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Karen's WMBM Interview

WMBM's Carey B Hart sat down with Karen Peterson Corash to chat about her contributions to the physically integrated dance world. Listen to the full interview below!
Carey B Hart with Karen Peterson CorashWMBM
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Karen Peterson Dance Company Explores Disability in Samsara

Dancers from Karen Peterson Dance Company share how “Samsara,” a physically-integrated dance work, explores disability.

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Past News

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        KPD, Dancing Wheels and Heidi Latsky Dance, completed a nationwide performance festival tour entitled “Beyond Barriers, Boundaries & Belief!” in June  2022 from Cleveland, Ohio, at the Allen Theatre, to Brooklyn, NYC at the Mark Morris Space culminating in Miami, FL at the Miami Light Box. The physically integrated dance artists shared their performances and teachings in three cities across the country to enthusiastic and engaged audiences. Produced by Mary Verdi-Fletcher of Dancing Wheels, “the field is growing and there is a plethora of talent that deserves exposure and support….  The time is now to seize the opportunity to tour”

 

        During 2020-2022, KPD created “Lost and Found” a dance created for the Naples Botanical Gardens and the Pinecrest Garden’s Amphitheatre which eventually was performed at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium for the Forward Motion Dance Three Festival. “Samsara: The Circle of Life”  was created for eight physically integrated dancers with collaborator Maria Lino as a multi-media piece inspired by family, parenting and generational stories.

 

        In total, KPD performed at 15 events  for Miami Dance Futures, for Miami Dance Hub, for Naples and Pinecrest Gardens, for Jackson Hospital Christine Lynn Rehabilitation Center, for Miami Beach Pride at Lummus Park,  for National Water Dance, for the Hialeah Sr. High School for Miami Dade's Youth Arts, at Miami Light Box  as part of the NEA funded Physically Integrated National Touring Project with Dancing Wheels, Cleveland, Ohio and Heidi Latsky Dance, NYC.

KPD's Dance Residency Program

Now in its 14th year, the KPD team teachers will begin their in-school dance residency program for 125 teenagers with special needs in Miami-Dade Public Schools. This well-loved and unique program offers tailored made dance classes and performance opportunities for teens with disabilities.

 

The program titled, Inclusive Dance Comes to your School will begin in the Palmetto SHS, Miami Beach SHS, Southridge SHS, Cutler Bay, and Country Club Middle School. 

 

The final student performance opened to the community on Thursday, March 16th at 10am, will be hosted by Cutler Bay Middle School in their newly renovated auditorium (19400 Gulfstream Blvd, Cutler Bay). KPD will be guests on the program.

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Karen Peterson Honored at Berklee College with Alumni Acheivement Award for Lifetime Arts Contributions to Society and Dance

This past March 2022, KPD Artistic Director Karen Peterson-Corash was chosen as a Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alumni Achievement Awards winner for her “lifetime arts contributions to society and the dance industry." At the awards ceremony at Berklee College, she spoke about her journey in the physically integrated dance field, detailed how she mentored young dance students on a selected educational panel session, and audiotaped her oral history for archival and podcast purposes.

 

Breakfast with the Dean of Dance and a tour of the new music and dance studios rounded out the weekend of nostalgia and accolades with six distinguished artists in the field. What an honor!

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Mailing list

Look Back 2022-2023 Recap

  • October 29, 30, and 31, 2022 the Daniel Lewis Showcase at the NWSA and Duncan Theatre (three performances by Jesus Vidal and Penelope Huerta)

  • Friday, Dec 3, 2021, Heidi Latsky Dance,​ ​one ​online performance 11am-12noon, On Display Global zoom

  • Thursday, Dec 9thMiami Dance Hub at the Miami Light Box​ (one performance)​ featuring Miami choreographers (excerpts of KPD repertory)

  • Thursday, Feb17 (tech) -18, 19th (performances) KPD SPRING SEASON “Remember When” and premiere “Samsara” at Miami Dade County Auditorium Black Box​ (​two performances)​​ premiere with video artist, Maria Lino

  • Saturday, March 12th – two mini-lecture demonstrations at the SCI Summit at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at Christine Lynn Rehabilitation Center U Health / Jackson Memorial 1611 NW 12th Avenue. 

