Biography

Karine Rathle is an artist, choreographer, performer, teacher, and researcher in dance and dance science. Their performances and choreographic works have been presented on the international stage, namely within projects in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England and Germany. They have also been engaged in teaching and research in several countries, including their current location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The pluridisciplinary nature of their practice is inspired by their expertise in somatics and their knowledge and experience of contemporary dance, Argentinian tango, modern dance, ballet, contact improvisation and theatre.
Karine has performed internationally in places such as Camden’s People’s Theatre (CPT), King’s Head, ]Performance Space[, Roundhouse (London, UK); Contemporary Art Centre (Tasmania, Australia); Gézu, Monument National, Club Lambi, (Montreal, Canada); OHM (Holand) and Italia Unida, Milonga del Indio, Villa Malcolm (Buenos, Aires Argentina). The work is fuelled by an interest in creating a pluridisciplinary, collaborative, personal and authentic approach to the creation process and by a desire for social justice. Extending beyond the perceived limits of the physical, Karine’s voyage of discovery aspires to integrate aspects of movement, imagery and theatre in both creation and performance.

Karine’s creative work is inspired by the richness of human experience and engages with human rights, social inclusion and the benefits of artistic creation for people of diverse communities. Within their creative process and within their teaching methods, Karine draws on values of inclusivity, diversity and collaborative work, taking a stance against social inequalities and prejudice against marginalized people.

« Where there is life, there is mouvement. I was lucky to have the joy of learning a language without words and the privilege to transmit this knowledge to others»

– Karine

In addition to a college diploma in cinema, Karine holds a master’s degree in dance science (Msc) from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London, United Kingdom). The programme included dance science specific modules such as: research methods, psychology, somatics, biomechanics and applied physiology. Their thesis topic was: Investigating the effects of applied somatic principles on perceived stage presence. Karine is also a MUNZ FLOOR and Pilates certified teacher and is a Safe in Dance International (SiDI) registered provider. Further experience includes the adoption of inclusive and trauma informed teaching practices and the development of a dance-specific workshop for teachers on consent.

Their training and experience brought them to teach applied dance science and dance at renowned schools and conservatories in London such as Bird College, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and Central School of Ballet. They have also led several training courses for dance educators in Canada, Egypt, and Palestine on a variety of topics such as verbal and tactile feedback, anatomy for dance class, injury risk reduction, fitness and complementary training, alignment, warm-up and cool-down, dance pedagogy, the integration of somatic principles in dance training and performance, and much more. Karine led a teacher training course for contemporary dancers in Cairo, Egypt called SEEDS, which was funded by the European Union, and led all the Dance Science components of the training.
Karine’s collaborative approach has led them to engage in the local and international dance community in a number of ways. They have shared their teaching methods and their research at several internationally renowned conferences such as the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) and Healthy Dancer Canada (HDC). Karine has been an active member of Healthy Dancer Canada since 2015 and was elected President from 2017 to 2021. In 2007, they co-founded and co-directed the dance and creation studio Fleur d’asphalte in Montréal. Further, their expertise in applied dance science has led them to collaborate and work with local organizations such as the Réseau d’enseignement de la danse (RED), the Regroupement Québécois de la Danse (RQD), the École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal, and the dance departments at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Concordia University.

As an artist and a teacher, Karine works creatively at finding what is physically possible. They strike a unique balance between accounting for access requirements and coming up with ways to circumvent limitations brought about by physical, psychological or social expectations. Their students, colleagues, and fellow artists benefit from Karine’s support by being invited to gently explore, to be curious and rethink the parameters of what is possible.