Indigenous Artist

Michelle Olson is a member of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation (Yukon) and the Artistic Director of Raven Spirit Dance. She studied dance at the University of New Mexico with Bill Evans (contemporary) and Andrew Garcia (Pueblo Social Dances), Banff Centre for the Arts in Aboriginal Dance under the direction of Marrie Mumford and Alejandro Roncerio and furthered her performance training with Full Circle First Nations as an Ensemble member under the direction of David MacMurray Smith and Margo Kane. Through her studies with the Laban/Bartenieff and Somatic Studies International, she received her certification in movement analysis.

Michelle works in areas of dance, theatre and opera as a choreographer, performer and movement coach and her work has been seen on stages across Canada. Selected choreographic credits include Northern Journey(Raven Spirit Dance), Gathering Light (Raven Spirit Dance), Mozart’s Magic Flute (Vancouver Opera), The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (Western Canada Theatre/National Arts Centre), Death of a Chief (Native Earth Performing Arts/National Arts Centre), Ashes on the Water (Neworld Theatre/Raven Spirit Dance) and Evening in Paris (Raven Spirit Dance). She is the recipient of the inaugural Vancouver International Dance Festival Choreographic Award in 2013.

INDIGENOUS ANCESTRY

First Nations

SELF-IDENTIFICATION

Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in