MICHELLE GARRECHT Michelle@saskexpress.com

Creative Director, Instructor - Spark, Tap, Musical Theatre, Acro

Michelle is thrilled to be part of the SaskExpress Musical Theatre Studio for 21 years. She is excited to be stepping into the new role of Creative Director for the Saskatoon Studio. As a former Saskatoon Studio admin assistant and office manager for the performing group HOJA and Fat Cat Productions, she is eager to offer her administrative experience and organizational skills to the Saskatoon Studio. She will also continue with instructing Tap, CDTA Tap Exams, Acrobatic Arts, and Musical Theatre for the studio in addition to teaching SPARK Performing Arts Preschool. She is trained in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, musical theatre and has experimented with other dance styles including modern, street hip-hop, Latin, and ballroom dance. 
Michelle has her Education Degree with distinction, is a Licentiate (Tap) with the Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association (CDTA), and is a certified Acrobatic Arts instructor. She has furthered her dance professional development with a variety of Broadway Bound workshops with cast members of Wicked, Cats, West Side Story, Book of Mormon, and Wizard of Oz. She has also ventured to New York City to work with cast members of The Addams Family and American Idiot, as well as taking part in a musical theatre educator workshop and choreography creation workshop.Choreography is one of Michelle’s passions. She is known for her creativity, fun, and originality in her pieces and has been highly awarded and recognized for her work by winning numerous choreography, originality, and/or adjudicator’s choice awards.Michelle loves that Sask Express gives its students the opportunities to receive quality education in drama and chances for them to choose to perform in full musical productions each year. She has been heavily involved in drama the past 24 years and has worked as a performer, choreographer, or on the production team in over 56 productions in both community and professional theatre. Michelle also continued her drama education by adding a minor in Drama to her elementary education degree. She has enjoyed working onscreen where she has performed in commercials and has performed and choreographed in variety of CMT music videos. Michelle’s goal is for her students to not only develop proper skills and dance technique but to also have fun and develop an appreciation and love of dance. She also hopes to inspire her students to believe in themselves, help them to build their self-confidence, and instill in them the ability to succeed. Michelle is excited for the adventures that lie ahead in her 21st season as part of the SaskExpress family.