Karen Diaz Ensanian started her early career studying and performing  ballet in Washington DC with the National Ballet under Fredrick Franklin. Then as a modern dancer she worked with Helen McGee of the Martha Graham Co. and Pauline Koner choreographer and dancer with Jose Limon. Later Karen worked with Judith Jamison and performed her Lord’s Prayer in a premiere performance of the Alvin Ailey Junior Company.

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She received her M.A. in Dance from The Ohio State University and taught for nineteen years as Director of Creative Movement at The Episcopal School in NYC. Karen has facilitated Dance Education Laboratory professional development workshops for teachers with the Department of Education in NYC.

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Currently, Karen leads guest workshops at colleges and author visits at primary schools. She began learning to paint as a foundation for illustrating a children’s dance education book. Karen’s debut book I Can Make a Water Dance was published in 2021 and has inspired countless young dancers and educators to incorporate dance with the natural sciences. The Dancing Light is her second book, integrating the art of making dance with the science of light.

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Karen currently lives with her husband in NYC where she raised two children.