Karen Michelle Pitkethly

    It was  a phone call from my kindergarten teacher to my parents which launched my dance career.  There was concern from my teacher that i was too shy in class and that some form of extra curricular activity might be a good way to get me out of my shell. So the question of ballet, jazz or tap dance was offered  - i chose ballet!

Ballet

I was then introduced to ballet under the guidance of Mrs Heather McBride of McBride School of Dancing. I studied the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus and annually passed RAD exams, competed in dance Festivals and performed in year end recitals. Every week i attended my ballet classes, putting my hair in a bun, wearing my colour coded leotard and tights - very good discipline training at such an early age.  I enjoyed my ballet classes and all the friends i made, the excitement of year end shows and the stress of festivals and exams.  Every year i was able to play a part on stage performing to a large audience.  From a poppy on pointe, to Captain Hook en l'aire, and a mermaid couroing across the stage. - However i always knew that i wasn't meant to be a ballerina, I felt my  calling was more suited towards ballet teaching. And so, having accomplished my goals in ballet classes i went on to study more about ballet teaching - I enrolled in the University of Waterloo in Ontario and studied the Royal Academy of Dancing (RAD) - teacher training courses which included - Child Phsycology, Kiniesiology, Dance History/Theory and RAD syllabus. I then accepted an RAD ballet teaching position in Singapore - where i worked for one year helping to implement an arts school for children called ACE Family Lifestyles Singapore. While in Singapore i also helped develop a ballet syllabus for the local ballet schools.

Contemporary

      I attended the Contemporary Dance program at Simon Fraser University. Here i studied the Martha Graham technique with the guidance of Judith Garay, and contemporary ballet with Marla Eist.  I also attended modern dance "Butoh" classes with Barbara Bourget of Kokoro dance. I taught and choreographed contemporary dance at McBride School of Dance. And also performed in a contemporary dance company (Sharmini Winslow) in Singapore.

Flamenco

      My flamenco training began at Harbour Dance when i took a random summer workshop which included flamenco dance. I enrolled in Centro Flamenco and quickly began emerging myself full time, I then began teaching classes and performing in the dance company - Flamenco Rosario. I have also taken numerous dance workshops both in Vancouver and in Spain picking up different dance styles and choreographies from many well established flamenco artists: Rosario Ancer, Sabas Santos, Raul Salcedo, Sara de Luis, Marisol Mareno, La Tania, Mercedes Amaya, La Winy, Merche Esmeralda, Angeles Gabaldon, Felipe Mato, Belen Maya, Juana Amaya, Pastora Galvan, Rafaela Carrasco to name a few!!!
More recently I was awarded with a travel grant through the Canada Council for the Arts and stayed in Sevillle taking in dance performances and participating in workshops and daily classes to further my professional development.