CAROLINE FELKINS
BIO
I AM AN AMERICAN DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER BASED IN BERLIN. I HOLD A BFA IN CONTEMPORARY DANCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS UNDER DEAN SUSAN JAFFE, CLASS OF 2023. I BEGAN TRAINING IN CLASSICAL BALLET AT THE AGE OF 3 AND, AS I GREW UP, SPENT MY SUMMERS STUDYING WITH THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET BOSTON BALLET, AND AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, AMONG OTHERS. FROM 2017 TO 2019, I TRAINED AT CHARLOTTE BALLET ACADEMY UNDER PATRICIA MCBRIDE. I’VE PERFORMED PRINCIPAL ROLES IN CLASSICAL BALLETS SUCH AS GISELLE, SLEEPING BEAUTY, AND THE NUTCRACKER AS WELL AS CONTEMPORARY WORKS BY ROBERT BATTLE, SHEN WEI, SIDRA BELL, MERCE CUNNINGHAM, AND OTHERS.
SINCE MOVING TO BERLIN, I’VE ENJOYED WORKING WITH ARTISTS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. I’VE TOURED WITH EAT THE FROG KOLLEKTIV AND KLANGRAUM FESTIVAL AND AM FORTUNATE TO BE REPRESENTED BY ZAV KÜNSTLERVERMITTLER. AS A CHOREOGRAPHER, MY WORK HAS BEEN PRESENTED IN VENUES ACROSS THE US AND THROUGHOUT EUROPE, INCLUDING IN DENMARK, COLOGNE, LONDON, AND BERLIN, MOST NOTABLY AT THE UK’S LARGEST CHOREOGRAPHIC FESTIVAL, THE RESOLUTION FESTIVAL 2024 AND OCRAFOLK FESTIVAL 2023/24. I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF CHAOS EMBLEMATIC E.V., WHERE I PRODUCED EVENTS THAT CONNECT THE COMMUNITY WITH MULTIDISCIPLINARY ART.
ONE OF MY DANCE FILMS, NATURALLY, PREMIERED AT THE ARTHOUSE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL IN LONDON IN 2023. CURRENTLY, I’M CONTINUING MY PASSION FOR MUTLIDISCINIPLINARY WORK AND OUTREACH WITH MY PROJECT soulsoup AS WELL AS PERFORMING WITH CHOREOGRAPHERS AROUND EUROPE.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
I COME FROM HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA, A SMALL, DEEPLY RELIGIOUS SOUTHERN TOWN IN THE UNITED STATES. BUILDINGS PEEKING THROUGH A CANOPY OF GREENERY, CHURCHES ON EVERY OTHER CORNER. IN A PLACE THAT FELT CULTURALLY ISOLATED, BALLET ALLOWED ME TO ACCESS MORE. AT UNIVERSITY, I FOUND MYSELF EXPOSED TO DIVERSE RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, AND ARTISTIC PERSPECTIVES. HERE IS WHERE I BEGAN MY RELIGIOUS DECONSTRUCTION AND EXPERIENCED A HUGE GROWTH SPURT ARTISTICLY. I THEN DECIDED TO PURSUE CHOREOGRAPHY AS WELL AS PERFORMANCE, IN ORDER TO FULFILL MY INNATE NEED TO CREATE.
WITH AN UPBRINGING IMMERSED HEAD TO TOE IN THE IDEA OF RIGHTS AND WRONGS, I’M CURIOUS ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF TRUTH, AND IN TERMS OF MOVEMENT, FORM.
WITH CLASSICAL MOVEMENT COMES FORM, BUT I’M EXCITED BY BREAKING THIS FORM AND FINDING BEAUTY IN THE CRACKS I MAKE. PUSHING IT SO FAR IT WARPS. RESEARCHING THIS AS A SURREAL EXPRESSION OF “UGLY BEAUTY” AND HOW THIS MAY PROVOKE THOUGHT AND EMOTION.
I’M MOTIVATED BY THE DESIRE FOR THE AUDIENCE TO FEEL A SORT OF BODILY EMPATHY AS THEY WATCH, IDENTIFYING DEEPLY WITH WHAT’S ON STAGE. AND IN ADDITION, FACILITATING A SPACE FOR NON DANCERS TO CONNECT WITH THEIR OWN INNATE MOVEMENT. THIS IS WHAT EXCITES ME ABOUT PERFORMANCE, CHOREOGRAPHY, AND THE WORK I DO WITH MY PROJECT soulsoup.
I WANT MY WORK TO TOUCH ON UNIVERSAL FEELINGS WE ALL SHARE.
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