Mia Michaels is a judge on the Fox television show So You Think You Can Dance characterized by her tough critiques and even tougher choreography. She is a beloved member of the cast because she holds herself to her own standards and brings out the most of her dancers.
Michaels attempts to guide dancers beyond their comfort zones when she choreographs, and she doesn't allow them to rest solely on their steps. She pulls out their emotions and creates works of art.
The Making of a Choreographer and Judge
Michaels' father, Joe Michaels, taught Mia the fundamentals of dance when she was two years old. He owned Joe Michaels Miami Dance Center in Miami, Florida, and Mia would practice every day after school.
Initially, Michaels wanted to study ballet, but her body was simply too thick to be a ballerina. Taking constructive criticism from her teachers, she left the Miami Conservatory where she had studied ballet, and took up modern dance at the New World School of the Arts.
In the early 1990s, Mia was running her father's studio with her sister and decided she wanted to go to New York City to expand her talent and teaching repertoire.
RAW Dance Company, Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion
Michaels founded Reality at Work (RAW) in 1998, a modern dance company that toured internationally until it disbanded in 2001. During its tenure, the company showcased Mia's talent as a choreographer and helped her find her way as an artist.
She chose the RAW moniker because her philosophy of dance centers around an unproduced and untapped quality. She attempts to find humanity during each day, whether it be during the dance rehearsal itself or something that occurs in the background, like a crew member falling or a dancer having a bad day.
As Michaels' reputation grew in the dance community, she landed gigs with Price, Madonna, Gloria Estefan and other celebrities. She was selected from a worldwide pool of applicants by Cirque du Soleil Director Franco Dragone to choreograph the troupe's performances and, in 2002, by Celine Dion to choreograph A New Day..., Dion's live show in Las Vegas.
Emmy Award for "So You Think You Can Dance" and Other Nominations
In 2007, Michaels won an Emmy award for her work on So You Think You Can Dance. The piece, titled "Calling You," used a Celine Dion song by the same title and featured Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz, two favorites on the show, dancing on a bench with a flower.
Michaels was nominated for an Emmy in 2004 for her work on Celine in Las Vegas: Opening Night Live CBS and she was nominated for American Choreography awards in 2003 and 2004.
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