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Karen McDonald
Moving Art / Modern
Biography:
Ms. Mc Donald’s Broadway credits include Purlie, Two Gentleman of Verona, and she was a featured dancer in both The Wiz and Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies. Choreography credits, Voices, Sing Out Sweet Gospel, and Show Girls for which she received an N.A.A.C.P. Image Award for “Best Choreographer.’’ Assistant Director credits: Bigger Than Bubble Gum at the Pasadena Playhouse, Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope (remounted in Los Angeles), Jezebel and the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. She received the Lester Horton Award for “Excellence in Teaching” an N.A.A.C.P. Image Award for best choreographer for Show Girls. Karen has appeared on stage and screen with Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson (Thriller) Diane Reeve, Debbie Allen and Beyonce Knowles. She was a model spokesperson for Beyonce’s clothing line, Ivy Park for the 2017-18 season and is currently a model for the clothing line Athleta and Kenzo for their 2018-19 season. Ms. McDonald has been on faculty at Dorsey High School, Hamilton Music Academy, El Camino College, California Institute of the Arts, UCLA, Loyola Marymount and Santa Monica College. Ms. McDonald joined the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in 2000 and is currently the Academy Director.Class Description:
This workshop is designed to allow dancers to transcend any obstacles that may hold them back as artists. It also helps dancers to understand the importance of dance imagery. It will focus on the core, alignment/placement, breath, path and movement dynamics. It is a dance workshop but definitely verbal inner- action with the students and with each other.