Karin was a writer and fitness and dance instructor in Anchorage, Alaska, before she relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she simply dances and sometimes writes. Her first serious dance was salsa, but she now mostly dances Argentine tango and is learning west coast swing. She has also dabbled in blues, Lindy hop, West African, jazz, and modern. She formerly taught social Latin dance for The Alaska Club and has also taught for Anchorage Community Schools, the Anchorage Folk Festival, and the University of Alaska Anchorage. She currently teaches tango for Portland Community College.
In December 2007, Karin started a newsletter for her students, writing short articles about connection, musicality, flow, and effective learning practices to supplement her teaching. In 2008, the newsletter turned into Joy in Motion, a website devoted to concepts that unite spirit and movement in Argentine tango, swing, salsa, and other improvised partner dances. Her current focus is on researching musicality and somatic approaches to teaching and learning.
Karin graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Russian. For nearly a decade she worked as a coach, sports conditioning specialist, and personal trainer. Because of her knowledge and experience in fitness as well as language and culture, she is particularly interested in the mind-body connection and the intersections between dance, culture, community, and health. Her background and interest in these areas both informs and inspires her dancing and writing.
Thank you for visiting! You can contact Karin by emailing joy.motion.dance [at] gmail.com.