Michele Painter is a dancer, movement educator, choreographer and multi-media artist with a passion for the transforming nature of dance. As a founding member of Haven Movement Company, Michele enjoys creating spaces for powerful movement experiences and thought provoking choreography.
A native of Florida, Michele attended Douglas Anderson High School for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville where she had the opportunity to work with many well-known guest artists, including Demetrius Klein Dance Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Gerri Houlihan, and Gina Buntz. She received her MFA in Performance and Choreography from the University of Hawaii (2009). While studying within the deep-rooted culture of Hawaii, Michele took courses in Traditional Japanese Dance and Philippine Dance. She has also attended the American Dance Festival Summer Intensive and Florida Dance Festivals, taking daily classes with David Dorfman and many other world-renowned dance professionals.
Michele worked for the Center for Discovery in New York, where she served as a dance educator offering movement classes for persons with disabilities. She has taught group and private classes, workshops, and created choreography for a wide variety of organizations, including Jacksonville University’s Dance with Distinction Program for high school students . Michele has performed and choreographed for Polarity Dance Theater, Beth Elliott Dance Group, Braided Light Dance Project and Haven Movement Company. She has also created and performed solo works independently.
Michele’s movement specializations include modern dance technique, ballet technique, creative movement, movement improvisation, choreography, dance as spiritual practice, embodied writing and visual art.
As a queer artist, a key component of her work and teaching involves developing collaborative and experimental environments in which individual voices, bodies, and experiences are valued and seen.
Ms. Painter currently lives in upstate New York and is an adjudicator and the Eastern Regional Assistant Director for Small Plates Choreography Festival.
Haven Movement Company is a modern dance performance ensemble. Originally based in Newburgh, NY, the company now performs in multiple cities in the US. In 2016, it was co-founded by Michele Painter, Beth McKee Elliott, and Sarah Renny. Haven Movement presents repertory work, structured improvisational performance pieces, and site-specific dance installations. They value collaboration, experimentation, and are known for creating shows in intimate settings where audience members can have immersive experiences.
Michele is a host of Small Plates Duck, and you can see her perform at our 2025 performance on July 30 at the Duck Amphitheatre. She was a performer at Small Plates Duck, OBX 2024, and has embodied several administrative, creative, and curatorial roles at Small Plates Choreography Festival.
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