Lifelong Dance with Stewart/Owen Dance
Ages 55+

Mondays, 9:45–10:45 AM
Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center
Instructor: Karen Carpenter

This class celebrates the connection between movement and music and encourages joyful exploration. Participants will stretch and move through guided warm-ups and exercises, strengthening the brain-body connection. Geared towards movers 55+, this class is accessible to participants with movement restrictions or chronic injuries. No prior dance experience is required.

September Session — Sept. 23, Sept. 30 (two weeks) = $32
October Session — Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Oct. 28 (four weeks) = $64
November Session — Nov. 4, Nov. 11, Nov. 18, Nov. 25 (four weeks) = $64
December Session — Dec. 2, Dec. 9, Dec. 16 (three weeks) = $48
Total Fall Package (13 classes) = $208
Drop-in fee at class check-in with card = $18

About the instructor: Karen Ninos Carpenter is a professional teacher and choreographer committed to sharing the art of dance with students since 1970. After training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB)and American Ballet Theatre School, she went on to become a member of the City Center Joffrey Ballet Company, where she served as personal assistant to Robert Joffrey. She accompanied Mr. Joffrey on the company’s ground-breaking 5-week tour of Russia in 1974.

Karen served on the faculty at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet from 1982-2020, she founded the Alfred Ballet Academy in Alfred, NY, founded the Campbelltown School of Ballet in Campbelltown, PA and the Hershey School of Ballet in Hershey, PA. Karen served on the dance faculty at Alfred University in Alfred, NY, and Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, MD.

From 2017 to 2022, Karen worked in collaboration with Heather Maloy of Terpsicorps Dance Theater to build an academic ballet program for serious young dancers. Karen is currently a faculty member at WNC Dance Academy where she teaches in the newly-formed repertory company.