HaPPI Spotlight with Karen Peterson

Published on June 02, 2025

We are thrilled to announce the Village's inaugural HaPPI Spotlight, a new feature of the Village’s HaPPI (Happy Pinecrest People Initiative) program, created to celebrate residents, business owners, and village staff members who make Pinecrest a happier, more inclusive place to live.

For our very first HaPPI Spotlight, we’re proud to shine the light on Karen Peterson Corash, a Pinecrest resident for 36 years and a national leader in inclusive dance. Karen’s commitment to the arts, and to Pinecrest, runs deep. She has lived in the same house on 72nd Avenue since before Pinecrest was incorporated, raised two sons here, and is now the proud grandmother of three granddaughters who dance at Armour Dance Theatre.

“I moved to Pinecrest before it was even a village,” says Karen. “It was just unincorporated Miami-Dade back then. This has always been home.”

Karen is the founder and artistic director of Karen Peterson and Dancers (KPD), Florida’s only full-time physically integrated dance company. Since 1990, KPD has brought together professional dancers with and without disabilities, transforming what audiences expect to see on stage. Karen runs the organization from her home office in Pinecrest, with a warehouse in The Falls.

Karen’s inspiration for her life’s work started early on. She choreographed her first piece at New World School of the Arts, featuring an actress using a wheelchair, at a time when Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws were just coming into effect. “It was the first time a choreographer collaborated with a wheelchair performer on stage in Miami.” she recalls. “We didn’t know what the response would be, but it opened the door to more inclusive dance. Audiences began to think about who a performer could be.”

Since then, Karen has led KPD to international acclaim, performing across the U.S. and in nine countries including performances at the Korea International Accessible Dance Festival (KIADA) in Seoul, South Korea. KPD has also been named “Best Dance Company in Miami” by Miami New Times.

A signature achievement is the Forward Motion Dance Festival, which Karen founded to bring international artists, with and without disabilities, to Miami for four days of groundbreaking performances and workshops. The festival, now in its seventh year, is recognized as one of the few in the nation devoted to physically integrated dance.

At home in Pinecrest, Karen’s impact is just as meaningful. She works closely with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, helping teenagers with special needs discover confidence and creativity through movement. Since 2006, KPD artists have led educational workshops throughout the region, helping all students experience the joy and teamwork of dance. “Even the most shy, reticent teen blossoms,” she says. For Karen, dance also serves as a way to heal and connect.

Dance is a healing tool; it’s creative, it’s physical, it’s social, it creates joy and brings out the positive in most individuals. Karen’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Arts & Accessibility Award from the Arts & Business Council of Miami, a Knight Foundation Award, Miami-Dade Individual Artist Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from New World School of the Arts, and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alumni Achievement Award for her “dedicated work in the field and contributions to society.”

The Village congratulates Karen Peterson on being our very first HaPPI Spotlight honoree. To learn more about Karen Peterson and Dancers, visit karenpetersondancers.org.