Jennifer+Cochran


 * Emmy Award Winning Choreographer**

====Mia Michaels was taught dance at a young age by her father and sister Dance. She was born and raised in Florida. She attended Jacob's Pillow loacated in Becket, Massachusetts. The School at Jacob's Pillows's includeds five programs: Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary Traditions, Jazz/Musical Theater, and Choreographer's Lab. The dancers' schedule includes six days each week with four professional-level studio classes each day, coaching sessions, weekly performances for the public, master classes with Festival artists, talks led by Scholars-in-Residence, study assignments in the Pillow's rare and extensive Archives, and attendance at all Festival performances and events. Michaels has worked with artists such as Celine Dion, Madonna and Prince, to name a few. Her work can be seen on the Cirque du Soleil's touring show, Delirium. Her most recent work can be seen on the Fox television show, "So You Think You Can Dance", were she has choreographer more than twenty dances over the past five seasons. Michaels' has held faculty positions in institutions such as Alvin Alley, and the International Dance Festival of Italy: as well as appearing as a guest choreographer on the touring dance convention " the Pulse".====

====This first piece of work by Mia Michaels' is called "Gravity". This dance involves two dancers, Kayla Radomski and Kupono Aweau. Michaels' wanted the dancers to think of that one time when you want something that is so bad for you; you take it without thinking of the consequences. During and interview before the performance Kayla Radomski tells all that "It's a constant battle for him (Kupono) being there and I'm trying to get rid of him but he always comes back."(Radomski qtd. in video) Radomski was explaining the dance, how she trys to get away from him. Kupono is the addiction and she is the addict; wanting him so much but trying to control herself. According to Kupono, "It really hit home with him".(Aweau qtd in video) It took an emotional toll on him. His family and him had a best friend who struggled with an addiction, and it almost tore his family apart. Kupono tells us during his interview that it was hard for him to be the addiction during the dance Michael's choreographed. To watch Kayla and Kupono perform "Gravity" go to [], or watch above.==== media type="custom" key="4644470" align="center"

====The second piece of work is performed by Jeanine Mason and Kayla Radomski to "The Four Section: IV." Michaels trys to always bring a concept to each dance she choreographs that deal with struggles in todays society. We see this in the first piece of work. In this dance, Michaels' explained to the dancers that this piece is about the struggles they have faced from day one in Vegas week to now dancing for their lives to be America's Favorite Dancers. This piece deals with the struggles people have on their journey through life. The journey shed layer by layer as they make it to were they want to be. Both Jeanine and Kayla have struggled through many things to make it to the top 4 dancers. They had to get to Vegas, go through the agonizing long Vegas week, make the top 20, and dance their hearts out to stay in the competition. This is another one of Michaels' emotional pieces that was executed to perfection. To see Jeanine and Kayla perform "The Four Section: IV" go to [], or watch above====

====As a young woman, Mia Michaels' never had the "dancer body". Instead of giving up, Michaels' took to choreographing her love of dance. Michaels usually choreographs contemporary. With contemporary you can express you emotions in different ways. Michael's brings her choreography to new levels with each dance. She has giving her viewers a way to deal with struggles they may go through, and she herself has found a way to overcome what life has brought to the table.====

For more information about Mia Michaels you can go to: [|http://www.miamichaels.com]