February 5, 2026

“I wouldn’t change anything”: Ferris State alum Kit Clark’s transition from football to dancing finds him appearing with Kendrick Lamar in two Super Bowls

Kitwana ‘Kit’ Clark was a star football player in high school and played on Ferris State University’s team. But it was his talent as a dancer that took him to the Super Bowl, performing alongside superstar Kendrick Lamar during two halftime shows.  

As Super Bowl LX approaches on Sunday, Clark talks about how his experience at Ferris State and beyond exemplify the meaning of how patience and hard work can lead to unimagined opportunities by someone who turned a natural talent into a career.

The Ferris State University alum was considered one of West Michigan’s premier running backs while playing football at Kenowa Hills High School over 15 years ago. He was named All-Conference on multiple occasions and received Grand Rapids Press All-Area Dream Team honors as a four-year varsity player, among other accolades.

Clark knew early in life that he wanted to take his football talents beyond the collegiate level. However, he admitted that while he drew attention from NCAA Division I scouts, his grades got in the way of competing at college football’s highest level. Thanks to his former head coach Scott Van Essen’s connection with Ferris State’s Tony Annese, Clark was offered the opportunity to continue competing on the gridiron while on scholarship at Ferris State.

Looking back, Clark knows he made the right decision to buy into the program that reimagined itself under Annese and became the powerhouse it is today.

“Hands down the best moment was being part of a team that built history, that has now led to the success Ferris State has today,” Clark said. “I was part of the very first class that Tony Annese brought in once he took over the head coach position. Experiencing first-hand what it took to turn around a team that only won a few games in recent seasons to becoming conference champions- we put in so much to create a program of great athletes and personalities. Ferris was great to me.”

It likely never crossed Clark’s mind amid his collegiate career that a newfound passion for dancing would surface. He always enjoyed imitating the artistic expressions of dance he saw on hip-hop and R&B music videos, whether it was at family gatherings, birthday parties, or during school talent shows. Yet he never took classes of any sort growing up.

Clark knew he had a knack for dancing, and that eventually led to his first professional gig while studying at Ferris State.

“Dance found its way in my heart when I was blessed with an opportunity by a friend who was already professionally dancing. She said an extra guy was needed and told me to make a freestyle video to send in as an audition. It helped me book the job at Ford Field in front of 50,000 people, which was my first professional dance job,” he said.

Clark instantly fell in love, but it also created a dilemma.

He realized that dance could provide a living financially, and that football didn’t have to be his only way out of where he grew up – a reality far too common among student-athletes who face insecurities related to basic survival needs. His passion for football was still present, but his mind began to explore another path.

“I always knew about dance being entertainment, that’s a part of black culture. I just didn’t know how far you could go with it by finding a career and stability while creating a life around it,” Clark said. “I still was in love with football, but my coaches could tell I started phasing in and out of it. During school breaks I went to Los Angeles to train for dance instead of staying home. It was a rough last couple of years playing football because of dancing, but I’m happy with the way everything went. Especially living the life that I’m blessed to live now and the opportunities I’ve been given. I wouldn’t change anything.”

Clark was still committed to the team and academics, as he graduated from Ferris State in 2017 with a bachelor's in Communications. He moved to L.A. in March 2018 with the same friend who introduced him to his first professional gig, as he was now fully committed to his dancing career.

He described the transition from football to dance as relatively easy on a physical sense. Years of disciplined training in the weight room mirrored the demands of being a professional dancer and helped him to get a leg up on some of his peers. So much so that he landed an opportunity to perform in a music video for multi-platinum-selling artist Nicki Minaj within a week of moving.

The abnormally quick path to work with Minaj wasn’t necessarily followed by easy days. Clark remembers the sacrifices needed to maintain his career aspirations, which required new ways to afford rent, food, and other basic needs without working a second job. He knew he could figure out the transition on how to be successful by maintaining his faith in God and staying poised.

“I’m truly grateful to God for giving me the space to grow, because it took a lot of growing,” Clark said.

That same faith has paid dividends to Clark over the last eight years.

At one point he lived in Australia performing in “Channing Tatum Presents: Magic Mike Live” shows for a year. Clark said this has been his most favorite opportunity throughout his eight-year career based on two facts: being able to live outside the United States and experience a new culture, and that he and fellow dancers were the “artists of the show.” He recognizes that performing alongside musicians is a blessing, but working in shows focused on the dancer(s) creates a different sense of gratitude.

