This article is written with family permission as a tribute to acknowledge an immensely valued contribution to the arts. It contains names (respectfully not in full form) and images of artists that are no longer with us. We honour them and acknowledge and pay our respects to Elders past and present to allow us to dance upon lands that always was and always will belong to Traditional Custodians. We recognise their deep and continuing connection to culture, and their contributions to our shared community.
A tribute written by dance artist Lena John Gomez
I first met Michael while choreographing for The Messenger Project in Fremantle in 2001. He was 10 years old. Every dance teacher knows that one student—the one who moves closer and closer each class until they are right up front next to you. Young Michael was a hungry, joyful, magnetic tidal wave of danceability and charisma that could not be held back.
He was a fearless dancer with a sublime sense of rhythm and focus. It was his generosity, however, that truly set him apart. His love for dance spilled beyond rehearsals. By the time of the finale performance on the sands of South Beach, the stage was filled with twice as many dancers as we expected—brothers, sisters, friends, all moving in synchronicity. The reason? Michael had taken it upon himself to teach them! That was his gift. He couldn’t keep the joy of movement to himself, he spread that energy like wildfire.
Michael was deeply committed to the purest form of artistic expression—where art is performed and shared as an elevated experience. There isn’t an English word that fully captures the depth of this rasa – a tangible cultural tool I was taught to aspire to in my dance education. Rasa loosely translates to the action and responsibility of the artist to raise the level of artistry to its highest form and then gift it to their audience. The closest terms might be transcendence, or resonance but none quite capture when the artist, the art, and the audience “meet”. This convergence of raised consciousness is when rasa is achieved. Michael had a way of making his artistry feel like this collective journey. His innate ability to channel this force and embrace everyone around him in that flow is rare.
The Messenger Project was the brainchild of Michelle Hovane, providing specialised training and invaluable opportunities in the arts for the Noongar community of the Walyalup region in Fremantle. Workshops would culminate in large live performance events exhibitions and film. One of Michael’s first dance film projects was Lifeline, devised by the youth performers and mentored by Francis Italiano and Karen Hethey as part of The Messenger Project. He featured as an actor and dancer alongside his brother Marlon and some of his dearest friends: JomanB, Krissy Lane, Sydney Blanket and Tully Narkle. Over the years, Michael developed strong bonds with the independent artists and mentors who delivered this program, particularly with his circus teacher Nel Simpson.
Michael’s exceptional talent in dance and circus was soon noticed further afield and Nel escorted the then 13-year-old Michael to Melbourne, on his first ever flight, to partake in invitation-only circus workshops at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA). Soon after, with the blessing and permission of his mother and grandmother, he moved into Nel’s home, where she would nurture his talent and provide him with further training, securing him a scholarship at the WA Circus School. It was here that Michael was trained in acrobatics by the renowned teacher Melik Tichabaev, who had trained gold medallists in Russia. Michael also began touring with Nel, assisting to teach circus and perform alongside inspiring West Australian artists. Michael particularly respected and looked up to professional contemporary cultural dance artists Simon Stewart and Sermsah Bin Saad (Suri) as role models.
Michael gained entry into John Curtin College of the Arts, and the day he was accepted into its specialist gifted and talented dance program, he described as one of the best days of his life. He studied specialist ballet, contemporary dance, hip hop and theatre courses, and was proudly one of the first in his family to complete Year 12. He formed deep friendships with fellow arts students and meaningful bonds with his teachers. He was awarded the Principal’s Award and was recognised as a school ambassador with the Positive Image Award.
Throughout his teenage years, Michael continued training intensives at NICA and The Flying Fruit Fly Circus, and began to engage with creative development projects at Circus Oz. He attended multiple arts conferences around the country with Nel, often performing and sometimes speaking about his experiences to enthralled audiences of industry professionals. After graduating high school, Michael pursued an Advanced Diploma in Dance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, which he proudly completed over the next four years. He made a lasting impression with fellow dancers and the esteemed teaching faculty.
His career flourished as he became a member of Ochre Dance Company in Boorloo (Perth) and later moved to Gadigal (Sydney), performing with the renowned flagship Bangarra Dance Theatre, Legs on the Wall and Circus Oz. His love of dance and circus naturally expanded into acting and the big screen. He played the lead role in Screenwest’s short film Oysterman, and played the lead role’s stunt double in the iconic film Bran Nue Dae. He gained entry into acting at the National Institute of Dramatic arts (NIDA), and although he didn’t finish his degree there, he was nominated for “Best Newcomer” by the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance Actors Equity for his performance in Driving Into Walls with Barking Gecko Theatre Company. He was guided in his career by Lisa Mann and Annie Murtagh-Monks who provided many more screen acting jobs, including a featured role in the TV series The Heights. He continued to teach dance and circus workshops from Busselton to Broome and encouraged many young people to pursue dance as a career.
