Mia Michaels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mia Michaels Melchiona
Mia Michaels is interviewed backstage after the So You Think You Can Dance season four finale, August 7, 2008.
Born	(1966-02-22) February 22, 1966 (age 59) Coconut Grove, Miami, U.S.
Occupation	Choreographer
Awards	Outstanding Choreography 2007 So You Think You Can Dance Outstanding Choreography 2010 So You Think You Can Dance Outstanding Choreography 2011 So You Think You Can Dance

Mia Michaels Melchiona (born February 22, 1966), known as Mia Michaels, is an American choreographer. She is also a judge on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance.

Mia has created dances for famous people like Celine Dion, Madonna, and Prince. She also choreographed shows for Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion's Las Vegas show, A New Day.... She has won three Emmy Awards for her amazing dance routines on So You Think You Can Dance.

Early Life and Dance Beginnings

Mia Michaels was born in Coconut Grove, Florida, on February 22, 1966. She grew up in a family of dancers. Her father, Joe Michaels, started teaching her jazz, tap, and ballet when she was just three years old. He taught her at the Miami Dance Center.

Her sister, Dana Michaels, taught her contemporary dance. Her brother, Joe Melchiona, also owned a dance center in Miami. As a child, Mia spent her summers learning more dance at special schools. These included the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan and Jacob's Pillow in Massachusetts.

Mia Michaels' Dance Career

Mia Michaels is known for her creative and emotional dance styles. She has worked on many big projects.

Choreography for Famous Artists and Shows

Mia created the dances for Celine Dion's show, "A New Day", in Las Vegas. This show had 50 dancers and was very popular. She also choreographed for Cirque du Soleil's touring show, Delirium, which started in 2006.

She has made dances for music stars like Madonna, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, and Prince. Her work has also been seen in commercials for brands like Mike's Hard Lemonade and Coldwell Banker. She even choreographed and acted in the dance movie Step Up Revolution.

Her Role on So You Think You Can Dance

Mia Michaels is a judge and choreographer for the TV show So You Think You Can Dance (often called SYTYCD). On the show, she creates unique and often very emotional dance routines. She won an Emmy Award for her choreography on the show, especially for a routine called "Calling You."

In 2009, Mia left SYTYCD for a short time. She wanted to work on other projects. These included choreographing for the Canadian and Australian versions of SYTYCD. She also planned her own dance show, a documentary, a clothing line, and a book. She later returned to SYTYCD for its ninth season.

Other Dance Projects

Mia Michaels founded her own dance company called RAW (Reality at Work) in 1997. She is the artistic director and choreographer for this group. She has also created dances for theater shows like Hello Dolly! and for dance companies such as Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal.

She has taught at famous dance schools. These include the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Ailey School and Broadway Dance Center. She has also choreographed for major ballet companies like the Miami City Ballet. In 2017, she worked with the Joffrey Ballet School for a summer program.

In 2009, Mia was going to perform a tribute to Michael Jackson at the MTV Video Music Awards. She was to dance with Janet Jackson for the song "Scream". However, she got injured during rehearsals and could not perform.

Mia has also choreographed for movies and Broadway shows. In 2012, she worked on the film Rock of Ages. In 2015, she created the dances for the Broadway musical Finding Neverland. She also choreographed the New York Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes in 2016. In 2019, it was announced she would choreograph for The SpongeBob Movie: It's a Wonderful Sponge.

Awards and Honors

Mia Michaels has received many awards for her choreography.

Images for kids

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  Mia Michaels is interviewed backstage after the So You Think You Can Dance season four finale, August 7, 2008.