Michelle Bernier

dancer, choreographer, educator, filmmaker, film festival director

Originally from Maine, and a Boulder-transplant since 2011, I have come to find my permanent dance community along Colorado's front range. I've been teaching in the area since my arrival, and performing with companies such as Cindy Brandle Dance Company, Life/Art Dance Ensemble, and Blue Moon Dance Company, as well as independent freelance gigs with choreographers such as Sheila Klein, Megan Larson, and Danielle Garrison. I've had the honor of performing at venues like the Denver Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Fiske Planetarium, Dairy Arts Center, and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater. I received my MFA in Dance from CU Boulder in 2016, with secondary emphases in Digital Media and Somatics, along with completing certifications in College Teaching (CU Graduate School) and Healthy Dance Practice (IADMS/SiDI) during my studies. While at CU, I fell in love with dance film, a niche genre world where choreography and cinematography merge into one art form. I've been making screendances ever since, some of which have been screened at American Dance Festival's Movies by Movers, Screendance Festival (Stockholm), Rio Webfest, The Bebop Channel, FilmFest by Rogue Dancer, Versatility Festival, Boulder Ballet Film Festival, and more.

I began volunteering for Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema (a 19 year old Boulder arts organization and also BCAA member) while in graduate school, eventually taking on a staff position, and finally the Executive Director and Co-Artistic Director position since 2015. I currently direct all daily operations of the festival, including annual calls for entries (globally), curation, programming and producing live events, facilitating educational workshops, and creating new opportunities for local artists to work and be paid for their contributions. 

Currently, I'm teaching on faculty at:

• Metroplotian State University of Denver  - dance film

• Colorado Conservatory of Dance - tap, jazz, modern, somatics/improvisation

• Pikes Peak Community College - dance appreciation