KARL ANDERSON started dancing when he was nineteen.  Discovering dance was a cathartic experience that changed his life in every respect.  For the first time, Karl discovered something that he loved.  He was driven to investigate himself, his world-view, and the worlds of art and expression.  In 1986, Karl received a BFA in Dance from the California Institute of the Arts.  Upon graduation, he returned to San Francisco.   He performed with Contraband, the Joe Goode Performance Group, Motivity, and The San Francisco Moving Company.   He also presented his work at Centerspace and at Footwork studio in San Francisco.

Upon moving to New York in 1987, Karl performed with Ze’ Eva Cohen, David Dorfman, Charles Dennis, Jeff McMahon, Stephanie Skura, and Merián Soto.  Karl’s company, SLAMFEST, was presented at BACA Downtown, Fieldworks, Gowanus Arts Exchange, Movement Research at the Judson Church, Performance Space 122′s New Stuff series, Rapp Arts Center, Robert Yohn’s Dance Loft, and Socrates Sculpture Park.  His choreography was also presented at the Metropolitan School for the Arts in Syracuse New York, the Patio Theater of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in Old San Juan PR, the John L. Haar Theater in Edmonton Canada (1989 and 1991); and the first National Performance Network touring contract in Canada at the Dancer’s Studio West in Calgary.

Mr. Anderson took a hiatus from dance in 1990.  He graduated from Pratt Institute with a Bachelor’s of Architecture in 1996 and a Master’s of Architecture in 1998. Midway through this major life change, Karl realized that although he liked architecture, dance was what he loved. During his last year at Pratt, he performed with David Lindsay-Abaire and Daniel Safer, Speed Carroll, Pt. Satya Narayana Charka, Beth Coiner, and Andrea Mills.

Since graduating from Pratt, Karl has performed with Wendy Blum, Keely Garfield, Allyson Green, Kate Gyllenhaal, Curt Haworth, Clarinda Mac Low, Amy Sue Rosen, Lynn Marie Ruse, Jordana Toback, and Sally Silvers, and he is currently dancing with Molly Rabinowitz.

Since 1998, SLAMFEST productions have been presented at Arts on the Hudson II Festival on Pier 63, the TalkTalk/WalkWalk Festival at the Bowery Poetry Club in 2003 and 2004, the BRICK studio, CalArts School of Dance Alumni Concert at St. Mark’s Church, CalArts Alumni Concert at The Kitchen, Dancenow Downtown Festival 2000 (at the Joyce Soho), Dancenowfest 2001 (at Williamsburg Arts Nexus and at Joyce Soho), dancenow/nyc 2002 (at the Joyce Soho), dancenOw/NYC 2005 (at Joe’s Pub), Dancenow/NYC Festival 2006 (at Dance Theater Workshop), Downtown Dance Festival at Chase Plaza, Dance Theater Workshop’s Freshtracksshowcase, a Splitstream, and the Carnival Series, Dancer’s over 40 at the 42nd St. studios, Danspace Project’s Food For Thought series, Dixon Place, D.U.M.B.O. art under the bridge Dance Festival (2001 and 2006), Galapagos Art & Performance Space, Movement Research at the Judson Church and Movement Research Improvisation Festival at Danspace Project, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Sal Anthony’s Movement Salon, University Settlement, and Wave Rising Series at the John Ryan Theater.  In 2002 and 2003 SLAMFEST self-produced full evening concerts at the Williamsburg Arts Nexus and a partially subsidized self-produced concert at the Joyce SoHo in 2207.

SLAMFEST has toured domestically to Hoboken NJ. at the DeBaun Auditorium at Steven’s Institute in their SWEAT Modern Dance Series (2006), the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival (2004), Richmond VA. at the Grace St. Theater (2002, 2004, and 2005), the ‘East Meets West’ Performance Festival at Sushi in San Diego (2005), the WestWaveDanceFestival at the ODC Theater in San Francisco (2005), presented improvisation-based works in Seattle at the Textile Factory and at On The House (2003).  SLAMFEST has also toured internationally to John Moores University in Liverpool England.

Mr. Anderson is a certified instructor of the The Skinner Releasing Technique™ (SRT) and a card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union.  He is an artist member of Dance Theater Workshop and serves on the DTW Programming Committee.