  • March 27, 28, 2022; Karen Peterson Corash receive the Alumni Achievement Award at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College, Boston, Mass. (guest speaker, honoree, education panelist)

  • Sunday, April 10th at 4:15 PM, Miami Beach Outdoor performance for Miami Beach Pride at Lummus Park​ (one performance KPD repertory)​​

  • Saturday, April 23rd at 3PM (dress rehearsal Friday April 22nd) National Water Dance Day – South Dade Cultural Arts Center with Dale Andree (one performance)​

  • Friday, June 10th NEA National Tour, Cleveland at Allen Theater at Playhouse Square as part of the NEA PID National Touring Project with Dancing Wheels​ and Heidi Latsky Dance (one performance)​

  • Tuesday, June 14th / Mark Morris Dance Studio, Brooklyn, New York, 5:30 workshop, 7:30 pm performance as part of the NEA PID National Touring Project with Dancing Wheels​ and Heidi Latsky Dance (one performance)​

  • October 25-28, 2022: The Fourth Annual Forward Motion Dance Festival, two live performances at Miami-Dade County Auditorium and two workshops/conversations at the Miami-Dade College Koubek Center. with Full Radius Dance from Atlanta and Victoria Mark's new commission TIME BEING for KPD.

DONATE TO KPD

 

Our successes this past year would not have been possible without the support of our patrons! We ask that you please consider making a donation to help us continue to repeat and develop our educational and performance programs throughout 2023-2024 and beyond.

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KAREN PETERSON & DANCERS

Karen Peterson and Dancers was founded in 1990 and is dedicated to the development, education, and presentation of physically integrated dance and has brought together dancers with diverse abilities as a role models for the dance and disability communities for thirty years. The organization has presented an annual season of new work at multiple venues throughout South Florida and has invited hundreds of dance artists to be part of the company’s creative and inclusive performance process. The troupe has performed nationally, at festivals in New York to Washington, D.C., and performed in nine countries overseas, including Brazil, Spain, Ireland, Serbia, Guatemala City, and Portugal. In honor of her work, Ms. Peterson has received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the New World School of the Arts, a Bank of America “Cultural Award” from the American Red Cross, and a “Queen of the Arts” Award from the Miami Herald. In 2019, the company was named “Best Dance Company” in Miami by the New Times and received the 2017 Boston Conservatory Alumni Entrepreneurial Award to support the presentation of  “Warmamas: a Performance” at the Judson Memorial Church, NYC. KPD has produced the annual international festival of physically integrated dance, “Forward Motion” in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 with the support from the Knight Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts and has brought together leading PI dance companies from around the country, including Candoco. Kinetic Light, Heidi Latsky, Axis, Dancing Wheels and Full Radius. Karen is a  2022 recipient of The Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music Alumni Achievement Awards for her “dedicated work in the field and contributions to society”

and was invited to be part of a three-city NEA funded tour

“Beyond Barriers, Boundaries and Beliefs” with Dancing and Wheels and Heidi Latsky Dance in June 2022 in Cleveland, Brooklyn, and Miami. KPD has also sustained ongoing educational and training workshops in the Miami-Dade Schools since 2006 working with over 5000 teens with special needs. Reviews of the KPD: “A high artistic level for contemporary dance” (El Nuevo Herald), “One of Miami’s cultural treasures” (Miami New Times), “A tour de force, an exquisite and inquisitive look at mixed ability dance…innovative and meaningful", "10 great moments in Miami Dance - special, defining, unrepeatable of the year 2017" (The Miami Herald).

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