Clark has also danced in shows featuring an extensive list of multi-platinum selling artists, including Toni Braxton, Kelly Rowland, Kendrick Lamar and SZA – the latter being his favorite artist he’s ever worked with due to her genuine personality.

Clark noted it can be challenging to separate himself as a fan versus being professional while among artists but recognizes they are humans who appreciate knowing their art inspires others.

“I never get used to it. I still get butterflies every time I can work with an artist, but to me I don’t look at it as idolizing; I look at it as inspiration,” Clark said. “For me, being a Black person, music and dance is a part of our culture, and these are people who helped me or a friend get through something by sharing their artistry and being vulnerable through their art.

“It’s very inspiring and I’m not afraid to give them their flowers without fanboying or being a crazy person,” he said half-jokingly.

Clark is grateful for each moment he’s stood next to an artist, while noting that if they never pursued their dreams, dancers like Clark wouldn’t have the opportunities he’s experienced.

That modesty, and countless hours of practice, is part of what helped him land his first opportunity with Kendrick Lamar during a Las Vegas show in 2021, and at two of Lamar’s memorable performances to date: the Super Bowl LVI (2022) and Super Bowl LIX (2025) Halftime shows.

One can assume that every football player dreams of appearing in the Super Bowl, which Clark admitted was at the back of his mind throughout his playing career. Explaining the overwhelming feeling of achieving that dream on a different path could never be summarized in one conversation, as being on the stage twice in three years meant more than words can describe.

Although the 2022 appearance gave Clark a moment to be amongst several accoladed musicians, he didn’t hesitate to say 2025 was his favorite Super Bowl show to appear in. It was his chance to work closely with Kendrick Lamar during an “impactful performance” and led to Clark securing a spot on tour with SZA - a pair of opportunities he was manifesting before they became his reality.

“This was at Kendrick’s highest moment of his career as a solo artist, and to be a part of it- there’s not many of us that can say that. Coming off the last Super Bowl I did with him made it (2025) that just more special… God is so good. I was blessed to book both and it was a long process,” Clark said.

The plethora of accomplishments and stories to back them up is a reality Clark anticipated when he chose to dance full-time. He didn’t know who exactly he would work with along his journey, but he knew that his people-person attitude and open-mindedness would ultimately garner success.

“Truthfully- I did expect this. I knew when I made the decision that I was going to pursue dancing as a career over football, I was going to do everything possible and put in the work to get these opportunities I’ve had,” Clark said. “I knew I had good work ethic and a gift (of dancing) … I love people and know how to network, so I never doubted that I could do it if I worked for this.”

Clark does intend to shift gears before it’s all said and done.

He wants to act in a dance movie like the 2000s classics “You Got Served” and “Stomp the Yard” if the opportunity arises, but his biggest goal is to become more involved as a choreographer and creative director producing art for television and film. The strong passion for being creative has been present throughout his career and was fueled by opportunities to assist in choreography dances for Jennifer Lopez in the late 2010s and more recently in 2024 for a Tinashe music video.

His busy schedule as of late has seen him traveling across the U.S. and beyond, assisting with press tours and staying involved with classes he teaches domestically and internationally while also relocating full-time to Houston, Texas, to branch out and stay prepared for more opportunities.

During all his success, Clark hasn’t forgotten his roots. His connection to Ferris State remains close to his heart and will “always be a big part” of his life, even mentioning that he hopes to collaborate with his alma matter in some capacity.

“College is great place to learn about yourself, but it’s not a place where you need to have it all figured out … I encourage people to take the time to learn the things you like to do and enjoy the people you find yourself gravitating towards,” Clark said. “Think bigger than Big Rapids, and even Grand Rapids. I wish more people understood how much of the world is out there, but I know how hard it is to think outside the box when you’re always in it. There are so many opportunities and careers the world has to offer … Just remain open.

“I’m proud to be a ‘Dawg’ and grateful to be an alum of Ferris State. I love to see how Ferris has succeeded not just in football, but as a university. Ferris State is now a household name, and I hope more students thrive and stay successful.”