Forest Dance Academy Meet Our Staff

Owner, Faculty, Choreographer

Michelle Thomas is a native of Michigan who relocated to Forest, Virginia in 1999 after meeting her husband, Jason. Michelle and Jason are the proud parents of two daughters, University of Arizona Sophomore; Hunter and Jefferson Forest High School Junior; Riley.  In addition to her role as the Artistic Director and Owner of FDA, Michelle is also an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Liberty University's School of Communication and the Arts.

Michelle is certified through examination by the Cecchetti Council of America (C.C.A.) as a student, as well as a teacher of Classical Ballet through the professional grade level and is a member of the East Coast Committee of Cecchetti where her students have been recognized as overall scholarships winners at the C.C.A. Summer School in Holland Michigan.  Michelle is a twenty-seven year member of Dance Masters of America (D.M.A.), and is a graduate of Dance Master Teachers Training School at The University of Buffalo.  Through D.M.A. she is professionally certified by examination to teach ballet, tap, jazz, modern and acrobatics and is a current member of Mid-Atlantic Dance Masters Chapter 17. She has served on the board of directors for Dance Masters of Michigan and as the President of Dance Teachers Association of Virginia.

In Michigan, Michelle was the choreographer and director of the award winning Classy Dancer Tap Troupe & Pre-Professional Tap Troupe in addition to being a choreographer for the Lakes Area Civic Ballet Company’s Nutcracker working under the direction of Terri Newman.  Her training includes: Bohaty's School of Dance, On Stage Dance Studio, Lena Pelio’s School of Dance and The Flint Ballet Company, The Detroit City Ballet, STEPS on Broadway, Luigi Jazz Centre, Broadway Dance Center, and The EDGE Performing Arts Center in L.A. to name a few.

Some of the greats Michelle has studied under include Luigi, Frank Hatchett, Enid and Jeff Ricardeau, Romanian Iacob Lascu, Jason Samuels Smith and Savion Glover.  Her professional stage career includes dancing for Universal Studios and Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida.  Her Musical credits include, Anything Goes, Gypsy and Annie Get Your Gun as the role of Annie Oakley and she has choreographed several Broadway Musicals including Sound of Music, Annie Get Your Gun and Kiss Me Kate to name a few.

In this, the 25^th year of directing the FDA Performance Company, Michelle's students continue to receive numerous competition titles and accolades representing Michigan, North Carolina, and Virginia as Dance Masters title holders and have won several national dance championships.  Many of her former students have gone on to make a professional career out of dance and has had dancers performing on cruise ships, with Ailey II, the Radio City Rockettes, with the NFL Professional football team the Baltimore Ravens, and dancers/teachers/choreographers who have worked in the industry from Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles to New York City and abroad.  Michelle has had students that have performed on the nationally televised shows World of Dance, So You Think You Can Dance & Star Search.  Many of her former students have or are currently working towards their degrees in dance arts, dancing on college dance teams, clubs and cheerleading squads.  However, she is most proud of the hundreds of strong confident and courageous dancers she has trained who have grown to be amazing women and men who are successful in many various fields.  Michelle was awarded The Presidential Citation for Outstanding Educator by the Governor’s School for Humanities and Visual Performing Arts at the University of Richmond for the impact she has made towards the educational advancement of her dancers.

As an experienced adjudicator and master teacher for dance conventions/competitions such as Dance Masters of Michigan, Dynamite National Talent, Northern Lights, Luv 2 Dance, Showtime and the British Association of Teachers of Dancing as well as many dance team, performance and ballet companies Michelle has enjoyed traveling and judging in both the United States and Canada. Michelle’s students achievements include Distinguished Young Women of Virginia formerly Lynchburg’s Junior Miss contestants, as well as Virginia’s Junior Miss Scholarship Winners in 2002, and 2010, and 2015.

A note from the director’s chair;

It is my desire to bring a comprehensive curriculum to each and every dancer of the FDA Family, and to educate individuals in the language of dance. I strive to instill proper technique, but equally as important offer a safe space where dancers can grow as artists well versed in this language.   My hopes are to instill a love for dance in our students all the while balancing their family, academics and community obligations as well.  My personal mantra much like FDA's Mission is to shape and mold well-rounded individuals and dancers who will achieve success both on and off the stage.