Sarah Kleinke,
GENERAL MANAGER
Sarah Kleinke is a dancer, educator, and arts administrator currently serving as the General Manager at EMERGE125 in New York City. Originally from Hickory, North Carolina, Sarah began her dance training at Ann Freeman Dance Academy and was a dedicated member of the Dance Masters of America organization. She went on to earn her BFA in Dance Performance from East Carolina University, graduating magna cum laude and receiving the Outstanding Senior Award in Dance Performance. During her time at ECU, she held multiple student leadership roles, organized outreach and service events, and performed in repertory by ECU faculty and guest artists including John Magnus, Lauren Edson, and Koresh Dance Company. A highlight of her collegiate career was performing at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. as part of the National College Dance Festival.
Sarah moved to New York City in 2015 to pursue professional opportunities in both performance and arts administration. As a performer, she has danced with artists and companies including Kristin Sudeikis Dance, LaneCoArts, NSquared Dance, and Depth Dance. Notable performances include the New York Capezio A.C.E. Awards for choreographer A'Drey and New York Fashion Week for designer Paola Hernandez with choreography by Tiffany Rea-Fisher.
She joined Elisa Monte Dance as a Company Dancer in 2020 and was a founding Company Dancer with EMERGE125 (E125), where she also held administrative roles throughout her four seasons as a performer. As an EMERGE125 dancer, Sarah has performed at venues across New York City and the Northeast, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Chelsea Factory, The Flea Theater, Bryant Park, Ailey Citigroup Theater, Triskelion Arts, and Salvatore Capezio Theater. Highlights include Public Works’ The Tempest (2023) at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, Tiffany Rea-Fisher’s adaptation of Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and the Manticore (2024) at NYU Skirball with the New York Choral Society, and Flowers After Hours (2024) at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. She has also performed in site-specific works at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid, NY. Her film credits include Woman Versus (Justina Grayman, 2016), Fates (Depth Dance, 2018), Rights of Renaissance (EMERGE125, 2021), and Geography of Grace (EMERGE125, 2023).
Sarah has been deeply embedded in the growth and evolution of EMERGE125, serving as Company Manager, Staff Administrator, Digital Marketing Coordinator, Teaching Artist, and Company Dancer. Her transition into a full-time role as General Manager in July 2025 reflects her long-standing commitment to the organization and the many roles she has taken on, including supporting daily operations, strengthening internal systems, guiding communications, and helping the company run smoothly behind the scenes. Her steadfast commitment to E125 helped secure transformative capacity-building support in 2023 from The Bay and Paul Foundations and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation which will serve the organization for years to come. She has helped produce E125’s annual galas, mentored interns, led communications initiatives, and supported the company’s expanding reach across New York City and beyond.
She previously held the role of Director of Administration at Inception to Exhibition (ITE), an arts non-profit co-founded by Tiffany Rea-Fisher that supports emerging artists in dance, theater, and music. At ITE, Sarah managed day-to-day operations, coordinated interdisciplinary events, and helped curate the Bryant Park Contemporary Dance Series for six summers.
As an educator, Sarah has served as a Teaching Artist for EMERGE125 since 2021, bringing dance education to students through the Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts, Stars of Tomorrow Project, and Newcomb Central School. She has also taught at EMERGE125’s Summer Series and NYC Summer Workshops, and was on faculty at the Lake Placid School of Dance from 2021–2023, where she taught ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, conditioning, and adult cardio.
Her work is grounded in a strong administrative foundation, with skills in digital marketing, event management, video editing, communications, social media and community engagement, supported by her sharp organizational instincts and versatility across roles. Outside of dance, Sarah has worked in hospitality, catering, retail, fitness administration, and briefly supported Corey Ortega’s New York City Council campaign.
Sarah is passionate about bridging the worlds of performance and administration, and is committed to supporting artists both creatively and personally. She cares deeply about mental health, sustainability, and building systems that make dance more accessible, inclusive, and supportive. Whether behind the scenes or on stage, she is dedicated to helping artists thrive, not just in their work, but in their overall well-being.