Michelle brings more than 15 years of experience as a dance instructor and performer to O’Dowd’s Performing Arts Department. She holds both a BA in Environmental Science and a BFA in Dance from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has toured internationally, taught at the collegiate level, and worked with artists around the world. In addition to teaching at O’Dowd, she serves as the Youth and Teen Coordinator for ODC/Dance in San Francisco and is currently a guest artist with AZOTH Dance Theatre in France.

Originally from New Mexico, Michelle believes dance is a universal language that helps people understand themselves and connect with others. In the classroom, she emphasizes vocabulary and physical exploration—encouraging students to talk about movement, understand how their bodies work, and then bring those ideas to life through dance. She is excited to help build and grow O’Dowd’s dance program. Outside of school, Michelle enjoys skiing, cross-stitching, playing kickball, and cooking.