Michelle Manzanales

Acting Artistic Director - Michelle Manzanales joined Luna Negra Dance Theater in 2003 as a dancer and became Rehearsal Director in 2006.  She is currently Luna Negra's Interim Artistic Director. She began her professional career with the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company and has studied and worked with respected choreographers and teachers including Sean Curran, Randy Duncan, Liz Lerman, Dorrell Martin, Donald McKayle, Celeste Miller, Kevin Wynn and Mario Zambrano. Manzanales has created works for Impetus Dance Theater (Chicago, IL), Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (Chicago, IL), Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, the University of Houston and Rice University among others, and has been recognized by the American College Dance Festival for four of her choreographic works. In 2006, she had the great honor of having her work, entitled Pour Me Out, presented at the Kennedy Center, as part of the American College Dance Festival National Gala. Her work has also been presented by Texas Contemporary Weekend (Houston, TX), Festival de Danza Córdoba (Veracruz, Mexico), and Fort Worth Dance Festival (Fort Worth, TX). In 2007, Manzanales choreographed Sugar in the Raw (Azucar Cruda) applauded by the Chicago Sun-Times as "a staggering, beautiful, accomplished new work."