Alexandra Pobiedzinski
Executive Director
EMAIL
An active performer, choreographer and teaching artist, Alexandra Pobiedzinski is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange, transforming her passion for the arts into the cultivation of a thriving professional dance hub in the Lehigh Valley. Alex graduated Summa Cum Laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa from Muhlenberg College, where she earned her BA in dance and media communication.
She founded danceETHOS Performance Company in 2009 and has over 20 years of experience teaching and choreographing for numerous companies, universities and studios throughout Pennsylvania. Her award-winning choreography has been featured at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, American College Dance Festival, SpringUP Dance Festival, Dance EXPOSURE, Green Space in Queens and the Ailey Citigroup Theater in Manhattan. Recipient of the 2017 Linny Award for Emerging Artist of the Year, Alex offers workshops throughout the tri-state area and continues to work with companies and artists in the greater Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Sarah Carlson
Treasurer & Media Director
EMAIL
Sarah Carlson is the Founder & Artistic Director of DanceLink, a Lehigh Valley based company which seeks to bridge people, ideas & understanding through the power of movement. Sarah danced professionally for 10 years in NYC with numerous companies including Alexandra Beller/Dances, Brian Brooks Moving Company, Clare Byrne Dance, Paul Mosley Dance and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. As an independent choreographer, her own work has been presented throughout the US at venues such as the Joyce Soho in NYC, On the Boards in Seattle, and The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard as well as in Benin, Africa. Sarah is a co-director of the Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange & the editor of the Lehigh Valley Dance in Review.
Sarah has taught dance at Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, DeSales University, Cedar Crest College, the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Washington. In 2007, she completed a Fulbright Grant studying Vodou ritual dance in Benin, Africa furthering an on-going inquiry into sacred dance forms. In 2008, Sarah founded DanceLink to promote community and to use the wisdom of the body to unpack the big questions, often spiritual in nature. Sarah received a BA in French and European Studies from Connecticut College and an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington.
Jessica Marino Mitcham
Development & Project Management
email
Jessica Marino Mitcham (she/her) grew up studying at Deanna Schubert School of Dance and was part of the first graduating class of Lehigh Valley Charter Arts Highschool for the Performing Arts. After freelancing and training in Philadelphia and New York as a young dancer, She continued on to earn a B.A. in Dance from Point Park University and spent most of her artistic career in Pittsburgh as an arts administrator, educator, and performing artist. She is now a restaurateur with her family as the General Manager of Sumneytown Hotel in Green Lane, PA.
Before returning to Lehigh Valley in 2021, Mitcham was a tenured company member and soloist with STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos | PearlArts Studios while also contributing to projects with Shana Simmons Dance and guest performing as a freelance dancer with artists such as Kathleen Bibalo Nasti, Maree ReMalia, Attack Theatre, and Disney Research Pittsburgh. Jessica was adjunct faculty and choreographer for University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Center for Theater Arts and also faculty for Point Park University. When working outside the studio, Jessica founded JAMpress Management in 2017 after 7 years working along Linda Reznik and River City Artists Management and has been Co-Director of Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange and Co-Producer of the SpringUP Dance Festival since 2010. After returning to Lehigh Valley, Jessica has performed as part of DanceLink programs and choreographed for Lehigh University's production of, "Rags Parkland'' Directed by Lyam Gabel.
Rachel Halkias
marketing & communications
Rachel Halkias has been dancing professionally for 13 years with multiple Lehigh Valley-based companies and choreographers and is currently a member of DanceLink. In addition to performing locally at venues like SteelStacks, the Banana Factory, and the Charles A. Brown Ice House, she has performed in NYC at the Ailey Citigroup Theater and Gibney Dance Center, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and in June of 2025, Kameoka City, Japan. Rachel is passionate about collaboration, storytelling and pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone as an artist.
Rachel works full time for a nonprofit professional trade organization in the areas of development, operations, project management, communications, and administration. She is a Lehigh Valley native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in journalism.
