lythgoe’s favourite routines of the season7 Top 8 Contemporary "One" from A Chorus Line Won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography 9 Jeanine Mason
Kayla RadomskiContemporary "The Four Sections: IV (Full Orchestra)"—Steve Reich 7 1 Billy Bell
Ade Obayomi
Alex WongContemporary "This Bitter Earth/On the Nature of Daylight"—Max Richter and Dinah Washington 4 Top 8 Contemporary "When We Dance"—Sting 7 Top 6 and All-Stars Contemporary "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"—Sting So You Think You Can Dance Canada
Season Week Dancers Dance style Music 2 8 Top 3 Girls Contemporary "Concerto for 2 Violins in D Minor, BMV 1043: II. Largo ma non Tanto (J. S. Bach"—The Scottish Ensemble/Jonathan Rees 9 Top 10 Contemporary "This Moment"—Nic Chagall ft. Jonathan Mendelsohn 3 3 Top 18 Jazz "Let Go" —Mitzi Gaynor 6 Top 12 Contemporary "Will I?" from Rent 4 9 Top 3 Girls Contemporary "What About Us"—ATB Awards
- Silver Leo Award, Jazz Dance World Congress, 1992[5]
- Dance Educators of America's President Cup[5]
- 2007: 59th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Choreography: So You Think You Can Dance: "Calling You"[26] (tied with Wade Robson and Rob Marshall)
- 2010: 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Choreography: So You Think You Can Dance: "Koop Island Blues," "Gravity," and "One"
- 2011: 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Choreography: So You Think You Can Dance: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "When We Dance," "This Bitter Earth/On the Nature of Twilight" (tied with Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo)
- Nominations
- 2002: American Choreography Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Commercials: Coldwell Banker “Buying”[7]
- 2003: American Choreography Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Television - Variety Series: Celine in Las Vegas: Opening Night Live![27]
- 2003: 55th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Choreography: Celine in Las Vegas: Opening Night Live![28]
- 2009: 61st Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Choreography: So You Think You Can Dance: "Mercy"[29]
References
- ^ 2002 Nominees Outstanding Achievement in Commercials- Coldwell Banker “Buying” - Mia Michaels iPressroom American Choreography Awards.
- ^ Bill Keveney (07/20/2005), "It takes 50 to tango, etc., on Fox's 'Dance'". USA Today. (07347456)
- ^ Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
- ^ Internet Movie Database Mia Michaels News
- ^ a b c d e f g McDonagh, Don; Caras, Steven (August 1998), "Blonde ambition". Dance Magazine. 72' (8):58
- ^ "A Towering Force", Gold Rush Magazine March 2007
- ^ a b c 2002 Nominees Outstanding Achievement in Commercials- Coldwell Banker “Buying” - Mia Michaels iPressroom American Choreography Awards.
- ^ Coldwell Banker “Buying” - Mia Michaels / The American Choreography Awards
- ^ a b Past Faculty - Jazz Broadway Dance Center, New York City.
- ^ Bill Keveney (07/20/2005), "It takes 50 to tango, etc., on Fox's 'Dance'". USA Today. (07347456)
- ^ Academy of Teevision Arts & Sciences
- ^ http://twitter.com/MMRAW, Mia Michaels twitter page, retrieved October 15, 2009
- '^ Adam Markovitz, “Mia Micheals tweets that she is leaving 'So You Think You Can Dance" Entertainment Weekly, October 15, 1950, http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/10/15/mia-michaels-leaving-so-you-think-you-can-dance/ retrieved October 15. 2009
- ^ Dreben, Jed; People .com, "Mia Michaels: Why I Left So You Think You Can Dance", October 28.2009 http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/10/28/mia-michaels-why-i-left-so-you-think-you-can-dance/ Retrieved October 28, 2009
- ^ Wieselman, Jarett. "PopWrap Exclusive: Mia Michaels returning to 'Dance'!". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/popwrap_exclusive_mia_michaels_returning_Vh8oOH64j63lkMIm1GrbBK. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
- ^ "Twitter". http://twitter.com/MMRAW/status/8288850126. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988041/
- ^ Mia Michaels columns movmnt magazine
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i724486204375a1060c656377e900b7b2
- ^ http://fox61tv.com/first/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=173&Itemid=48
- ^ Past Faculty - Jazz Broadway Dance Center, New York City
- ^ http://www.mtv.ca/vma/2009/article.jhtml?id=20301
- ^ Past Faculty - Jazz Broadway Dance Center , New York City.
