Join Princeton dance faculty members Tina Fehlandt, Abby Zbikowski and Elisa Clark for an informal conversation; as successful artists inside the dance world, they will share their stories and knowledge of what it’s like to navigate the profession and offer advice based on their varied experiences.
The conversation is free and open to all Princeton students.
Photo by Christopher Duggan
Elisa Clark is an award-winning artist and educator, from the Washington, DC area, who trained at the Maryland Youth Ballet, prior to receiving a BFA from The Juilliard School, under Benjamin Harkarvy. Ms. Clark was a founding member of Robert Battle’s Battleworks Dance Company, where she also served as Company Manager (2001-2006). Additionally, she was a featured member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (2013-2017), Lar Lubovitch Dance Company (2001, 2011-2012), and Mark Morris Dance Group (2006-2011), as well as performed with Nederlands Dans Theater and The Metropolitan Opera, in works by Jirí Kylián, and Crystal Pite, respectively. Since 2002, she has been assistant to Mr. Battle, and frequently restages his work. Ms. Clark has held residencies and adjunct positions at the Ailey School, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Boston Conservatory, Brown University, George Mason University, Marymount Manhattan College, New World School of the Arts and Perry-Mansfield, and she is currently on faculty at the University of the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, MOVE (NYC) and the American Dance Festival, in addition to guest teaching nationwide. She is a 2008 Princess Grace Award Winner, and thrilled to be joining the faculty at Princeton University this semester.
A Certified Life Coach, with a focus on providing support for dancers through a holistic lens, Ms. Clark is passionate about leading professional development seminars and workshops to promote necessary conversations, and to help shed more light on the realities of the field of dance; she is called upon to assist in bridging the gap for those entering the profession, to support artists while in their career, and to offer guidance into a post-dancing career shift, all by empowering dancers. In addition to drawing on her deep knowledge and versatile experiences as dancer, educator, manager, mentor and coach, Ms. Clark is currently engaged in several creative research projects. www.elisaclark.com
Photo by Arthur Simoes
Tina Fehlandt was an integral part of the Mark Morris Dance Group for twenty years, from its inception in 1980 to January 2000, appearing in over 50 works choreographed by Mark Morris. With the Group she toured the world and appeared in several television specials, most notably as “Louise” in Mr. Morris’ production of The Hard Nut. She has been the subject of feature articles in SELF-Magazine, DANCE MAGAZINE, and DANCE TEACHER. In BALLET REVIEW Ms. Fehlandt was hailed as “one of the most beautiful dancers anywhere.”
Ms. Fehlandt has staged Mark Morris’ work at Princeton University, New York University, Rutgers University, University of Minnesota, University of Texas, Marymount Manhattan College, Barnard College, the Juilliard School, Long Island University, and American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Houston Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Washington Ballet, and the White Oak Dance Project.
Ms. Fehlandt is a well-known teacher of both Ballet and Modern Dance. She is a full time Lecturer in Dance at Princeton University and on faculty at the Mark Morris Dance Center where she also coordinates the Summer Intensive programs. Her choreography has been performed by Houston Ballet II, Barnard College, Trinity College, Deep Ellum Ensemble, ABT Summer Intensives and as part of Princeton University’s Evening of Enchantment. She has conducted workshops at the Mark Morris Dance Center, Skidmore College, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, SUNY Brockport, and the University of Washington, and taught master classes at the Edinburgh International Festival, Adelaide (Australia) Festival, American Dance Festival, Cornish College of the Arts, Wesleyan University, and The Place in London among others. Ms. Fehlandt has been Artist-in-Residence at Barnard College and Long Island University Brooklyn Campus and on faculty at New York University Tisch School of the Arts and the ABT New York Summer Intensives. In addition, she has worked in television as Production Coordinator for the Emmy Award winning DANCE IN AMERICA series.
Photo by Effy Falck
Abby Zbikowski is a choreographer, Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and faculty member at the American Dance Festival. Her choreographic work with her company, Abby Z and the New Utility, has been presented by the Gibney Dance Center, Movement Research at Danspace Project, and most recently the Abrons Arts Center where the company had a sold out run of its latest evening-length piece, abandoned playground. Zbikowski has been an Artist-in-Residence as part of the nEW Festival in Philadelphia, the American Dance Festival, and the Bates Dance Festival. She has studied intensively at Germaine Acogny’s L’École de Sables in Senegal, holds a B.F.A. in dance from Temple University, and an M.F.A. in dance from Ohio State University, where she worked closely with mentors Bebe Miller and Vickie Blaine. As a performer, Zbikowski has worked with Charles O. Anderson/Dance Theater X, Vincent Mantsoe, and the Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project. She has been on faculty at the Ohio State University and has taught technique and creative process abroad at the Academy of Culture in Riga, Latvia as part of Global Practice Sharing, sponsored by Movement Research.
