Karen Kaeja (she/her) is a Tkaronto born, choreographer, project instigator, performer, and mentor. The heart of her research, creation, and writing concentrates on the agency of Touch. She develops platforms for collaborative relationships between dancers, everyday people, and the body. Karen holds mentorship, dramaturgy and artistic advisory relationships, as a priority. Karen has created over 80 dance works on stage and in sites including TouchX (part of TORQUE International Contemporary Dance Series), Crave, and uncover, having garnered critical acclaim for their emotional depth. Karen is a dedicated educator and researcher, contributing to symposiums, articles and books, published in esteemed art journals. A recognized champion of the next generation, she won TAPA’s 2022 George Luscombe Mentorship. Other awards include Dance Ontario’s Lifetime Achievement Award, CDA “I Love Dance” Community Award and Paul D. Fleck Fellowship. In the Canadian Who’s Who, Karen was a Finalist for the TAF Celebration of Cultural Life Award, TAF Muriel Sherrin Award, NOW’s Best Local Choreographer and twice for Best Dance Company. Karen’s nominations include the 2023 Eldred Family Dance Award, CDA “I Love Dance” Innovation Award, and 7 Dora Mavor Moore nominations, winning one. Screened in over 400 festivals worldwide, her dance films and feature roles have appeared in the Gemini nominated Old Country. “Clearing” is currently featured on UK’s Virgin Airline programming. Karen was Stratford Festival’s first movement dramaturg (Wendy and Peter Pan) and MUN/Dance NL and the Guelph Dance Festival’s first resident dance artist. Co-Artistic Director of Kaeja d’Dance with Allen Kaeja, she is commissioned and presented by performance series around the world, and collaborates with many of Canada’s brilliant choreographers.