Michael Cook – Company Director – Ballet, Jazz, Technique
Michael Cook (Principal) received his dance training from the Tempe Dance Academy in Arizona and the School of American Ballet. Michael has been a member of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet since 2007. From 1999 to 2007, Michael danced with Ballet Arizona as a principal dancer. While performing with Ballet Arizona, Michael originated roles in Ib Andersen’s Romeo and Juliet as Romeo, Mosaik, and Swan Lake as Prince Siegfried. His repertoire includes works by Paul Taylor, Julia Adam, Twyla Tharp, Dwight Rhoden, Maurice Béjart, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine. As a part of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Michael has danced principal roles in Agon, Apollo, Prodigal Son, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, Duo Concertante, La Valse, and Diamonds, among others. He has also danced in Ragtime, as a part of the Balanchine Preservation Initiative. His passion for dancing extends beyond the stage to teach and inspire young students. Through the Education Department at the Kennedy Center, he teaches a series of master classes in ballet and partnering. He also owns and directs Tempe Dance West in Laveen, Arizona.