Karen Montanaro is a world-renowned dancer and mime artist, an award-winning choreographer, and the innovator of "mimedance" (the fusion of two classical art forms).

Karen receives standing ovation for her one-woman show about Tony Montanaro at the 50th Anniversary of the Celebration Barn. 

View the Program

Karen currently tours the world with her one-woman show entitled "Tanzspiel." Karen is a teaching artist and offers residencies in movement, mime and dance in public and private schools throughout the United States. She studied ballet at the Cantarella School of Dance, the Ram Island Dance Center and on scholarship with the Joffrey Ballet School. Karen danced professionally with the Ohio Ballet and the Darmstadt Opera Ballet in Germany. For more than a decade, Karen toured and taught internationally with her husband and teacher, mime master Tony Montanaro.

In 2008 Karen was awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship grant from the Maine Arts Commission. Donna McNeil, director of the arts commission, wrote:

"Our distinguished panel of judges was impressed with Karen's phenomenal technique and control but most importantly they recognized that Karen has fused her prodigious skill in both mime and dance into a new art form, using the body as a descriptive tool -- painterly, narrative and lyrical."


Click to read more about:

- Tanzspiel Performances
- Karen's Resumé
- Maine Arts Commission Fellowship
- Sample Program
- Presenter Resources (Video Clips, Publicity Photos, Press Releases, Posters, School Study Guide, Etc.)
- Testimonials
- Booking Information




(Video Clip: Wings)




(Video Clip: School Residencies)




“I wanted to sincerely thank you for the talk you gave at our MSAD 54 workshop to our faculty K - 5. You were profound, enthusiastic and earnest in your genuine delivery of the message. You moved us and, I believe, made a difference in our thinking about the unique role student passions can have on their learning through harnessing the power of the arts. Thank you for your work and all you do."

-Jon Moody
Assistant Superintendent, MSAD 54


(Video Clip: 3 Minute Demo)





(Video Clip: 11 Minute Demo)