Karen Stokes co-founded the Travesty Dance Company in 1997 and co-produced work nationally until 2009. The Travesty Dance Group in Houston, transitioned to Karen Stokes Dance in 2011. Stokes’ work emphasizes movement invention, strong rhythmic connections, text, original vocals, and concepts of individuality within a community. Stokes also served as director of the UH Dance Program from 1998 to 2022 and previously held academic positions at Kent State University and Connecticut College. Karen Stokes received an MFA in choreography from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1994, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from Ohio State University in 1982 and graduated from the High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas in 1979.

https://www.karenstokesdance.org/about-1/