Karen's WMBM Interview
Listen to the full interview below! WMBM's Carey B Hart sat down with Karen Peterson Corash to chat about her contributions to the physically integrated dance world.
KPD Repertory Favorites
Audiences loved "The KPD Repertory Favorites Concert" which featured eight dancers who performed "Time Being", "Lost and Found" and "A Curious Distraction" choreographed by Victoria Marks and Karen Peterson Corash. Some of the audience surveys, that were collected post-performance, described the concert:
"Energetic, Innovative, Inspiring, Unconventional, Very Welcoming, Innovative, Impactful, Excellent, Moving, Beautiful, Emotional, Fluid, Intriguing, Creative Thoughtful, Refreshing, Dynamic, Thoughtful, Striking, Progressive, Thought-provoking"
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.
More Information To Follow
"Inclusive Dance in Your School" Now in its 15th year, the KPD team teachers will offer, once again, a ten-week dance residency program to teens with Special Needs in the Miami-Dade Schools in 2023 - 2024.
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"The Fifth Annual Forward Motion Dance Festival and Conference of Physically Integrated Dance" with International and National Dance Guests, Karen Peterson Dancers, and The Musicians and Singers from Spirit of the Goodwill Band
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2024 Program one: “Music and Dance Cross Boundaries” / March 23rd at 2 PM the Miami Dade County Auditorium (A live collaboration of music and dance)
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2024 Program Two: “new voices, new dance makers” / March 23rd at 7 PM the Miami Dade County Auditorium (new national voices present their choreographic works)
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​2024 All Day Workshops, Conference, Reception March 24th, 10 am - 5 pm (led by National and International guest teachers)
"Footloose" a new film by Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez
"Footloose" - in March 2023, KPD completed a ten-week residency for teens with special needs in the Miami-Dade Public Schools. Filmaker, Dinorah de Jesus Rodriquez. followed 125 teens with special needs from classroom instruction to final stage performance.
"Finding Lost and Found" a film by Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez
Inspired by the people we lost and held close during the coronavirus, after one year of isolation and confinement, documents a creative two-year period, for Karen Peterson and Dancers, with rehearsals in the studio, performances in outdoor gardens, and long-awaited concerts in formal theatres
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!
Look Back 2022-2023 Recap
KPD’s “Spring Season Repertory Favorites” May 27 and 28th at the Moss Center Lab Space, 10950 SW 211 Street, Cutler Bay 33189 (three performances)
May 20th “Miami Dances” at the Lehman Theatre, produced by Miami Dance Hub (guest company)
March 16th at the Cutler Bay Middle School Theatre, 19400 Gulfstream Road “Inclusive Dance in Your School” March 2023 KPD repertory works by KPD plus 125 teens with special needs in collaborate performance
January 19th "ScreenDance Miami Festival 2023": The featured film “Finding Lost and Found” by Dinorah de Jesus Rodriquez and the seven-member KPD ensemble at Miami Theatre Center. “finding Lost and Found”
October 29, 30, and 31, 2022 the Daniel Lewis Showcase at the NWSA and Duncan Theatre (three performances by Jesus Vidal and Penelope Huerta)
October 25-29, 2022 (Miami-Dade County Auditorium Main Stage and the Koubek Center) two performances, three workshops, one conference
The Fourth Annual Forward Motion Dance Festival and Conference of Physically Integrated Dance featuring Full Radius Dance Company (Atlanta, GA), UCLA choreographer Victoria Marks (premiere on KPD) with Carina Ho, as guest vocalist and guest artists
October 21, 22 2022 the Daniel Lewis Showcase New World School of the Arts (KPD as guest)
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)​
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)​
Saturday, April 23rd at 3PM (dress rehearsal Friday April 22nd) National Water Dance Day – South Dade Cultural Arts Center with Dale Andree (one performance)​
Sunday, April 10th at 4:15 PM, Miami Beach Outdoor performance for Miami Beach Pride at Lummus Park​ (one performance KPD repertory)​​
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)
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.
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
Thursday, Dec 9th – Miami Dance Hub at the Miami Light Box​ (one performance)​ featuring Miami choreographers (excerpts of KPD repertory)
Friday, Dec 3, 2021, Heidi Latsky Dance,​ ​one ​online performance 11am-12noon, On Display Global zoom
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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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.