The Company

Karen L. Charles

Artistic/Executive Director

Karen L. Charles began dancing at the age of five in her hometown of Atlanta, GA at Jacob’s Dance Academy, Atlanta Ballet, and summer study at North Carolina School of the Arts. Karen graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Christian University with dual degrees in Ballet and Computer Science. While at TCU Karen was a member of the TCU Dance Ensemble performing and studying with James Truitte, Alicia Alonso, Gelsey Kirkland, Fernando Schaffenburg, Lisa Fusillo, Stephanie Wise, et. al.
Karen worked for Hallmark Cards and Westinghouse Credit Corporation immediately after college while dancing professionally for Pittsburgh Dance Alloy and Susan Warden Dance Company. Karen then traveled to NYC as a Fellowship Recipient at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre where she was cast in a work by Carl Paris. Karen returned to her hometown of Atlanta for nine years, where she taught high school Dance, Computer Science and Math and founded a local dance school -Discovering Dance. Karen also earned her M.Ed. in Administration from Georgia State University.

After moving to Minneapolis, Karen focused on arts education, becoming Principal at Perpich Arts HS and founding principal at Main Street School of Performing Arts (PIM). She also began to create and work with the local dance community. In 2010, after the death of her father, Karen decided to pursue her life-long dream of having a professional dance company. Threads Dance Project was founded in 2011. Charles has created over 40 works as founding Artistic/Executive Director that have been performed locally in the Twin Cities and nationally in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Her work, The Secrets of Slave Songs, was nominated for MN SAGE Dance Award in 2015 and her company was selected to host the McKnight International Choreographic Fellow (2017). Her work has been featured on TPT MN Originals and Karen has been recognized for her contribution to the Black Arts community – receiving the Archousa of the Year Award from Omicron Boule and the 2020 Celebrating the Sistas Award recognizes the excellence and contributions of Black women in the Twin Cities. Charles’s dance film, Out of the Ashes won the New York City Film & Television Best Performance Award in 2022. Karen, choreographed for PENUMBRA Theater’s Musical Girl Shakes Loose (2017)and Macalester College’s HAIR (2022). Karen was the Franklin Visiting Artist/Scholar at University of Georgia and had choreographic and teaching residencies at University of Iowa, Carleton College, Macalester College.

Karen continually works to serve the greater dance arts community. Karen founded the Tapestries Emerging Choreographer program which provides support to emerging female and BIPOC choreographers to help change the creator landscape in the Twin Cities and beyond. This program was recognized and partially funded by the Jerome Foundation in 2022 for its outstanding support of emerging dance artists. Karen has also served on review panels for National Endowment for the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Karen served as a board member for Dance/USA, Vocal Essence, Vice President of the Cowles Center for the Performing Arts Council and a member the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Community Advisory Council, Council Chair for Dance/USA Directors Companies ($3M and below), member of the MN Artist Coalition.

The Dancers & Staff

Karen Christ Aalgaard
Dancer, Production Manager
Hometown: Lakota, IA
Education: BFA Dance from University of Iowa
Training & Professional Experience: Dance Connection by Michelle Clegg, Dance & Other Behaviors

Nieya Amezquita
Dancer
Hometown: Decatur, GA
Education: DancerMakers of Atlanta, University of GA
Professional experience and training: Nieya was a founding member of CADENCE and Linds&Co, was president of the Young Choreographer’s committee and attended the American Collegiate Dance Association. She is also a Barre fitness instructor.

Malia Craft
Dancer and Facilities & Operations Coordinator
Hometown: Hartwell, GA
Education: University of Georgia: B.A. Dance, Minor in Exercise and Sports Science, Certificate in K-12 Dance Education
Professional experience and training: Hot Shots Dance Company; Staibdance; Deeply Rooted Dance Theater; Peace, Love, and Dance Project

Devyn Hannon
Dancer
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Education: University of Georgia: BFA in Dance, BS in Biology
Training & Professional Experience: UGA Dance Co., Young Choreographers Series (VP), CORE Contemporary & Aerial Dance Co., ACDA, Southern Assn. of Dance Masters, The Dance Academy of Bartlett, and TN Governor’s School for the Arts

Shannon Hartle
Dancer
Hometown: Des Moines, IA
Education: BFA in Dance, minor in Communication Studies, certificate in Entrepreneurship in Performing Arts
Training & Professional Experience: Joffrey NYC, Dancers in Company UIowa, American Dance Guild, American College Dance Association, Stark Dance, Collab Arts Volume III

Kennedy Jones
Facilities and Operations Coordinator
Hometown: Twin Falls, ID
Education: BFA in Classical Acting, minor in Dance Performance, minor in Arts Administration
Training & Professional Experience: Utah Shakespeare Festival, Missoula Children’s Theater, Theater Orchester Heidelberg

Sara Karimi
Dancer
Hometown: Cedarburg, WI
Education: University of Iowa- BFA in Dance, BA in English
Training & Professional Experience: Milwaukee Ballet School, Danceworks Inc, Kayle & Company, 10,000 Feet Dance Theatre, Borealis Dance

Brenna Mosser
Dancer, Company Manager
Hometown: Rochester, MN
Education: Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK, le Centre National de la Danse Contemporaine in Angers, France
Training & Professional Experience: Alternative Motion Project and Bernadette Knaeble. Founder and artistic director of Analog Dance Works.

Lauren Vasilakos
Dancer
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
Education: University of Iowa- B.A. in Dance; B.A. in Biology
Training & Professional Experience: Joffrey NYC, American College Dance Association, UI Youth Dance Instructor, Martha Graham Univ Collab NYC, Hatch Dance & HoneyWorks

Maddy Woodman
Dancer
Hometown: Hampton, MN
Education: University of Minnesota – BFA in Dance, Minor in Spanish Studies
Training & Professional Experience: University Dance Theater (work by Carl Flink, Herb Johnson III, and Chris Schlicting), Neighborhood Dances, LC Creations. Maddy is also a youth dance instructor at Intrepid Dance Company and CREO Arts & Dance.

Board of Directors & Artistic Advisors

Threads Dance Project’s Board of Directors is composed of members representing the world’s diversity as to ethnicity, race, age, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Members are united in their commitment to supporting the mission of the organization. Board activities are driven by an Annual Organizational Plan, a statement of individual fundraising and resource-development goals based on personal skill sets, and abilities.

The board meets regularly to fulfill its obligation of governance. The work of the board is carried out by committees that meet as needed. Key committees are Fundraising, Marketing, Organizational Effectiveness, Outreach, and Performance.

If you are interested in joining the Threads’ Board of Directors, please contact Artistic/Executive Director Karen L. Charles: kcharles@threadsdance.org.

Amanda Norman

President
NGE Holdings Inc.

Omarra Alexander

Secretary
Community Member

Traci Shannon

Member
Children’s Theater Company

Alicia Phillips

Vice President
Target

Ella McGrady-Wiley

Assistant Secretary
Cargill

Amanda Thor

Member
EcoLab

W. Todd Ackerman

Treasurer
US Bank

Kenneth Charles

Member
Community Member

The Artistic Advisors are a knowledgeable group of professionals who consult and provide arts related expertise as needed. The Advisors have no legal or fiduciary responsibilities, but are advocates for the company’s mission and serve an integral part of Threads Dance Project’s artistic processes.