Biography
Karen Eliza (b. 1983, North Carolina) is an artist whose creative background is rooted in the rigorous and expressive worlds of contemporary dance, spatial design, and somatic presence.
New York City (2004–2014)
After earning a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (2004) and practicing as a member of the Rohgun Dojo for several years, Karen relocated to New York City, spending a decade immersed in its vital performance landscape. She collaborated and performed with celebrated choreographers including Neta Pulvermacher, Rebecca Lazier, and Jin Ju Song-Begin, while concurrently staging her own choreographic works.
During this period, Karen began to expand into teaching and video work. She partnered with Free Arts NYC to bring movement workshops to underserved youth, and earned certifications as a Personal Trainer, Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and Meditation Instructor. This period marked a shift in her choreographic language toward organic movement, moving meditations, and site-specific explorations.
Berlin, Germany (2014–2018)
Seeking new influences and creative expansion, Karen relocated to Berlin in 2014. A 15-month artist residency at Lake Studios Berlin allowed her to pivot fully toward the immediacy of improvisation. She led movement workshops at the university level for both pre-professionals and amateur dancers while collaborating across disciplines with local artists and musicians. She also served as a production coordinator for an international video production company, which expanded her understanding of global & online design collaboration.
Berlin’s atmospheric interior spaces sparked a deeper interest in how environments impact individual and collective well-being. Following a impactful three-month stay in Portugal researching her solo improvisational site-specific performance of Underneath for Riu d’Art in Spain, Karen returned to her roots in North Carolina.
Raleigh, NC (2018–Present)
Back in North Carolina, Karen earned a BS in Interior Design from Meredith College and went on to consult for a few years for a local commercial health and wellness designer, helping craft environments that foster healing and well-being. Karen also completed a teacher training program led by Eckhart Tolle and Kim Eng in 2023.
As a neurodivergent and highly sensitive person, she has navigated a path marked by uncertainty, continually learning how to find her way. Today, she honors her ongoing healing by channeling these diverse, multidisciplinary experiences into her creative practice. Rather than striving for complexity, she offers her work as a distillation—an invitation to pause, reconnect with the somatic wisdom of the body or softly engage the senses, and tune into the present.
