About this Artist

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Michele Minnick (PhD, CMA, SMT/E) is an artist and curator of theatre and performance events, a somatic movement educator and therapist, and the founder of Vital Matters, an arts-based interdisciplinary laboratory for change. She has taught theatre and performance at universities internationally, including New York University and Towson State University, performed and directed in companies in New York and Baltimore, as well as directing and performing in festivals in Latin America. Michele has taught and developed The Performance Workshop and Rasaboxes for 25 years, and is the co-author and editor of Inside the Performance Workshop: A Sourcebook for Rasaboxes and Other Exercises.

Since 2018, Dr. M has worked with K-12 students through Arts for Learning Maryland, adapting the emotion-based Rasaboxes work for classrooms all over Baltimore City and beyond. She offers both movement theatre and arts integration, with a particular interest in integrating theatre and emotion-based work with science, social studies, and English. She engages students of all ages with a holistic process that focuses on the social emotional learning aspects of theatre as a collaborative art form, and of mindfulness practices.

Artist Statement

My work as an artist, curator/producer, and educator is tied to my belief that our connection to land, water, and the natural world, and our dedication to social, environmental, and climate justice are essential. Individual expression and collaboration in small and larger groups are both essential to successful theatre artists, and to humans wishing to thrive in the 21st century. I bright my passion for theatre and somatic movement to the classroom and to my assemblies, with an interest in finding the ways that each student can participate and shine.