Biography
Karen Eliza (b. 1983, North Carolina) is a teaching artist and former professional contemporary dancer who recently earned a B.S. in Interior Design from CIDA-accredited Meredith college in Raleigh, NC. She also holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance (2004) from University North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC.
From 2004-2014 she lived and worked in New York City. Performing with choreographers such as Neta Pulvermacher, Rebecca Lazier and Jin Ju Song-Begin among others. She also presented a number of choreographies and partnered with Free Arts NYC to bring dance workshops to underserved children. During this time, she received trainings and certificates as a Personal Trainer, Strength and Conditioning Specialist and meditation instructor. She stopped forcing her body with technique and began working with organic movement, as well as, site-specific explorations through her choreographic practice.
In 2014, Karen relocated to Berlin to embrace a more affordable lifestyle. During a 15 month artist residency at the Lake Studios Berlin, she pivoted her focus to improvisation training and performance. She also offered regular movement workshops and classes to both pre-professionals and amateurs at the university level and participated in music & improv collaborations. Eventually, she burnt out on striving to survive as a professional dancer. At the same time, the city’s enchanting interiors inspired an interest in shaping visual environments.
In 2018, she took a 3 month trip to Portugal to develop her improvisation solo “Underneath” for Riu d’Art… before moving back to her home town to spend time with her sick father. Just before covid hit, she decided to go back to school for Interior Design.
In 2023, she completed a 3 month training program led by Eckhart Tolle and Kim Eng. She also consulted for a local commercial health and wellness designer for a few years.
Currently, Karen is developing body awareness & design work that helps people to orient to their bodies and space in ways that create a qualitative shift into being more embodied and spacious. She is neurodivergent, so she continues her own healing process, and shares what she has integrated from her studies.
She is also open to collaborations with other artists. For example, to conjure up installations that encourage sensory awareness, inspiring curiosity, movement and play through the environment.
