Please join us for a co-taught Contemporary Partnering class with Michelle Thompson and Caleb Patterson. The class will start with a warm up, move to foundational partnering exercises and skills, and then learn choreography. Come with a friend or by yourself and we will pair you up. Michelle and Caleb have been partnering and creating work together for over 7 years, and they enjoy the opportunity to bring their skills and process to others. 

Thursday, Feb. 20

2-3:30 p.m.

Professional dancer discounts available**

MICHELLE THOMPSON is currently a professor at SUNY Purchase in New York. She received her training from San Francisco Ballet, and danced for 14 years with Ballet Austin. She performed in works by Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Ulysses Dove, Stephen Mills, Sidra Bell, Greg Dolbashian, Nelly van Bommel, Amy Seiwert, James Gregg, Gina Patterson, Thang Dao, Jennifer Hart, and more. Also during her time in Texas she earned her degree from St. Edward’s University, and began her choreographic career with an emphasis on site specific and immersive dance experiences. Michelle was the Artistic Director of New York based Spark Movement Collective from 2020-2024. Michelle grew this company for 4 years, and was awarded grants by Flushing Town Hall for programming for children and Queens Council on the Arts for her work Armenian Voices.  She has recently shown work at Mark O’Donnell Theater, GreenSpace, Dixon Place, and Art On Site. She was chosen as the Women’s Choreography Project winner in 2017 by Avant Chamber Ballet in Dallas and was featured in Dance Magazine. Her commissions include NuVu Festival, CreateART, Style Pointe for NY Fashion Week, Ballet Hartford, J Chen Project, Ballet Austin II, Harvard Ballet, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Ballet Spartanburg, TY&CO, CounterPointe, and more. Michelle has worked closely with Grammy award winning musician Johnny Butler and creative partner Caleb Patterson on projects performed at The Visionary, Mercury Lounge, Ace Hotel, and the Howland Cultural Center.  Michelle’s Illusory Impressions collaboration and co-directorship with composer Catherine Davis was given an award by the Austin Critics’ Table for excellence in a Site-Specific work. She also creates for films including music video "Let You in" by Pete Muller. She teaches at Peridance and Steps on Broadway. Michelle has also performed with XAOC Contemporary Ballet under the direction of Eryn Renee Young at Battery Dance Festival amongst other NYC venues. Michelle teaches yoga, and she is a mother of 2. Michelle most recently premiered a new commission in Dallas for Pegasus Contemporary Ballet with musician Scott Tixier. She recently shared her work Dinner Party at the Mix-MATCH Festival in Houston, and looks forward to the New York Premiere in the Fall of 2025. 

CALEB PATTERSON is a dance artist based in New York City. He has performed works by several notable choreographers such as Nathan Trice, Rena Butler and Patrick O’Brien during his education at The Joffrey Ballet School in 2014. Alongside being seen in HBO’s Random Acts Of Flyness led by Domani Pompey, he has worked with artists Maleek Washington, Em Greenwell, Kayla Farrish and more. He has performed works by MATHETA dance, LaneCoArts, Spark Movement Collective, MORISATO, Kar’mel Small, Javier Padilla, Dolly Sfeir, Nicole Fuentes, and Beatriz Castro. Caleb collaborates closely with artists Michelle Thompson and Johnny Butler, and has presented his own work at Arts On Site, TADA! Youth Theater, Bridge For Dance, The Visionary, and other selected commissions. He has performed in Battery Dance Festival, MATHETA’s Speak Through Movement at Judson Church, Palm Desert Choreography Festival, PAGEANT, Mare Nostrum Element’s Emerging Choreographer Series, Dance Gallery Festival, CUNY Dance Initiative and others.