Founder, Artistic Director, Choreographer

Hailed by San Francisco Chronicle as "an inventive choreographer with a great company", Mark Foehringer is the artistic director of Mark Foehringer Dance Project/SF, a San Francisco based contemporary ballet company founded in 1996. Mark Foehringer Dance Project/SF has been presented throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, in Aruba and in New York City. Since his 1996 US debut, he has emerged as a choreographer of richly layered, often witty and unfailingly musical works.

Mark Foehringer has been acknowledged by various awards, most recently receiving the Fulbright Award to hold a 4 month residency with Ballet Nacional del Peru and National Ballet School in Lima, Peru in August 2007. Mark Foehringer Dance Project/SF has been chosen to represent the United States at the Danzas Nuevas in Lima, Peru in June 2008 and has also been selected to create a new work for the San Francisco International Arts Festival 2009 in collaboration with Ballet Nacional del Peru.

Foehringer's work has been supported by numerous grants including Zellerbach Family Fund, In performance Series of Fort Mason Center, Arts Council of Silicon Valley, Peninsula Community Foundation, Until There's a Cure, Helen Bing Music Series, Valley Foundation of Silicon Valley, Community Foundation of Silicon Valley, California Arts Council, Council for Cultural Exchange of Scholars/ Fulbright Program and US Embassy in Lima, Peru.

Creating over 50 dances works, Foehringer's work has been characterized by its several collaborative projects with visual artists such as Matthew Antaky, scenic designer Peter Crompton, costume designer Susanna Douthit and musicians such as San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and composer Jack Perla. Foehringer has also collaborated with West Bay Opera and San Francisco Conservatory of Music and has created many site specific dance works.

Along with Mark Foehringer Dance Project/SF, he presents an annual dance festival in celebration of National Dance Week every April. 30 companies perform at this free outdoor event.

Foehringer held the positions of Artistic Director and resident choreographer of Western Ballet in Mountain View, CA for 10 years. During his directorship he developed a strong classical and contemporary repertoire for Western Ballet as well as brought in some of the most sought after talent in the region and in the country to guest with the company.

Foehringer grew up and had his initial training in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He went on to further train and to perform in New York, London and San Francisco. He became a member and toured with Cisne Negro Dance Company throughout Brazil and Europe for 10 years. He later served as assistant director.

Mark has served on the advisory committee for Bay Area Celebrates National Dance Week since 2003.

> Curriculum Vitae

> Fulbright Press Release