Michael Cook is the Founder and Artistic Director of South Mountain Performing Arts in Phoenix, Arizona. A native of Phoenix, he trained at the prestigious School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York City, the official school of New York City Ballet, and has enjoyed a distinguished career as both a professional dancer and educator.

Michael danced as a Principal Dancer with Ballet Arizona (2000–2007) before joining The Suzanne Farrell Ballet (2007–2014) as a Principal Dancer under the direction of legendary ballerina Suzanne Farrell. Throughout his performing career, he danced leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Maurice Béjart, Dwight Rhoden, Julia Adam, and Ib Andersen.

His extensive Balanchine repertoire includes Agon, Apollo, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, Diamonds, Duo Concertante, La Valse, Meditation, Mozartiana, Prodigal Son, and Ragtime as part of Suzanne Farrell's Balanchine Preservation Initiative. He continues to collaborate with Ms. Farrell on artistic and preservation projects celebrating the legacy of George Balanchine.

Michael began his dance training at Tempe Dance Academy under the direction of Wanda Manville. Inspired by his own experiences growing up in Laveen, Arizona, he founded Tempe Dance West in 2007 with the vision of bringing exceptional dance education to an underserved community. That vision has grown into South Mountain Performing Arts, a 9,500-square-foot state-of-the-art performing arts facility serving hundreds of students each year.

A passionate educator, Michael has dedicated nearly two decades to training the next generation of artists. He has taught master classes across the country, including through the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and continues to serve as Co-Director of the nationally recognized Tempe Dance Company.

In 2024, Michael was selected as a National Visiting Fellow by the School of American Ballet, an honor recognizing outstanding ballet educators across the country and their commitment to excellence in classical ballet training.

Michael's students have gone on to perform on Broadway, with Cirque du Soleil, The Rockettes, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, LINES Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and numerous professional companies throughout the United States and abroad. His students have also earned scholarships to leading institutions including The Juilliard School, Marymount Manhattan College, Pace University, Point Park University, Arizona State University, and the University of Arizona, and have appeared on So You Think You Can Dance.

Under Michael's leadership, South Mountain Performing Arts has become one of Arizona's premier dance studios, earning recognition as PHOENIX Magazine's 2026 Best Dance Studio while continuing its mission to provide exceptional dance education in a welcoming, family-centered environment.