Owning the distinction of being the first Native American Radio City Rockette, Karilyn is currently faculty at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School (Children’s Division) and Steps on Broadway (Academy), and is an adjunct professor of dance history, tap, and theatre dance at Pace University (Sands College of Performing Arts).

Karilyn holds a Master of Arts in Dance Education and American Ballet Theatre (ABT®) Pedagogy from New York University, where she was recognized for outstanding achievement to the dance education graduate program and has returned to guest lecture about culturally relevant and responsive teaching and curriculum design.  Her programming for elementary school students was recognized by Oklahoma City’s Dunbar Elementary School for her outstanding Black History Month programming, and she is currently  in the inaugural cohort of the Ailey Horton Teacher Certification program.

  • Karilyn’s creative work includes choreographing, script consulting, associate choreographing, and dramaturgy for companies including Warner Brothers/FOX television network, Ivoryton Playhouse, New York Free Arts Festival at Little Island, The Muny, and Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

    In addition to dancing as a Rockette for 10 seasons, Karilyn’s other performance credits include Warner Brothers/FOX’s Gotham, Saturday Night Live, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas National Tour, West Side Story 50th Anniversary International Tour, 17 productions at The Muny and various commercial and print campaigns, including Reader’s Digest and BET/OnBlast.

    Throughout Karilyn’s performing career she has represented her colleagues as an AEA and AGVA union deputy and representative, most notably serving on the AEA National Deputy Committee during the Covid-19 Pandemic.  As a field representative for Writers’ Guild of America East, she drafted the first master contract for the Non-Fiction department.  Karilyn’s language contributions can still be seen in existing collective bargaining agreements.

    A citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Karilyn received her Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University, where she studied with Jo Rowan and Robert L. Reed.  She is an ABT® National Training Curriculum Certified Teacher (Pre-Primary through Level 7/Partnering) and is a member of National Dance Education Organization, Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, Rockettes of Color Alumni Association, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

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DANCE EDUCATOR

 
 

“Whether her classes are filled with young children in their first dance class or college students on the cusp of a professional career, Karilyn wants her students to know that the legacy they carry through dance is very valuable. ”

- American Ballet Theatre/SideBarre

 
 
 

Teaching Philosophy

My vision as a dance educator is to cultivate artists’ sustainability in the dance subculture, performing arts industry, and society at large by providing students with the correct tools and skills to promote their individual artistic and personal pursuits.

My lessons are planned with information and embodied learning opportunities that increase technical proficiency, nurture critical thinking, demonstrate culturally germane applications of the subject matter, and empower students to become autonomous, lifelong participants in their education.

 

Teaching Résumé

  • American Ballet Theatre
    Ballet
    NYC, NY

    Pace University, Sands College of Performing Arts
    (Commercial Dance & Musical Theatre Depts.)
    Tap, Dance History, Theatre Dance
    NYC, NY

    Steps on Broadway (Academy)
    Pre-Pro and Select Study Tap
    NYC, NY

  • New York University
    Steinhardt, Dance Education Masters Program
    Guest Lecturer
    NYC, NY

    Molloy University/CAP 21
    Adjunct Master Dance Instructor, BFA Program
    Ballet, Jazz, & Tap
    NYC, NY

    Oklahoma City University
    Guest Ballet Faculty
    Oklahoma City, OK

    University of Kansas
    Guest Speaker (Theatre Dance)
    Lawrence, KS

    Oklahoma City University
    Guest Speaker (Dance Workshop)
    Oklahoma City, OK

    Soochow University
    Student Teacher (Tap)/Cultural Exchange
    Taipei City, Taiwan

    National Taiwan University of the Arts
    Student Teacher (Tap)/Cultural Exchange
    New Taipei City, Taiwan

  • Shuffles, Tap And Musical Theater School
    Ballet, Jazz, Group & Private Lessons
    NYC, NY

    Dance Project Of Washington Heights
    Youth Theatre Dance, Adult Jazz / Theatre Dance
    NYC, NY

    North Jersey School Of Dance Arts
    Musical Theatre, Rockette Style Tap Substitute
    Hackettstown, NJ

