Karen Kern, the Owner and Director of Karen’s School Of Dance (KSD) in Highland, Michigan, describes their school as a family oriented dance studio that focuses on strong technique and team building. Their goal is to teach all of their students to DREAM – BELIEVE – ACHIEVE!
KSD has been serving the community for over 25 years, working to instill discipline, self-esteem, self-confidence, poise and creativity in all of their students through the art of dance. Their instructors are not only dedicated to teaching the highest quality of dance education, but also lessons of camaraderie, support and respect.
KSD does this by providing a fun, caring, and loving atmosphere in which each student may feel comfortable and excel at their own pace. Their staff loves what they do and it shows. They hope that every student learns to let the sheer love of dance shine through in everything they do.
Karen is truly devoted to making her studio the best possible. She is acknowledged for inspiring her students to always reach higher, instilling that determination and hard work will drive them to their personal best. Karen believes that a studio should be more than just a dance studio; it is a space for dancers to come together as a community, and for many it is a second home.
In Karen’s opinion, some of the things that separate KSD from other studios include their family atmosphere, their strong core values, and their teaching of the principle that all things are possible as long as you believe. They are always watching the industry and connecting their dancers with opportunities that will benefit them. KSD focuses on building long lasting relationships, supporting their fellow dancers, and motivating one another to do their very best! They seek to inspire their students to BELIEVE in ALL in which they are capable.
Recently during a hectic day of working on costumes, Karen was reminded of why she loves 
this job! She and her assistant were teaching a class and working on technique that would carry over into the dance. One particular student that had been struggling finally executed a certain step, and at that particular moment it was amazing. The smile on that student’s face was priceless, and the pride and joy Karen felt for the student’s hard work was so uplifting! Karen was just as elated to look over at another student to see that she was just as proud as Karen was! The pride, respect, and sheer enjoyment of moments like this are what it’s all about for Karen. Times like this remind her that all of these kids are amazing in their own special way! Often they get wrapped up in judge’s commentary but ultimately it shouldn’t matter what three people think on any given day, because there is always tomorrow. As dancers, they are always improving, striving, and working towards their goals! Competitions are important because they push them to do better, reward them for all their hard work, and give us insight on what they may need to improve. It is Karen’s sincere hope that dancers don’t lose sight of the gift that they possess. It’s a gift that can be passed down to future generations for them to cherish. Every day Karen is so thankful and honored that she gets to be involved in the lives of these wonderful and talented dancers!
The biggest mistake Karen sees dancers make is when they give up on themselves! If they don’t land the part they wanted or if they get cut from a particular section, sometimes they just give up. That is NOT the right attitude. Life is full of challenges, and how you attack them as well as how you come back from those disappointing circumstances will shape you into the person you are going to be! Be a determined, positive role model and it will take you further than you’ve ever imagined.
Karen’s goals for the next year is to get KSD out into their community more and show the dancers how lucky they are to be allowed to participate in such a fantastic activity. They are truly blessed because some kids will never have the opportunity.
Karen went to a performing arts school. They danced, rehearsed, toured, and performed extensively. She knew at a young age that she wanted to teach. Performing was enjoyable for her, but her passion lies in watching a student grow as a dancer and conquer obstacles that they have been facing.
Karen’s School of Dance has three different programs – recreational, competitive, and their dance company. They offer a fabulous pre-dance program called Stars Babies™ that they designed for both summer and fall sessions. They also offer a wide range of classes, camps, and intensives in the summer. Throughout the year, they bring in guest teachers, choreographers, and industry leaders to keep things fresh and exciting and to keep their staff and students immersed in the industry.
KSD’s competition team, KSD Company, is a competitive program and the members are expected to work hard while having fun! Members in company will focus heavily on a variety of styles including jazz, ballet, tap, and lyrical. Dancers will also experience several other styles in Company such as hip-hop, musical theater, contemporary, modern dance and gymnastics.
They also have a new fitness program, Platinum Potential Fitness, which is designed to provide a well-rounded experience that will enhance you flexibility, endurance, strength, overall health and more. They offer fitness classes such as Zumba, Pilates, Conditioning, Bands, Monday Morning Expresso, Kickboxing/Boot-camp, Adult Ballet, Toning and The Art of Strength.
If you would like more information about Karen’s School of Dance, visit their website at www.danceatkarens.com, call them at 586-713-3681 or email them at kern262@cs.com. You can also “Like” them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and connect with them on Instagram.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Karen Kern of Karen’s School Of Dance.
