Michael Foley has been involved in the world of professional dance for almost 20 years and is considered a master teacher and choreographer in his field. He began dancing under the tutelage of Marcy Plavin at Bates College where he received his BA in English and Spanish. During Mr. Foley’s 10 years based in New York City following his undergraduate studies, he performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia in the companies of over two dozen choreographers including Doug Elkins, Kevin Wynn, Sean Curran, Roberta Garrison, Joy Kellman, Donna Uchizono, Ruby Shang, Ben Munisteri and Eun Me Ahn. Mr. Foley has taught workshops and master classes at universities, academic institutions and private studios throughout the United States, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Mexico, Panama and Cuba. He has served on the faculties of New World School of the Arts in Miami, The Amsterdam Dance Center, The Association of Professional Dancers in Ireland, Balettakademien in Stockholm and Bates College, where he was a Lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance in 1996. He has served on the summer faculties of The Florida Dance Festival and The New York Dance Intensive on numerous occasions. Mr. Foley was also a faculty member at DanceSpace Center in New York City for 10 years as well as an instructor at Steps, Peridance and The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. He has been co-director of the Bates Dance Festival/Young Dancer’s Workshop since 1996, which has been attracting pre-professional dancers from around the world for over ten years. Mr. Foley has also taught at the prestigious National Ballet School of Cuba, and assisted Shonach Mirk-Robles at the Paris Opera Ballet School for the remounting of Maurice Bejart’s "Variations Don Giovanni", which premiered at the Paris Opera in April, 2006. Mr. Foley has received choreographic commissions from Harvard University, Texas Woman's University, University of Florida, Cornish College of the Arts, University of Texas, New World School of the Arts, d9 Dance Collective in Seattle, Moving Current in Tampa, Steeledance in New York City, Modern American Dance Company in St. Louis, Eisenhower Dance Company in Detroit, Shade/Lacy Duets in Texas, Jus de la Vie Dance Company in Sweden, DoubleTrouble in Paris, Delfos Danza in Mexio, Momentum Danza in Panama and DanzAbierta in Havana, Cuba, among many others. His work has been performed at many well-respected venues for dance around the world, including Lincoln Center’s Out-of-Doors Festival and Dance Theater Workshop in New York City, The Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, The Dance Place in Washington, DC, The Rieman Center for the Performing Arts at Harvard University, Teatro Mella in Havana, Theatre Balettakedemien in Stockholm and The Beckett Centre at Trinity College in Dublin. In 1994 he formed his own company, “Michael Foley Dance,” touring the United States and Europe. Called “exuberant” and “hypnotic” by The New York Times, the Company received funding for new work and outreach programs from Miami Dance Futures, Harvard University, Florida State University/Sarasota, The River Towns Arts Council, The Hastings Creative Arts Council, Raritan Valley Community College, Abizaid Arts, Inc. and Evolving Arts, Inc. in New York City. The Company was based in Ireland from 2000 - 2002 as part of a multi-year collaboration with County Kildare’s “Fluxusdance,” receiving support from The Irish Arts Council and The Kildare County Arts Council, and has toured several times throughout Ireland. Mr. Foley received his MFA in Dance from the University of Washington in 2002 where he performed in the works of several of the 20th century’s major choreographers, including Mark Morris, Alwin Nikolais, Hanya Holm, Stephen Petronio, Michio Ito, Dore Hoyer and Bill Evans. Mr. Foley is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of South Florida where he teaches modern dance technique, choreography, dance history, and directs a yearly study abroad program for American dancers in Paris. © 2008 USF School of Theatre & Dance