Roots Dance Theatre

About me:

as dancers, we must let our hearts and souls speak their truth.

simultaneously, we must be clear in the way we impart our story.

dance allows our inner intuitive voice to speak, movement is our vocabulary.

effective communication in any language requires clarity, precision, eloquence, and point of view.

in class, students will sharpen technique in the "roots dance" format, which is a tasty concoction of various forms of dance. our intention is that every student will develop a deeper sense of the way their body moves in a technical manner. use this vocabulary and speak YOUR truth, we have no interest in creating cookie-cutter dancers. we firmly believe we must tap into our deeply rooted intuitive bodyvoice and let it be heard universally. students will drill the fundamentals and learn a handful of short combinations that can be used, melded, shredded, reworked or recycled into their own repertoire.

we am here to facilitate your journey into you. let's work and play together.

feel free to contact us with any questions!

email: gitana.urbana.dance@gmail.com

Karen Tapia, Founder:

Karen Tapia began dancing in her mama's womb. From the beginning, dance has been her organic form of expression of Self and connection to Spirit, rooted in the awareness that dance heals. Life took a destined turn when she began the serious study of dance in 1995. Karen earned her BA in Dance from SDSU in 1999, where she was named as the Outstanding Student in Dance. Her studies focused on modern dance technique, choreography, improvisation, and technical production.

Since 1995, Karen has studied with various Master Artists in their respective craft. In '98, as an extension of her study of Orisa traditions, she serendipitously crossed paths with Master Dancer Juan Carlos Blanco and began studying Afro Cuban folklore, rumba, popular, and modern dance with him. Karen became a member of his company Omo Ache in 2000, and has spent the last eight years traveling and performing with the group. In '02, Karen began studying with Heather Stants of Urban Tribal Dance Company and later became a company member, learning much about Tribal Bellydance and Tribal Fusion from this San Diego groundbreaker.

Karen considers herself to be a lifelong student, and continues to study movement forms including Afro Cuban, Bellydance, Afro Puerto Rican Bomba, yoga, and more. Karen currently teaches and performs her unique style of dance which draws upon these traditions in Southern CA. She has also worked with prominent choreographers such as: Patricia Sandback, Melissa Nunn, Silfredo La O Vigo, Debi Toth, Sara Fanoe Kaye, Jose "Cheo" Rojas, and Jade Power. Karen is a proud mama, and passes on her passion for dance, music, and life with her youth.

Karen's philosophy is that movement is a primal force which awakens the True Self within. Movement aligns us with our higher consciousness, and when practiced with ritual, in community, in solitude, with breath awareness, or simply spontaneously, we can be transported to new dimensions within ourselves. Movement heals, connects, reveals, and unites. More to come...

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