Michelle Malmberg

Michelle Malmberg's expertise focuses on the partnership dances - ballroom, Latin, country, swing. Enrolling in her first-ever dance class at the University of Calgary in 1988, dancing was an option course for her Management studies. Additional courses in jazz, ballet, modern, ballroom, drama and film study fuelled her passion for the arts and she abandoned her Management degree for a Communications Studies major and Dance minor. Following graduation, Michelle focused solely on the partnership dances, inspired by historical dance and dance evolution. Producer Andrew Gottleib brought Michelle in to work with Jennifer Garner on Rose Hill (1997) (TV) and with Sam Elliott on You Know My Name (1999) (TV) adding a new dimension to her instruction and choreography career. In 2005 Michelle departed from her traditional disciplines to set solo choreography in the burlesque fashion on Zooey Deschanel's character for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2006). Michelle is pleased to have worked with the aforementioned marquee talent in addition to Keri Russell, Skeet Ulrich, Wes Bentley, Milla Jovovitch, Sarah Polley, Peter Mullan and Nastassja Kinski, among others. Constantly adding to her understanding of culture and dance, Michelle has travelled globally since 1992. Dedicated to incorporating dance as a rite-of-passage and in the preservation of centuries-old traditions, she continues to coach and choreograph the Polonaise, Quadrilles and Viennese Waltz for the annual Debutante's Ball, 'A Night in Vienna' in Calgary, Alberta since 1994. Michelle is a very active volunteer with UNICEF as a public speaker and special events stage manager, and recipient of the 'Educator of the Year' Award 2005.