    Ballet School Of Stamford
    Ballet And Jazz, Rehearsal Director Substitute
    Stamford, CT

  • Muny U (The Muny's Virtual Education Program)
    Performing Arts Faculty
    St. Louis, MO 

    Goodspeed Musicals Arts Education Collaboration
    Master Teacher In Theatre Dance
    East Haddam, CT

    First Stage Children's Theater
    Theatre Dance/Jazz Guest Teaching Artist
    Milwaukee, WI

    Milwaukee Repertory Theater
    Arts Education Immersion Guest Teaching Artist
    Milwaukee, WI

    Stages St. Louis Performing Arts Academy
    Theatre Dance/Jazz Master Teaching Artist
    St. Louis, MO

    Lustig Dance Theatre
    Dance Teaching Artist
    New Brunswick, NJ

  • Oklahoma City University
    Broadway Bound Summer Intensive
    Oklahoma City, OK

    Madame Gabriela Darvash Master Classes
    Ballet Assistant & Demonstrator for Madame Darvash
    NYC, NY

    Liberate Artists
    Dance Teaching Artist, Master Teacher
    NYC, NY

    Krupinski Academy Of Dance
    Summer Intensive Master Teacher In Precision Jazz & Tap
    St. Louis, MO

  • Rockettes
    Group Dance Instructor
    NYC; USA; Int'l

    Norwegian Cruise Line
    Rockette Dance Experience Instructor
    NYC; USA; Int'l

    Garden Of Dreams Foundation Talent Show
    Celebrity Guest Mentor
    NYC, NY

    Knicks City Dancers
    Ballet, Assistant To Kat Wildish
    NYC, NY

  • Dance Theatre Of Harlem
    Theatre Dance Assistant for William Wesley
    NYC, NY

    Rosati-Kain High School
    Guest Phys. Ed./Health Teacher - Dance And Body Conditioning
    St. Louis, MO

    BC/EFA 25th Easter Bonnet
    Dancer
    NYC, NY

    Miss America 
    Judge (NY State Preliminaries, 2010/2013)
    NYC, NY

    Oklahoma City Public Schools
    Black History Month Elementary Program Developer & Presenter
    Oklahoma City, OK
    *Award Winning Program

 
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CREATIVE

 

Selected Credits

 

Karilyn’s creative work includes choreographing, script consulting, associate choreographing, and dramaturgy for companies including Warner Brothers/FOX television network, Ivoryton Playhouse, New York Free Arts Festival at Little Island, The Muny, and Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre.

 

 
 

  • STAR OF FREEDOM
    Ivoryton Playhouse
    Dir. Jacqui Hubbard; World Premier of a New Musical

    GOTHAM
    Warner Brothers/FOX
    Dir. Nick Copus; Co-Choreographer with Lisa Jantzie

  • 42ND STREET
    Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre
    Dir. & Chor. Josh Walden

    A PART OF THE MAIN
    New York Free Arts Festival at Little Island
    Assistant Choreographer for Chor. Sarah Dahnke

    SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE
    The Muny
    Dir. Marcia Milgrom Dodge; Chor. Josh Walden

  • STAR OF FREEDOM
    Ivoryton Playhouse
    Music and Lyrics by Jeff Blaney;
    Book by Lawrence Thelen

  • 42ND STREET
    Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre
    Dir. & Chor., Josh Walden;
    Scenic Design, Kristen Martino;
    Lighting Design, Andrew Carson;
    Costume Design, Antonio Consuegra

 
 
 
Creative Portfolio
 
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PERFORMING ARTIST

 
 
 

In addition to dancing as a Rockette and representing the company as a brand ambassador for 10 seasons, Karilyn’s performance credits also include FOX’s Gotham (co-star), Saturday Night Live (featured dancer/showgirl), Irving Berlin’s White Christmas National Tour, West Side Story 50th Anniversary International Tour (Consuelo; Anita & Rosalia u/s), Smokey Joe’s Café at The Muny (standby performer), and various commercial and print campaigns, including Reader’s Digest (cover model) and BET/OnBlast (voiceover).

