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Episode 118 | Relationship Building: Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, Visit Dallas

Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart is a champion of all things arts and culture related. She serves in her current role as the Director of Cultural Tourism for Visit Dallas. In this episode Kristina and Martheya talk about what she has learned throughout her career in the arts, relationship building, how to think about networking, and how social media is influencing the art world.(35:42)




This week on DANCE BEHIND THE SCREEN PODCAST…

[0:14] Martheya says welcome back


QUESTIONS WITH THE TEAM

[1:00] Topic: Get to kNOw Kristina

  • [1:00] Martheya asks: “Can you introduce yourself and walk us through your career?”

  • [2:11] Martheya asks: “You went to NYU and studied dance?”

  • [8:32] Martheya asks: “What happened when you came back to Dallas?”

[12:40] Topic: Business and Nonprofit Arts Leadership

  • [10:49] Martheya asks: “What was that (what you wanted to learn in your MBA/MA program)?”

  • [12:26] Martheya asks: “Then you ended up at the Dallas Arts District?”

  • [12:26] Martheya asks: “Then you ended up at the Dallas Arts District?”


[13:26] Topic: Tips for Going After Opportunities

  • [13:26] Martheya asks: “What advice do you have for people who are struggling to find those (hand-on) experiences?”

  • [16:01] Martheya asks: “Do you any practice strategies for reaching out to people?”

  • [16:01] Martheya asks: “Do you any practice strategies for reaching out to people?”


[18:38] Topic: Networking Strategies

  • [18:38] Martheya asks: “What’s your thought process in how you approach networking?”

  • [20:45] Martheya asks: “You are going to see a show, and maybe meet the artistic director, and then what do you do (to prepare)?”

  • [22:58] Martheya asks: “Hearing how you approach networking is leading with curiosity about people. How do you maintain relationships?”

  • [26:18 ] Martheya asks: “Is there anything else you want to share with our listeners that we haven’t talked about today?”


Questions from kNOwBOX dance Archive

  • [27:53] Martheya asks: “Do you think social media is influencing the dance world? If so, how does it influence your work?”

  • [31:40] Martheya asks: “How do you say NO to the BOX (think outside the box)?”


[33:15] Martheya asks:

1- If you had to recommend a resource to our audience what would it be?

[33:31] Martheya asks:

2- What was the first dance you saw?

  • The Nutcracker

[33:40] Martheya asks:

3- Do you think social media has a positive influence on the dance world (yes or no)?

  • Yes

[33:47] Martheya asks:

4- What is your favorite social media platform?

  • TikTok

Recommended Resources:



Connect with Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart & Visit Dallas

Twitter:@kkhart1977, @visit_dallas

LinkedIn: Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, @visit_dallas


Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart is a champion of all things arts and culture related, with the experience to lead with best practices. She serves in her current role as the Director of Cultural Tourism for Visit Dallas, as a liaison and support for the arts and culture community in Dallas, and the Director of the TPID Event Incentive Fund.


She has many decades of experience in the arts; multiple years serving as Operations | Communications for the Dallas Arts District Foundation, a professional dance career in New York City, owned and ran a professional dance school in Oslo, Norway, co-founded a conservatory for entrepreneurship in the arts, a dean of a conservatory, just under 20 years of teaching dance and entrepreneurship to artists, many years of administrative experience, 12+ years on a multiple boards, a BFA in Dance from Tisch School of the Arts, MA in Arts Administration and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.


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