Ballet Masterclass with Michael Gleason

Michael S. Gleason's professional performing experiences embraced not only ballet, but also modern and jazz. They carried him from one coast to the other and back again, including seasons with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, The Cleveland Ballet, The San Francisco Opera Ballet and numerous guest appearances with companies throughout the country. He began his training in Los Angeles with Eugene Loring and continued his studies in San Francisco, New York and Seattle. Upon completing his professional career, he attended Mercyhurst University under the "Returning Professional Program" and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Dance. Mr. Gleason co-founded and acted as the Executive Director of DANSOURCE, an information and referral service that for ten years linked companies with dancers, teachers and choreographers. From 1994 - 2016 he served as Production Manager and Resident Designer for The Mercyhurst Dancers and the Mercyhurst Opera for which he designed sets, lights and costumes for Giselle, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Carmen, The Sleeping Beauty (opera), Song of Norway, Don Giovanni, and Marriage of Figaro. His forty years of teaching and coaching experiences include work with artists from the Norwegian National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Pacific Ballet Theatre, Cincinnati Ballet and Charleston Ballet Theatre. From 1994 - 2019 he taught ballet, pointe, men's technique, pas de deux and choreographed for the Mercyhurst Dance Department. He is a long standing member for the CORPS de Ballet International.