broadway jazz

Wurtz Jones Michelle (broadway jazz)


Michelle Jones Wurtz holds a BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Her own instructors included Judith Jamison, now the Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Alexi Yudenich , a Silver Medallist at International Ballet Competition; (second only to Mikhail Baryshnikov); Barbara Sandanato, a scholarship recipient at the School of American Ballet; (home school to the New York City Ballet), Patricia Thomas of the Alvin Ailey Company and Martha Graham School in New York, Milton Myers, head of the Modern Dance Department at the famous Jacob's Pillow Program in Massachusetts, and Peter Bertini of the Garth Fagan Dance Company, to name a few. She has danced professionally with Group Motion, Freedom Theatre, Footfalls Modern Dance Company, and currently with Contempra Dance Theatre where she serves as the Assistant Artistic Director as well as Rehearsal Director. She has also performed with the world famous Liz Lerman Dance Exchange; the company that has been on the cutting edge of dance as a form of expression and art. Michelle received one of only eight grants in the entire Delaware Valley from the Philadelphia Dance Alliance to study choreography from New York's most renowned Composition Instructor, Martha Myers. She has also choreographed for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Independent Choreographers Exchange, and received both "Critic`s Choice" and "Best Bet" reviews from Philadelphia dance critics; and she herself is a member of the National Dance Critic`s Association. Ms. Wurtz also is the owner of the Pottstown Dance Theater performing arts school. Some of Ms. Wurtz` students are now full company members in Alvin Ailey, Momix, Dance Theater of Harlem, and Atlanta Ballet. Michelle is planning on attending Graduate School this fall, and is a certified Pilates instructor on every piece of Pilates equipment. Ms. Wurtz has been assisting Gail Vartanian for the past 6 years choreographing and directing the Contempra Dance Theatre.