About Karin
Karin was a writer and social dance instructor in Anchorage, Alaska, and has recently relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she simply dances and sometimes writes. She dances salsa and social Latin, Argentine tango, and west coast swing, and has done some dabbling in 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.
In December 2007, Karin started Joy in Motion, a website devoted to the celebration and exploration of social dance. Since then, she has been researching, teaching, and writing about topics that emphasize the uniting of spirit and movement in social partner dance. She recently completed a six-part series on flow in social dance and is now focused on researching the creative process and the concept of grounded energy. Karin also conducts interviews with instructors and performers of various partner dances to supplement her research and reflections. Her most recent include interviews with Argentine tango instructor Alex Krebs and west coast swing competitors and instructors Arjay Centeno and Melissa Rutz.
Karin graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Russian. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with a background in sports conditioning and coaching. 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 research in social dance.