 

 
 
 
 

Selected Credits

 
 
 

  • Gotham
    Co-Star & Choreographer
    Warner Brother/Fox

    Best Of The Couch
    Voiceover Principal
    BET/BET.Com

    Saturday Night Live
    Featured Dancer
    NBC Universal

    Norwegian Cruise Line
    Rockette Spokesperson
    Madison Square Garden Entertainment

    America’s Got Talent
    Pitbull Dancer
    NBC Universal

  • Who Is Jordan Bishop?
    Lizzie Piper
    Theaterlab
    Dir. Noah Racey

    Kicking And Screaming
    Nothing Beneath The Sun (Tap Dancer)
    Symphony Space
    Dir./Chor. Noah Racey

    Empire
    Minnie
    Staged Reading
    Dir./Chor. Marcia Milgrom Dodge

    Bubbling Brown Sugar
    Ensemble
    Staged Reading
    Dir./Chor. Stepp And Seth Stewart

    Radio City Christmas Spectacular
    Rockette
    Radio City Music Hall
    Dir./Chor. Linda Haberman

  • Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
    Ensemble
    National Tour
    Dir./Chor. Randy Skinner

    West Side Story
    Consuelo; Anita & Rosalia U/S
    Bb Productions International Tour
    Dir./Chor. Joey Mckneely

  • Memphis
    Beale Street Ensemble
    North Carolina Theatre
    Dir./Chor. Robert Hartwell

    The Wiz
    Ensemble
    Broadway Sacramento
    Dir. Glenn Casale, Chor. Gerry McIntyre

    Guys & Dolls
    Mimi
    Broadway Sacramento
    Dir. Charlie Repole, Chor. Michael Lichtefeld

    Mamma Mia!
    Dance Captain/Ensemble
    Stages St. Louis
    Dir. Michael Hamilton, Chor. Tony Gonzales

    The Will Rogers Follies
    Ensemble
    Goodspeed Musicals
    Dir. Don Stephenson, Chor. Kelli Barclay

    Guys & Dolls
    Featured Havana Dancer/Martha/Ferguson
    Milwaukee Repertory Theater
    Dir. Mark Clements, Chor. Stephen Mear

    Joseph…Technicolor Dreamcoat
    Simeon’s Wife/Mrs. Potiphar U/S
    Stages St. Louis
    Dir./Chor. Stephen Bourneuf

    Anything Goes
    Virtue
    Goodspeed Musicals
    Dir. Daniel Goldstein, Chor. Kelli Barclay

    Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
    Martha
    The Muny
    Dir. Marc Bruni, Chor. Pepper Clyde

    My One And Only
    Minnow/Tap Soloist
    The Muny
    Dir. Marc Bruni, Chor. Niki Harris

    Oklahoma!
    Ensemble
    The Muny
    Stroman Version: Dir. Rob Ruggiero, Chor. Ginger Thatcher
    Demille Version: Dir. Paul Blake, Chor. Gemze De Lappe

    The Producers
    Ensemble (Showgirl Track)
    The Muny
    Dir./Chor. Bill Burns

    Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
    Ensemble
    The Muny
    Dir. Paul Blake, Chor. Kelli Barclay

  • Dances For Solidarity
    Dance Artist
    Brooklyn Studios For Dance
    Artistic Director, Sarah Dahnke

    Lustig Dance Theatre
    Ballet Soloist
    New Brunswick, NY
    Artistic Director, Graham Lustig

    Aida (Opera)
    Corps De Ballet
    Opera Pacific
    Dir. Chor. Michele Assaf

 
 
 
Production Photos
Print Modeling
 
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 PRESS


“Education is freedom, and the more you know, the more free you can be.”

- Karilyn, in American Ballet Theatre/SideBarre

 

Karilyn has been featured in numerous national and regional publications as a performer for various theatre companies, and, most recently, as a faculty member at American Ballet Theatre in the organization’s behind-the-scenes blog SideBarre.

 

Selected Press

 
 
 
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