Michael trained in dance and theatre at Dartington College of Arts and in 1992 was awarded a bursary by the Arts Council to attend dance lighting workshops with Jennifer Tipton in New York and Paris. Since then he has worked exclusively within dance and developed a close collaboration with Russell Maliphant, hailed as – the most important creative partnership in modern British dance‖ (Daily Telegraph). Their collaborations – including AfterLight, Shift, Two, Sheer and PUSH – have won international critical acclaim and many major awards. In 2002 Sheer won the Time Out award for outstanding collaboration, Choice won a South Bank Show dance award in 2003, and in 2006 PUSH, danced by Russell and Sylvie Guillem, won four major awards including the Olivier award for best new dance production and a South Bank Show dance award. Michael and Russell also collaborated in 2003 on Broken Fall, commissioned by George Piper Dances (Balletboyz) as a trio for Michael Nunn, William Trevitt and Sylvie Guillem. Broken Fall won the 2004 Olivier award for best new dance production. Michael first worked with GPD when Russell re-staged Critical Mass for Nunn and Trevitt, and again with Russell on the commissioned duet Torsion. Michael has also worked with GPD on Christopher Wheeldon‘s Mesmerics, which was nominated for an Olivier award.
Michael has also worked with Javier De Frutos on Cattle Call, Paseillo, Los Picadores, Blue Roses and Eternal Damnation to Sancho and Sanchez. Michael has worked closely with Jonathan Burrows, lighting many pieces including The Stop Quartet for his own company and Walking/Music for Ballett Frankfurt. He has also worked with Akram Khan, most recently on in-I, his duet with Juliette Binoche. In 2006 Michael was nominated for the Time Out award for outstanding contribution to dance.
Michael worked with Russell Maliphant on AfterLight (Part One) for Sadler‘s Wells‘ In the Spirit of Diaghilev programme which led to developing the full-length version of AfterLight, which premiered at Sadler‘s Wells in 2010.
Michael received the Knight of Illumination award for dance for Eonnagata in 2009. In 2010 he was nominated for the outstanding achievement for dance award at the Oliviers and a Knight of Illumination award for AfterLight (Part One) which was also nominated for the Olivier award for best new dance production.
Michael became a Sadler‘s Wells Associate Artist in June 2010 and is currently working on new creations with Russell Maliphant, Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan.
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