Michelle Schaeffer

BIOGRAPHY – Michelle is an instructor, performer, and leader with a passion for event coordination and the movement arts. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the STL Hoop Club and the Cosmic Collaborative Performance Ensemble, both based in St. Louis Missouri. She is an avid freelance event producer and coordinator.

Working closely with such nationally recognized movement organizations such Hoopnotica, The HoopPath, Ninja Hoops, Luna Breeze Performance Art, and the Vulcan Crew she has gained a well rounded knowlege of concept and teqnique in the movement arts. Michelle holds five Hoopnotica teacher certifications and actively teaches hoop dance and hoop fitness in the St. Louis metro area. She maintains balance and takes pride working with other local St. Louis outlets for movement such as The Fire Technicians, Venus in Flames, and talent agencies.

The STL Hoop Club and Cosmic Collaborative participate in and host over 100 events annually. Notable hoop experiences for Michelle include performing for such artists as Beats Antique, CyberLab 2000, Dirtfoot, Melvin Seals and the JGB, Hot Buttered Rum, Mouth, Random Rab, and countless others. She has led the hoop dance workshops at the Wakarusa Music Festival 2011 through 2014. Michelle's organization offers hoop dance programming in many local schools and other types of programs that involve children and young adults.

Michelle recently co-coordinated the biggest revitalization focused street festival in the midwest with local non-profit organization Rise. She will be working on this project annually. She is preparing to teach at a national conference in Washington DC for the National Federation for Children's Mental Health.

Michelle's studio for the STL Hoop Club is located at 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center on the artistically driven and dynamic Cherokee Street. She also teaches at the Gateway Flex Fitness Studio on South Grand in St. Louis.

In Michelle's spare time she likes to practice and support all types of yoga.