Michael’s talent took him around the world with the beloved Djuki Mala company, touring internationally to Egypt and across Europe. His artistry extended into puppetry, and he was featured in Sydney Theatre Company and Barking Gecko’s co-production of Storm Boy in the complex puppeteering role of Mr Percival. He performed with Spare Parts Puppet Theatre and worked on projects with Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, Theatre Kimberley, Boss Arts Creative, Karla Hart Productions, Wardanji Festival, Move.Dance.Project, Artrage, Ausdance WA, NAIDOC Week and International Dance Day. He collaborated with many renowned independent artists and was in demand due to his skills and professionalism.
As Michael grew older, he began to immerse himself in deeper ideas for his own choreographic work. In 2023, he worked alongside Peter Wilson as lead choreographer for When the World Was Soft, a Yindjibarndi cultural production featuring large-scale puppetry and Indigenous storytelling. He was grateful for guidance from Claudia Alessi, his former lecturer at WAAPA and later friend and colleague, to help him navigate this important leadership role.
“When Michael entered any classroom I was privileged to be the lecturer of, he did so with great gusto and expectation,” remembers Claudia. “He was undoubtedly one of the most capable and talented movers and choreographers I have met in a studio setting. This was no surprise as the millennium of DNA buried in the recesses of his muscle memory emulated with every move and story he told. It was in later life, as a professional, that we met as equals in the studio to work together on a short dance film for reconciliation. As we carried each other through the process and filming I frequently had to stop the tears from welling up and cascading. They were tears of joy, pride, frustration and knowing that this creative man was a force and a misunderstood artist, who deserved so much better from this life.”
In 2024 he was invited back to John Curtin College of the Arts to choreograph a new dance theatre work. Associate Principal Judy Hendrickse remembers conversations with Michael were always thought-provoking.
“Michael had an immense impact on John Curtin,” she recalls. “Watching him share his own unique choreographic voice was amazing. He communicated his intentions and style intelligently and with great passion. Staff who had taught him as a student were so proud to see a successful alumni of our college give back.”
Michael with Nel. Photo by Lee Burns.
Throughout his illustrious career and invaluable contributions to both his Noongar-Wongi community and the Australian dance industry, Michael proved himself to be an artist, a leader and an inspiration to everyone lucky enough to share a stage, rehearsal space or dance floor with him. He carried his culture, passion and brilliance into every performance, every workshop, every conversation. He loved his family deeply and spoke about them constantly. He proudly told me once that he must have inherited his dance talent from his mum, remembering how, as a child, he was in awe watching her move to music at home. His innermost circle included his sisters, brothers, parents, aunties, uncles, grandparents, and, of course, his Nelly.
One of the most beautiful aspects of his life was his deep connection with Nel. Her support, dedication and belief in his talent were evident not only in the major arts jobs and opportunities she helped him achieve but also in the quiet moments—in shared meals, long drives, campfires, and deep conversations. Artists are often the first to lift up other artists, and Nel made space for Michael with sincerity and grace as his guardian and friend. Two generous souls found and supported each other on their artistic and life journeys.
Recently, twenty years later, at my daughter’s birthday party, Michael—mischievous as ever—revealed to me that he still used a phrase of choreography from The Messenger Project days and had been teaching it in workshops across regional and remote communities in Australia.
“Where are my royalties for using my moves, Michael?” I joked.
He pointed at his face. “Right here. You get to see my royal smile!”
We laughed and laughed, spinning out at the power of a 32-count syncopated old-school dance phrase to span time, space, and careers—keeping us both employed and happy.
That is how I will always remember Michael—smiling, dancing, lifting others up with his electric presence. A force of nature. A soul who didn’t just perform but radiated joy on and off stage. I hope his nieces and nephews read this and know how much we, his artist family, loved him too. We will miss his sense of humour and his open, curious heart.
Rest in peace and power, our cool, beautiful Michael.
May your journey beyond be as graceful as the steps you created on shared lands where your presence lit up every space you entered.
May we all dance for you forever.
Love,
Lena
Michael’s funeral will be on 5 April at Fremantle Cemetery for a service at 9.30am in the West Chapel, followed by a burial at 11am. There will be a live streaming at the chapel for those who would like to tune in from afar. The link is here.
If you found any content within this article difficult, please know there are support resources available.
- Call 13 YARN (13 92 76) – 13YARN is an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line.
- Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 – Lifeline Australia
- Call 1300 22 4636 or chat to an online counsellor – Beyond Blue
