Michael Jarett currently works as an Associate Professor/Design Specialist for the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Department of Dance where he mentors students in the Dance Production and Management program (which is the only program of its kind in the country). He also has an active freelance lighting design career. Michael spent nine years as the Lighting Designer/Dance Technical Director for the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of Dance and Choreography. He earned his BA in Theater from the University of Richmond (VA), MFA in Theatrical Design from Brandeis University (Waltham, MA), and was the 24th Gilbert Hemsley Lighting Intern at Lincoln Center (New York, NY). As the Hemsley Intern, he had the opportunity to work with the Lincoln Center Festival, New York City Opera, New York City Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Mike's designs have been seen in New York at The Joyce, Theater for the New City, Theatre Row, Dance Theater Workshop, Pregones Theater, and the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater; Regionally at the Arundel Barn Playhouse (resident designer for two summer seasons), Berkshire Theater Festival, Brandeis Theater Company, Cadence Theatre Company, Cape Rep Theatre, College of William and Mary, Denver School of the Arts, Dogtown Dance Theatre, Emerald City Opera, Firehouse Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Henley Street Theatre, James Madison University, Jewish Family Theater, Mercury Theatre Company, Playhouse on the Green, Playhouse on Park, Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp (resident designer and production manager for four summer seasons), Quill Theatre, Reagle Players, Richmond Shakes, Richmond Triangle Players, Riverside Center for the Arts, TheatreLAB, TheatreVCU, UNLV Dance, the University of Richmond, VCU Dance, Virginia Musical Theatre, and West End Assembly of God; and Internationally in Scotland, Canada, and Bulgaria. His resume credits include creating the lighting designs for Head Over Heels (RTCC nomination), Amelie (Cleveland Broadway World Award), Bright Star (Central Virginia Broadway World nomination) Urinetown (RTCC AWARD), Sweeney Todd (RTCC AWARD and Central Virginia Broadway World nomination), Moth (RTCC AWARD and Central Virginia Broadway World nomination), Girlfriend (Central Virginia Broadway World Nomination), Dance Nation (RTCC Nomination), The Laramie Project (RTCC and Central Virginia Broadway World nominations), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Central Virginia Broadway World Nomination), The Last Five Years (RTCC Nomination), Heathers the Musical (RTCC Nomination), Angels in America (RTCC Nomination), The Musical of Musicals (RTCC Nomination); the New England Premieres of tick, tick... BOOM! and Sisters of Swing; the Mid-Atlantic premieres of YANK!, The Boy from Oz (RTCC Nomination), It Shoulda Been You, and The Inheritance (Parts 1 & 2 - RTCC Nomination); the U.S. Premiere of Refuge of Lies; and the World Premieres of Sex! Drugs! & Ukuleles! (music by ragtime authority Terry Waldo), Level 4 (RTCC and Broadway World Nominations), Stonewallin', How to Bruise Gracefully, and The Two Orphans (by Theresa Rebeck). Mike has also designed lights for many cabaret artists including Georgia Rogers Farmer, Scott Wichmann, Matt Beyer, Doug Schneider, Kathy Halenda, Tony DeSare, Molly Ringwald, Amanda McBroom, Charles Busch, Eden Espinosa, and Klea Blackhurst.
Michael has designed for numerous choreographers and dance companies including Adam Barruch, Monica Bill Barnes, Robert Battle, Maria Bauman, Stefanie Batten Bland, Antonio Brown, Chris Burnside, Ryan Corriston, Janet Taisey Craft, Myra Daleng, Greg Dolbashian, Ariel Freedman, James Hansen, Bill Hastings, Gerri Houlihan, Christopher Huggins, Linda Kent, Stephanie Martinez, Ari Mayzick, Lauren Morris, Shane O'Hara, Cynthia Thompson, Nathan Trice, Anne Van Gelder, Nicholas Villeneuve, Kate Weare, Kyle Abraham/A.I.M, Amaranth Arts, Agua Dulce Dance Theater, BODYTRAFFIC, Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Dance Iquail!, FDANCE, Ground Zero Dance, Leah Glenn Dance Theatre, Thang Dao Dance Company, Starr Foster Dance, We Are Artists, and the VON HOWARD PROJECT. As part of VCU's guest artist series, Michael had the opportunity to work with Stephen Petronio Company, companie stefanie batten bland/sbb birdlegs, Urban Bush Women, Ballet Hispanico, Kate Weare Company, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Nora Chipaumire, Rennie Harris & Michael Sakamoto's Flash, Doug Varone, and Helen Simoneau Danse. As part of James Madison University's New Dance Festival he has had the opportunity to work with Attack Theatre, Christopher K. Morgan & Artists, The Dash Ensemble, and DanceWorks Chicago. He was the Production/Lighting Director for the Mid-Atlantic American College Dance Association Conferences hosted by VCU Dance (2010), James Madison University (2012), West Virginia University (2016), for the Mid-Atlantic South ACDA Conference hosted by VCU Dance (2018) and West Virginia University (2020 - cancelled due to COVID-19), and for the Northeast ACDA Conference hosted by Monclair State University (2023). For the National College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center, Michael re-created his lighting designs for Christian von Howard's A Statement About Being (2010), Vincent Thomas' We Hold These Truths (2012), Kara Robertson's Amid (2016), Marsell Chavarria and Jelani Taylor's Dreams (2018), and at Long Beach State University, Miguel Miranda's se Va (2023).
