Michelle Nielsen

 

 

Michelle Nielsen is inspired by the expression, creativity, and dynamic spirit of dance. She is a seasoned performer, instructor, and choreographer with numerous degrees and awards. Michelle currently serves as the Artistic Director of SALT Contemporary Dance, a professional dance company in Draper. She directed the BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre where she toured to India and parts of the United States. During her time at UCI, she worked with world-renowned choreographer Donald McKayle as the assistant director of his performing company, the Etude Ensemble.

 

Michelle received her Bachelors degree in Dance Education from BYU and her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine. During her time as visiting professor at BYU, she taught beginning to advanced technique, choreography, and improvisation. She has taught at dance studios and conservatories including St. Josephs Ballet, Maple Dance Conservatory, California Conservatory of Dance. She founded and directed Dancing Under the Skies, an outdoor children’s dance program, and a Montessori dance program in Yorba Linda, CA. She taught and assistant directed the dance company and drill team at American Fork High School. Michelle brought dance to many underprivileged youth through workshops and performances in Cambodia, India, Thailand and Taiwan, funded in part by the Medici Scholarship (UCI).

 

Michelle performed professionally as a member of Orange County’s award-winning Backhausdance Contemporary Dance Company. She performed for 4 years on stages across the United States and internationally in Thailand, Cambodia, and Taiwan as president, soloist, and a choreographer for The BYU Dancers’ Company and BYU-Idaho Contemporary Dance Theater. Her choreography has been seen in main stage productions such as EviDance, Homecoming Spectacular, and CDT in Concert (BYU), Backhausdance2 (B2) (CSU Long Beach), as well as the Laguna Beach Dance Festival (Gallery Installations), The Music Man (LDS Conference Center), Deseret the Musical (Covey Arts Center), The Wizard of Oz (Cottonwood Heights), and on many other local and international stages.

 

She is an adoring wife and a mother of four beautiful children.