For the last 15 years Michael has traveled and taught throughout the United States, Canada, England, France, Australia, Japan and Korea. Some of his dances that came to be well known are, Black Dresses, What’s Your Name, Hey Bruce, Doors of Life, Rain Against My Window, etc.
2010 saw the return of Jo Thompson Szymanski to the dance scene and with that Michael has a new found energy. “We all have that one person who can truly inspire us, and Jo is that kind of person for me. Being able to work with Jo (instructing for the Dancing for the Dream seminars and other events) makes my job such a great learning experience.” As Jo takes her journey in 2011 to heal from her stem cell transplant Michael feels a strong responsibility to keep that energy going forward.
Michael comes from a show biz family. His father was a pianist and made a wonderful career playing the music he loved. His mother was a dancer and singer before the “kids” came along and put it aside to keep the home secure and nurturing. Michael’s father and mother met during the heyday of Broadway. Something rubbed off from his parents and we are glad he found the venue of line dance to spread his fun.
2011 will be the busiest year yet for Michael and his partner Michele Burton. “We are on the road a lot this year and love all the connections we have with people around the world. Now if the airlines and ‘mother nature’ will just cooperate getting us to the events that would be a plus. We have learned to expect the unexpected”.
Michael lives in Corning, California with Michele Burton and their cat Twinkle Toes (-_-).
Michael Barr has choreographed 149 dances, of which 69 have been co-choreographed. Their first published stepsheet on CopperKnob is Last Days Of Disco from October 2007, with their most recent stepsheet of Lucky In Love – Couples (p) in July 2020.
Choreographer Stepsheets
64 Count 2 Wall beginner/intermediate Music: Take These Chains from My Heart - Lee Roy Parnell
32 Count 4 Wall Beginner Music: Christmas Cookies - George Strait
32 Count 2 Wall intermediate Music: Itty Bitty Little Single Solitary Piece Of My Heart - Lari White
32 Count 4 Wall Beginner Music: Gotta Get to You - George Strait : (CD: Twang)
32 Count 4 Wall Beginner Music: Gotta Get to You - George Strait
48 Count 2 Wall intermediate Music: Dance to the Music - Sly & The Family Stone
48 Count 1 Wall beginner Music: Dance, Dance, Dance - Steve Miller
48 Count 1 Wall beginner/intermediate waltz Music: Their Hearts Are Dancing - The Forester Sisters
48 Count 4 Wall Intermediate Music: No More Doggin' - Colin James : (CD: Colin James & The Little Big Band)
48 Count 4 Wall Intermediate Music: No More Doggin' - Colin James : (CD: Colin James & The Little Big Band, Amazon download)
32 Count 4 Wall Low Intermediate Music: Don't Mind If I Do - Scooter Lee
48 Count 2 Wall Intermediate / Advanced Music: The Door Of The Life - Mariya Takeuchi : (CD: Denimu, Warner Music Japan)
64 Count 1 Wall beginner/intermediate Music: All That Heaven Will Allow - The Mavericks
64 Count 4 Wall Phrased Intermediate Music: Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee - Nappy Brown & Kip Anderson
64 Count 2 Wall High Beginner Music: If the Devil Danced In Empty Pockets - Joe Diffie : (CD: 16 Biggest Hits)
32 Count 4 Wall Easy Intermediate Music: Everytime I Roll the Dice - Delbert McClinton : (CD: Never Been Rocked Enough)
32 Count 4 Wall Intermediate Music: Fallin' for You - Heather Headley : (CD: This Is Who I Am)
32 Count 4 Wall Intermediate Music: Fallin' for You - Heather Headley : (CD: This Is Who I Am)
32 Count 4 Wall Intermediate Music: Bottled Up Tight - Luke Sital-Singh : (Album: Old Flint E.P.)
32 Count 4 Wall Intermediate Music: Give It to Me Right - Melanie Fiona : (CD: The Bridge)