- ^ SYTYCD Judge: Why I'm Leaving the Show
- ^ http://twitter.com/MMRAW, Mia Michaels twitter page, retrieved June 13, 2011
- ^ Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
- ^ 2003 Nominees Outstanding Achievement in Television - Variety Series - Celine in Las Vegas: Opening Night Live! iPressroom American Choreography Awards.
- ^ Awards Internet Movie Database.
- ^ 2009 Nominations List
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography Jim Moore / George Pinney / Jon Vanderkolff (2001) · Doug Jack / Sarah Kawahara / Kenny Ortega / Debra Brown (2002) · Sandra Bezic / A.C. Ciulla / Christopher Dean / Jamie Isley / Michael Seibert (2003) · Jason Samuels Smith (2004) · Christopher Dean (2005) · Charles Klapow / Kenny Ortega / Bonnie Story (2006) · Wade Robson / Mia Michaels / Rob Marshall / John Deluca (2007) · Wade Robson (2008) · Rob Ashford / Tyce Diorio (2009) · Mia Michaels (2010) Mia Michaels / Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo (2011)
Complete list: (1955–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–present)
So You Think You Can Dance Seasons Hosts Permanent judges Nigel Lythgoe (2005-present) · Mary Murphy (2007–2009, 2011–present) · Adam Shankman (2009–2010) · Mia Michaels (2010)Guest judges Choreographers Louis van Amstel · Dee Caspary · Dmitry Chaplin · Sean Cheesman · Alex Da Silva · Tyce Diorio · Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo · Brian Friedman · Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev · Jean-Marc Généreux · Jason Gilkison · Dan Karaty · Spencer Liff · Nakul Dev Mahajan · Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin · Mia Michaels · Ron Montez · Mandy Moore · Mary Murphy · Toni Redpath · Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson · Wade Robson · Doriana Sanchez · Benji Schwimmer · Christopher Scott · Dave Scott · Shane Sparks · Sonya Tayeh · Lil C · Stacey Tookey · Travis WallWinners Nick Lazzarini · Benji Schwimmer · Sabra Johnson · Joshua Allen · Jeanine Mason · Russell Ferguson · Lauren Froderman · Melanie Moore2nd place finalists1 Melody Lacayanga · Travis Wall · Danny Tidwell · Stephen "tWitch" Boss · Brandon Bryant · Jakob Karr · Kent Boyd · Sasha Mallory3rd place finalists1 Jamile McGee · Donyelle Jones · Neil Haskell · Katee Shean · Evan Kasprzak · Kathryn McCormick · Robert Roldan · Marko Germar4th place finalists1 Ashlé Dawson · Heidi Groskreutz · Lacey Schwimmer · Courtney Galiano · Kayla Radomski · Ellenore Scott · AdéChiké Torbert2 · Tadd GadduangOther finalists Other countries Click here for the complete list of contestants.
^2 Season 7 featured only three dancers as finalists at the end of its run. Although Torbert technically finished fourth, he was eliminated the week prior to the finale.
^1 Only the first season of the show provided an official percentage breakdown of the final vote. For the remaining seasons, second through fourth place finalists are based only on the order in which they were announced, which may not reflect the official vote breakdown.Dance Types Solo · Partner · Group
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Technique Choreography · Connection · Dance theory · Lead and follow · Moves (glossary) · Musicality · Spotting · Turnout
See also Categories:- Living people
- American choreographers
- Dance instructors
- Reality television judges
- Cirque du Soleil
- People from Florida
- So You Think You Can Dance choreographers
- Contemporary dance choreographers
- 1965 births
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