Michael is originally from Lubbock, TX where he studied at Ballet Lubbock under the direction of Yvonne Racz-Key.  He also trained at the Lone Star Ballet with Edward R. Truitt. Michael attended summer programs on full scholarship at the Kansas City Ballet, The Jofferey Ballet School, Carolina Ballet and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. After graduating high school Michael went to the Pacific Northwest Ballet on full scholarship as a Professional Division Student.  While there he worked closely with Peter Boal, Nicholas Ade, Marjorie Thompson, Timothy Lynch, Marisa Albee and many others.  Michael had the chance to perform in productions such as Bruce Wells’ Hansel & Gretel and George Balanchine’s Chaconne and in new works created by Barry Kerollis, Seth Orza, Jonathan Porretta and his personal favorite Kiyon Gaines’ 10: “Un” A-Frayed Edges. Michael then joined Ballet Austin’s Second Company for the 2010/11 season.  He enjoyed performing Thang Dao’s Quiet Imprint in Houston, TX and Jennifer Hart’s Strange Shadows in Saint Sauveur, Canada at the Festival Des Arts De Saint Sauveur in the summer of 2011.  Michael was then promoted into the main company at Ballet Austin where he spent three seasons working closely with Stephen Mills and Michelle Martin.  He immensely enjoyed working on Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project by Stephen Mills which he performed in Miami and across Israel in Akko, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.  Michael was also selected to perform a section of the project at the Kennedy Center, in Washington D.C., during the Ballet Across America festival.  He also had the wonderful opportunity to perform some amazing new works by Gregory Dolbashian, Bradley Shelver and James Gregg.  Michael also got to work with the world-renowned Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa and tour her piece Requiem for A Rose to San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Michael then made the exciting move to Sarasota Florida to join the Sarasota Ballet as a Coryphee member under the direction of Iain Webb and his wife Margaret Barbieri.  He’s had a wonderful time with the company these past three years and has enjoyed the amazingly diverse repertoire.  Some of his highlights have been performing Dicken in Will Tuckett’s The Secret Garden, George Balanchince’s Jewels and Stars & Stripes, Rudolf Nureyev’s Raymond Act III, Christopher Bruce’s Sargent Early’s Dream, Sir Fredrick Ashton’s Le Fill Mal Garde, Jazz Calendar Monotones I, and Sinfonietta, Paul Taylor’s Company B, Christopher Wheeldon’s The American, Sir Peter Wright’s Summertide, Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto, Dominic Walsh’s Wolfgang for Webb, and Anthony Tudor’s Continuo, to name a few.  Michael has also had the opportunity to tour with the company to New York City twice and the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.  He’s looking forward to many more exciting years to come with the Sarasota Ballet.