Karen Prall

Karen Prall is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University. She specializes in Contemporary Modern dance, Afro-Beat movement, and African dance pedagogy. She serves as Artistic Director of the African dance company 'To Sangana' and founded 'The Art of Motion Dance Theatre' in Detroit. She is also a consultant for Ballet Zoe Banjay, a Liberian cultural dance company.

• Education Background: Not explicitly detailed in the text.

Her research focuses on African (Congolese) dance, music, and cultural preservation, along with Dunham, Horton, and Afro-Cuban techniques. She has conducted fieldwork in Congo Brazzaville, Cuba, Senegal, Liberia, and Ghana. During the pandemic, she pioneered the online class 'Spicy Seasoned' for women over fifty.

Awards:

• Recipient of the 'President’s Excellence in Teaching' Award.

Additional Roles:

• Former member of 'Bichinis Bia Congo' (Ann Arbor).
• Guest speaker at the 2023 IABD Bantaba conference.

Labs/Teams:

• Artistic Director of 'To Sangana' (African dance company).
• Founder/Director of 'The Art of Motion Dance Theatre'.