Our Man Crush for Monday, March 8, 2021 is Michael Nickerson-Rossi!
Michael is originally from Northern California. After the untimely passing of his mother, Michael was a struggling 17 year old with an uncertain future. It was during college when he discovered something that sparked a passion inside of himself. This was dance. Fast forward twenty years. Michael is relocating to Palm Springs from Philadelphia. Michael has been working with local dancers, dance studios, and the community for years initiated by a grant from Palm Springs Art Museum which brought us the Palm Springs International Dance Festival. Michael fell in love with the community which eventually prompted him to relocate.
Michael Nickerson-Rossi is also the founder and artist director of the non-profit Nickerson-Rossi Dance (providing community outreach & dance apprenticeships), Palm Springs Dance Academy (the official dance school providing education, training, and more through core classes for dancers of all ages), and – as mentioned before – the annual Palm Springs International Dance Festival (IDF) which returns Thursday, March 11 and runs until March 14. This year, due to COVID restrictions, IDF is offering an innovative twist on dance programming including a photo exhibit, film screenings, art auction, and a totally virtual festival package as well. You can learn more about Nickerson-Rossi Dance and IDF by visiting nickersonrossidance.