Originally from Toronto, Karen began her formal training in the Claude Watson Arts Program. After moving to New York, she furthered her studies at The Ailey School where she fell in love with the Horton technique. Karen has had the honor of performing the works of such choreographers as Earl Mosley, Ronald K. Brown and Tony winner Hinton Battle.She has taught at Ballet Hispanico, The Ailey Extension, The School at Columbia University, Horace Mann, New Dance Group, and is currently a faculty member at Steps on Broadway, Marymount Manhattan College, Montclair State University and The Joffrey Ballet School. She has had the opportunity to guest teach and choreograph across the U.S. and abroad, including Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, Italy, Cyprus, and Israel and is a faculty member of Techniche Danza Moderna. Choreography commissions include: Marymount Manhattan College, The Harvard Ballet Company, Steps Repertory Ensemble, General Mischief Dance Theatre, The Boston Tea Party Opera, Steffi Nossen, Earl Haig High School and Montclair State University. As artistic director of the xodus dance collective, her choreography has been showcased at such iconic concert dance venues as: American Dance Guild Festival, DUMBO Dance Festival, Movement Research at Judson Church, the Downtown Dance Festival, JPAC, Here Arts Center, The Ailey Theatre, The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto and the Inside/Out Festival at Jacob’s Pillow.