Artistic Statement/ Biography/CV

Karen Bernard creates nuanced, movement-based work that explores divergent themes surrounding the female body—from motherhood to sex goddess to murder victim. Using sampled dance styles and episodic scenes, Bernard pits everyday life and current events against perceptions of the feminine mystique and aging. The work is developed in the context of location and an intuitive fusion of costuming, sporadic sound scores, video, and minimal sets. Unpredictable choices from the mundane to the extravagant translate into a form that compels her audiences to look at their own experiences from alternative perspectives which, in turn, can alter their actions and reactions. Her newest work in progress, Rheumatic, follows a debilitating disease, Polymyalgia Rheumatic.  Inspired by dancing to cover bands in local restaurants, she celebrates the lifeblood of being able to return to movement.

From the age of three, she was immersed in dance, with her father, Steven Bernard, a company member of Charles Weidman’s pioneering 20th-century dance company. Growing up in his dance school, performance was not a separate activity but the rhythm of daily life. Bernard has created over fifty works, some of which have been presented in New York City at The Kitchen, Chashama, Center for Performance Research, Dixon Place, Performance Space 122, and Movement Research at Judson Church; Farm gallery (Wellfleet, MA) and throughout Canada and Europe.  Residencies include The Kitchen Dance in Process (New York City), Bogliasco (Bogliasco, Italy) and Emily Harvey Foundation (Venice, Italy). She has received support from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Arts Council, Puffin Foundation, The Field’s Independent Artist Challenge Program Grant, USAProject Artist, and Meet the Composer. Her handmade book Removed Exposure in collaboration with book designer gray Frasure/grayproductions, photographer Sheilagh O’Leary and art designer, Alexandra Wixon was exhibited at Black Madonna show at H.P. Gallery (New York City) and Farm Gallery (Wellfleet, MA) and in the collection of Printed Matter (New York City).  Bernard developed programs including EMERGE, Interdisciplinary Artist Residency at Earthdance (Plainsfield, MA) and served on the Earthdance Board; facilitated Fieldwork and was honored to be on the Bogliasco Artist Selection Committee. As a guest teacher she has taught at the University of Tampa (Florida), Alfred University (New York State), School for New Dance Development (Amsterdam) and Trinity (University)/LaMaMa (New York City). While in London in the early 70’s Bernard went on tour with Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band as the first act performing an excerpt of La Sylphide. The first stop on the tour was the Albert Hall. She also opened by tap dancing for an exhibition of the conceptual artist David Tremlette at the Tate Gallery.

Bernard is the Founder, Executive and Artistic Director of New Dance Alliance now in its 40th year. Programs include the Performance Mix Festival, LiftOff residency, Black Artist Space to Create residency, Satellite (a donation-based rehearsal space program), WorkSession and Karen Bernard Projects. Her work has focused on building a platform for experimental artists across cultural , national and inter-national lines. Bernard received a BAX 10 award for her invaluable service to artists in the founding and development of the Performance Mix Festival. She attended the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, the London School of Contemporary Dance, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Empire State College.

CV