Working at the Library of Congress,
archiving ethnic dance and music collections.
Giving a multimedia presentation on ethnic dance collections, Library of Congress 1996.
Michelle Forner
Cultural Arts Professional
Michelle Forner is a multifaceted cultural arts professional. A talented artist as well as adept administrator, she continuously uses her talents as a performer, teacher, scholar, writer, researcher, lecturer, producer, and manager.
In the field of Middle Eastern dance, Michelle is a recognized expert on the art of Oriental Dance (more commonly called "belly dance"). She spent most of her formative years in the dance in Southern California. Dance training with master teachers such as Ibrahim Farrah, Dahlena, and Horatio Cifuentes honed Michelle's technique while allowing her natural talent to develop. As a professional entertainer known for her expressive music interpretation and captivating presentation, she has performed in countless venues, from ethnic nightclubs and restaurants to theaters, Hollywood productions, and national (and international) television. She is a winner of the Egyptian-style category in the Southern California International Belly Dance Competition.
Michelle earned a Master of Arts degree in Dance Ethnology from UCLA. This unique graduate program included training in studio, classroom, and field. Its emphasis on dance as a universal aspect of human behavior expanded Michelle's knowledge of world dance. Michelle's thesis, The Transmission of Oriental Dance in the United States: From Raqs Sharqi to "Belly Dance", describes and analyzes the dissemination of Oriental dance in this country and the resulting subculture. Michelle currently shares her knowledge and passion for the dance by teaching studio classes, making multi-media presentations, and writing informative articles.
Michelle recently finished a three-year grant project at the Library of Congress, archiving world dance and music collections. She is currently the director of the Dance Heritage Coalition, a national consortium of performing arts libraries whose mission is to create better access, documentation, and preservation of our dance legacy. Michelle continues to use her skills and experience in programming, production, development, and marketing to further ethnic dance and other cultural arts.