In addition to his design work, Michael works as a production manager, stage manager, master electrician, arts administrator, and educator. For UNLV Dance, he teaches classes including Dance Production, Set Design for Dance, Lighting Design for Dance, Business of Dance, and Stage Management for Dance. For VCU Dance, he taught Dance Production Workshop and Lighting Design for Dance on a regular basis. He also taught classes for TheatreVCU including Basics of Electricity, Introduction to Lighting Design, and Advanced Lighting Design. In 2021 he received the UNLV College of Fine Arts Charles Vanda Award for Excellence in the Arts. Michael tours as the Technical Director for renowned Los Angeles-based dance company BODYTRAFFIC.
Recent projects include designing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, Head Over Heels for Richmond Triangle Players, and 19th Annual Choreographers' Showcase for Starr Foster Dance.
Michael has designed for numerous choreographers and dance companies including Adam Barruch, Monica Bill Barnes, Robert Battle, Maria Bauman, Stefanie Batten Bland, Antonio Brown, Chris Burnside, Ryan Corriston, Janet Taisey Craft, Myra Daleng, Greg Dolbashian, Ariel Freedman, James Hansen, Bill Hastings, Gerri Houlihan, Christopher Huggins, Linda Kent, Stephanie Martinez, Ari Mayzick, Lauren Morris, Shane O'Hara, Cynthia Thompson, Nathan Trice, Anne Van Gelder, Nicholas Villeneuve, Kate Weare, Kyle Abraham/A.I.M, Amaranth Arts, Agua Dulce Dance Theater, BODYTRAFFIC, Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Dance Iquail!, FDANCE, Ground Zero Dance, Leah Glenn Dance Theatre, Thang Dao Dance Company, Starr Foster Dance, We Are Artists, and the VON HOWARD PROJECT. As part of VCU's guest artist series, Michael had the opportunity to work with Stephen Petronio Company, companie stefanie batten bland/sbb birdlegs, Urban Bush Women, Ballet Hispanico, Kate Weare Company, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Nora Chipaumire, Rennie Harris & Michael Sakamoto's Flash, Doug Varone, and Helen Simoneau Danse. As part of James Madison University's New Dance Festival he has had the opportunity to work with Attack Theatre, Christopher K. Morgan & Artists, The Dash Ensemble, and DanceWorks Chicago. He was the Production/Lighting Director for the Mid-Atlantic American College Dance Association Conferences hosted by VCU Dance (2010), James Madison University (2012), West Virginia University (2016), for the Mid-Atlantic South ACDA Conference hosted by VCU Dance (2018) and West Virginia University (2020 - cancelled due to COVID-19), and for the Northeast ACDA Conference hosted by Monclair State University (2023). For the National College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center, Michael re-created his lighting designs for Christian von Howard's A Statement About Being (2010), Vincent Thomas' We Hold These Truths (2012), Kara Robertson's Amid (2016), Marsell Chavarria and Jelani Taylor's Dreams (2018), and at Long Beach State University, Miguel Miranda's se Va (2023).
In addition to his design work, Michael works as a production manager, stage manager, master electrician, arts administrator, and educator. For UNLV Dance, he teaches classes including Dance Production, Set Design for Dance, Lighting Design for Dance, Business of Dance, and Stage Management for Dance. For VCU Dance, he taught Dance Production Workshop and Lighting Design for Dance on a regular basis. He also taught classes for TheatreVCU including Basics of Electricity, Introduction to Lighting Design, and Advanced Lighting Design. In 2021 he received the UNLV College of Fine Arts Charles Vanda Award for Excellence in the Arts. Michael tours as the Technical Director for renowned Los Angeles-based dance company BODYTRAFFIC.
Recent projects include designing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, Head Over Heels for Richmond Triangle Players, and 19th Annual Choreographers' Showcase for Starr Foster Dance.