معرفی
Michelle Bellaver is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Fresno State's College of Arts and Humanities. She holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Florida and a BA in Theatre from San Francisco State University, teaching courses such as Fundamentals of Acting, Advanced Acting Period Styles, and Projection Design. Her work bridges film and theatre as an actor, director, producer, and writer, with a focus on somatic practices and the Female Gaze in performance.
As a Certified Trainer in Somatic Body Voice Kinesensics (Lessac Training and Research Institute) and a Registered Somatic Movement Educator (ISMETA), her research integrates Polyvagal Theory and somatic methodologies into training neurodivergent performers. She co-produced the New Works Festival at The Hippodrome Theatre (2020–present) and developed the Somatic 'Heart Centered Actor' training for theatre performance.
Her creative research includes inter-media productions like Dryland and Marie Antoinette, which use film projections to explore women's interiority on stage, and the feature film SAINT: 5 Etudes for Joan of Arc, examining climate change through historical narratives. She has presented her work at the VASTA and ATHE conferences, emphasizing compassionate equity in performance training.
- Scientific Awards
- Research Incentive Award, University of Florida, College of the Arts (2023)
Michelle is affiliated with SAG-AFTRA and AEA, and her playwriting and short stories have been featured in venues like The Tank NYC and The Windsor Review. She serves as a Faculty Advisor for the Experimental Theatre Company (Fall 2024).
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