About me

Michele McNamara - teacher, director, choreographer, and emerging academic

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I was born in Shepparton in country Victoria, and have enjoyed a life full of theatre and dance. My early artistic experiences were learning dance with Daphne Turnbull and working with local community theatre groups such as Shepparton Theatre Arts Group and Turaton Music Company. As an aspiring director and choreographer, I was fortunate to work closely with talented individuals such as Geoff Cable, Eileen Hetherington, and Rob Robson. Credits include: The Merry Widow (1976), The Mikado (1981), Les Misérables (1994), Jesus Christ Superstar (1998), and Fiddler on the Roof (2001), to name a few.

I relocated to Melbourne and studied choreography at Victorian College of the Arts, drama at Deakin university and then completed Education qualifications at LaTrobe.

In Melbourne, whilst forging a teaching career, I moved into independent theatre. Directing credits include MelBorn (2006, 2010) for Melbourne Writer’s Theatre at La Mama Courthouse, Short & Sweet (2006, 2009, 2013) at Fairfax Studio, Northcote Town Hall and Chapel off Chapel, L’inganno Felice for BK Opera (2019) @ Siteworks, Dirty Sexy Opera (2019) @The Butterfly Club, 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane (2017) at Gasworks Theatre for Melbourne Fringe, Lost: 5 by Daniel Keene (2017) and Hostage (2022) at Irene Mitchell Studio for Poppy Seed Festival and Ineffable for the Melbourne Fringe (2020).

Additionally, I have had the pleasure of working with other former Shepparton talents such as Jason Bovaird - as his Associate Producer with Moving Light Productions Private Peaceful @ Chapel of Chapel (2019), musicians, Shane and Brad Price who wrote the score for Dragged @ La Mama (2019) and was Education consultant for Laura Cooney and  The Playground Craze (2016 - 2024) and for playwright, Fleur Murphy, with her VCE listed play, Hearth.

I am a qualified teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance teaching classical ballet, contemporary dance. Additionally, I've undertaken teacher training with Mangala (Peter Hockey) in creative movement. As well as holding the position of Head of Drama at Firbank Grammar School, I taught drama and dance at many schools around Melbourne, including Ruyton Girls’ School, Lowther Hall, Penleigh & Essendon Grammar, and Star of the Sea College. As a VCE Drama, Dance and Theatre Studies specialist, my students were among the top performers in the state, achieving excellence and performing at Top Acts and Top Class. I had the pleasure of directing and choreographing dozens of school musical performances and also produced events at Melbourne Town Hall, Robert Blackwood Hall, and Hamer Hall.

My current PhD studies at Monash University are a way to encapsulate my experiences in theatre, dance, and education. With this project, I look forward to again engaging with others who have a love of performing with amateur theatre.