Katrinka Kocourek
Katrinka Kocourek is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and organizational leader whose career spans more than two decades of creative excellence, program development, community engagement, and wellness‑centered leadership. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, she is known for building sustainable arts programs, cultivating diverse partnerships, and designing innovative systems that support both individual and organizational growth.
Since 2023, Kocourek has served as the Site Leader for Wellness at LinkedIn through Plus One/Optum. In this role, she oversees wellness programming, staff engagement, and daily operations, ensuring an inclusive, high‑quality environment that supports employee well‑being. Her leadership integrates holistic health practices, strategic planning, and team development to strengthen workplace culture and elevate the employee experience.
From 2020 to 2022, Kocourek served as a Professor of Dance at Midland University, where she created the curriculum, standards, and evaluative systems for the university’s dance program. She established program consistency, led recruitment and retention efforts, and collaborated across departments to support student success. As a Professor of Arts Management beginning in 2022, she developed coursework that blended digital learning, arts administration, and professional networking, preparing students for the evolving creative sector.
Since 2015, Kocourek has been the Artistic Director of Dance Lab Omaha, leading organizational growth, community engagement, and long‑term strategic planning. She develops innovative programming, strengthens student recruitment pipelines, builds diverse community partnerships, and oversees budgeting and sustainability initiatives. Under her leadership, Dance Lab Omaha continues to expand its artistic reach and community impact.
Previously, she served as Dance Director at The Rose Theater, where she doubled program enrollment through visionary leadership and the implementation of effective organizational policies. Her grant writing secured $16,000 to support underprivileged youth in performance opportunities and an additional $4,000 to provide scholarships for young Black dancers and hire choreographers serving underserved communities. She led collaborative projects focused on artistic experimentation, educational enrichment, and community engagement while cultivating strong donor relationships.
Kocourek’s professional dance career spans 21 years of performing, choreographing, directing, and teaching worldwide. She has danced with renowned companies including the Joffrey Ballet, Moscow Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Ballet Omaha, and Brooklyn Dance Consort. Her choreography has been commissioned by universities, opera companies, theaters, and professional dance schools across the country.
Her extensive certifications—including Pilates (Balanced Body, Stott, Fletcher), Power Yoga, ballroom, cosmetology, and CPR—reflect her commitment to holistic training and interdisciplinary expertise. Her work has earned multiple awards, including Best Choreographer (Leap Dance Competition, 2020; Bravo Dance Competition, 2019), Teacher of the Year (Bravo Dance Competition, 2019), and Best Technical Dance Studio (Fluid Dance, 2019).
Kocourek holds a Master of Public Administration from Bellevue University and a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Known for her organizational strength, creative vision, instructional excellence, and fundraising acumen, she continues to shape both the arts and wellness landscapes through leadership, innovation, and a deep commitment to community‑centered growth.
