Scanning the obituaries this week, I happened to locate news of our friend and dance teacher: Karin Christiansen Ross. I almost missed seeking the obit as it was listed under Karin Ross. We did not know her latest last name--she acquired it after her studio closed. I was truly sad to see she had passed away; and so very young.
Karin is someone we truly loved and appreciated. She was young, vibrant, full of the discipline and love of performing. She was filled with talent herself, and gave freely to her young students and proteges. She became such an important and vital part of our lives during those blossoming years for Loni and Gentri, and often Carly too. By then Carly was involved in drill team and just was too busy. The girls and I, and sometimes Raffie made the trek to SLC twice and sometimes three times weekly when they were dancing with Karin. Those were precious times, as we laughed and visited in the car--and the girls prepared themselves to enjoy the exhilaration and joy of self-improvement in the area of dance. It was a challenge and sacrifice to get ourselves to dance regularly--but a time for all of us! Karin molded and encouraged our girls into beautiful ballerinas.
We loved it, and we loved Karin.
Karin Ross
1964 - 2012My beloved and graceful ballerina princess has left this world to find a new body to continue her journey helping children fulfill their dreams of dancing. Born on November 8th, 1964 in Salt Lake City, Karin T. Christiansen was adopted as an infant by Alfred and Gertrude "Chris and Trudi" Christiansen. At the age of three, Karin began dancing in the Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Program. She received her early ballet training and learned folk dancing from Tamara Gladikova. Karin went on to receive her BFA and MFA in ballet with an emphasis in teaching and character dance from the University of Utah. She enjoyed performing as a member of the U's Character Dance Ensemble for two years. Her incredible passion and enthusiasm for dance and ballet led Karin to create the Ballet Department's first library of sheet music for ballet and character dance.
For 16 years, Karin touched the lives of countless children at her Christiansen School of Dance in Holladay and the International Folk Ballet as Artistic Director. Karin's folk dancers from her school performed for years at the Snowbird Oktoberfest spreading the enjoyment of dance to many. Afterwards, Karin helped her best friend Christy McQuaid continue to inspire young dancers at Christy's Utah Dance Center in Sandy. She has helped choreograph beautiful performances for Mountain West Ballet and served as the Artistic Director for Mountain West Ballet's production of the Nutcracker in 2010.
After her year and a half battle with cancer, she is survived by her husband Chris, the two loves of her life Sassy and Daisy, her Mother Trudi Christiansen, sister and brother in law Nicole and Kevin Aagaard and her step sons Bryant and Brendon Ross.
The celebration of her life will be held at the Western Garden Center Atrium, 9201 South 1300 East, on Wednesday , October 3, 2012 beginning promptly at 6 PM. Online condolences at larkinmortuary.com. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Primary Children's Hospital in name of the Karin Christiansen School of Dance so many more children might be able to fulfill their dreams of dancing. Her unique grace and beauty will truly live in our hearts and feet forever.
Published in Deseret News from September 30 to October 1, 2012
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