Bio
Michael Williams is Professor of Dance at The University of Arizona’s School of Dance and has had a rich and varied career in the arts. His early training was from the famed Gus Giordano Dance Center in Chicago, where he later became a faculty member in Jazz (1979-1985). He was also a principle dancer in the international touring company, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago (1980-1984) and continued to serve as a master teacher in Jazz Dance Technique for Giordano Jazz Dance Workshops. Michael has performed in theatrical productions with such stars as Ann Reinking and Chita Rivera. He worked in Tokyo on the Japanese movie musical, Curtain Call with choreographer Michael Shawn. He danced in the PBS Emmy award-winning special, The Rehearsal and is a featured dancer in the widely-distributed instructional video The Jazz Dance Class, both Gus Giordano projects. Michael has worked as a model, dancer and choreographer with many of the country’s top fashion designers on their collection showcases for the Chicago Apparel Center and the Florida Swimwear Association. He has performed as a union member of the Actor’s Equity Association in numerous industrial and corporate productions and in professional musical theater.
Along with his wife Susan Quinn, Michael established a professional dance company in Florida and together they produced over 30 new choreographic works. Their collaborative jazz dance, Clouds opened the first Jazz Dance World Congress (JDWC) in Chicago, 1990. His choreography featured in other JDWC events, are Piano Man, a dance cartoon - Chicago, 1994; Muted Instrument - Nagoya, Japan, 1995; and Scat - The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., 1996. His choreographic work, POCKETS, holdin’ a groove!, was performed at the 1997 International Theater School Festival in Amsterdam, Holland and opened the 1998 Jazz Dance World Congress in Phoenix, AZ. His choreography is currently in the repertoire of several professional dance companies. Michael tours nationally as a master teacher in Jazz and Tap for Dance Masters of America, Dance Educators of America and other national dance organizations and schools. Michael did a residency for the Taiwan National Dance Festival in Taipei, Taiwan and was a featured choreographer at the Jazz Dance World Congress in Monterrey, Mexico. He taught Master Classes in Kids Jazz Dance at the JDWC in San Jose, Costa Rica. Michael received the prestigious Charles and Irene Putnam Award for Teaching Excellence in the College of Fine Arts at The University of Arizona and the 2005 Jazz Dance World Congress award for his significant contributions to jazz dance. His extensive background in music provides a unique musical perspective and framework for his teaching and choreography. Michael continuously strives to stretch his creative voice in the genre of his American dance heritage, jazz dance.
