Alumni Spotlight: Anna Kelley Zielke

Anna Kelley Zielke (B.F.A. ’25) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.

Meadows alumni often carry their artistry beyond the stage or the studio, using creative practice as a way to engage with the world. Anna Kelley Zielke is doing just that as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Laos. Through teaching, research, and choreography, she is using movement and language as tools for cross-cultural connection, education and care.

At Meadows, Zielke trained in a rigorous and collaborative environment that emphasized technical excellence alongside curiosity and adaptability. Faculty mentorship shaped not only her growth as a dancer, but also her understanding of leadership and learning as shared experiences.

“Frequently, I remember the words of my ballet teacher, Silas Farley: ‘the teacher should be the classroom’s lead learner,’” says Zielke. “I’m reminded that while I’m leading the group, I’m also a part of it. There is so much I can learn from them, like what activities they find engaging, Lao words and phrases, traditional dance movements, and insights into Lao history and culture.”

That mindset continues to guide her work abroad, where she builds trust and community through exchange rather than instruction alone. Even while living far from home, Zielke sees her Meadows education as a constant presence. She credits her time at SMU with giving her the confidence to adapt, listen and lead with empathy in unfamiliar environments.



Currently based in Vientiane, Zielke teaches English to Year One medical students at the University of Health and Sciences and at the America Center. In addition to classroom teaching, she participates in a university research project focused on nonverbal communication in clinical settings. The work will inform a curriculum designed to help future medical professionals better communicate with their patients, recognizing that care often begins before words are spoken.

“My experience with dance has shown me that movement has the capacity to help heal and build trust between individuals,” Zielke explains. “The body often says what words can’t, and I hope that sharing this awareness with my students will strengthen medical education and care within Laos.”

Alongside her academic work, Zielke remains engaged in dance through the Fang Lao Dance Company. She teaches at two international schools in Vientiane and in a nearby village, sharing American ballet and modern techniques while learning traditional Lao and Thai dance styles. Last fall, she choreographed It Depends, a collaborative work created with Fang Lao dancers that explored relationship-building across cultures. The piece was performed at both the Lao Art Festival and the Vientiane Youth Theater Festival.



Looking ahead, Zielke plans to continue dancing and choreographing while expanding how movement can function as a tool for understanding across differences. Her journey reflects the power of interdisciplinary study and the ways Meadows training can prepare artists to engage thoughtfully with the world, wherever they land.

Learn more about the Division of Dance here.


[This is not an official State Department publication, and the views and information present do not represent The Fulbright Program or the government of Laos.]