Inclusive Creative Movement and Dance Tapa blanda - 2005

Karen A. Kaufmann, MA, is an associate professor of dance at the University of Montana, where she heads the dance program in the department of drama/dance. She has taught dance to people of all ages and abilities for more than 25 years, and she has a wealth of experience in preparing future teachers to teach dance to people of all abilities. She has choreographed numerous pieces for children in grades K to 5 that have gained national recognition, and she has toured the Northwest as a solo performer and artist in residence.

She was awarded a Montana Individual Artist fellowship for her lifelong work in dance education, and her dance work with adults with disabilities was the focus of a television program produced by Montana Public Television. Kaufmann has published instructional material for teachers to help them teach dance in schools and has published journal articles in the fields of disability, dance education, and service learning. She has presented at numerous conferences across the nation and has a long affiliation with VSA (formerly known as Very Special Arts) Montana.