After graduating at the Associazione Balletto Classico directed by Liliana Cosi and Marinel Stefanescu, Michele Merola dances with Aterballetto, Toulon Opera House, Arena di Verona Company. Currently Mr. Merola is the artistic director and chief choreographer of the MM Contemporary Dance Company, founded in 1999 in Reggio Emilia. He created for the MM Contemporary Dance Company many choreographies, including Mattanza (winner of the Hannover 17th International Competition of Choreography, Germany 2003), La Capinera (Best Choreography Award, Serbia 2007), La metà dell’ombra (winner of the Anita Bucchi Award, Italy 2010), Con le labbra dipinte (world premiere at the Seul International Dance Festival Sidance 2010, Korea), Bolero (Europa in Danza Merit Award to Choreography, 2017), Pulcinella (2016), Gershwin Suite (2018), Vivaldi Umane Passioni (2019), Pastorale (2020), Balada (2021), Short Stories (2022), Armoniosa Unità (2024 – with E. Morelli) and others.
In 2008 Mr. Merola wins the Premio Positano Leonide Massine per l’Arte della Danza and in 2010 the MM Contemporary Dance Company wins the Danza&Danza Award as best rising company. In 2016 he wins the GD Awards 2016 (www.giornaledelladanza.com) as Best Italian Choreographer.
Mr. Merola also created new works for many other dance companies: Aterballetto (Reggio Emilia), Teatro San Carlo (Naples), Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre (U.S.A.), Teatro Massimo (Palermo), Balletto di Toscana (Florence), Teatro Terazijama (Serbia), Tanzcompagnie Landesbühnen Sachsen (Dresden), Teatro dell’Opera (Rome). Since 2010 Michele Merola and Enrico Morelli are the artistic directors of the Agora Coaching Project – Reggio Emilia, advanced training program for dancers.