Self-employed Creative, Dancer, SURVIVOR, Trainer, Fundraiser, Parent, Los Angeles, USA

During 2020 pandemic, stuck at home on weekends and evenings, we missed our in-person interactions - coffee dates, workouts, skill building workshops and the like. Zoom filled the void of isolation and folks took their special skills to the masses virtually, for sanity’s sake and in the hopes of boosting income. Jumping at a chance to try something new, remotely, many succeeded at baking bread, learning a new language or instruments. I gave ballet a try. My debut was rather painful (in many senses of that word) but the teacher was absolutely incredible. Like all things in life, you gotta turn lemons into lemonade and of course this feature is the result of that experience. It was the way I was connected to Ms. Karen Safrit that was amusing and special.

Ms. Karen Safrit was nominated by her partner one day, amid pandemic. He said “thought I'd let you know about my wife's ballet in the kitchen classes she is trying out, started last week. She is a WOW Woman! She's a former modern dancer with Alvin Nikolais and Murray Louis Dance, now part time dance teacher and gyrotonics instructor and works with our local Elemental Music organization...and a cancer survivor! I think I am nominating her, yes, but it’s probably a conflict of interest!!”

Nope. It is perfect.

Six months later we were in Karen’s backyard, photographing and chatting about life. I am thankful for my two left ballet feet which brought me to this warm, positive and caring WOW Woman.

1. Name.

My name is Karen Safrit.

2. Where is your hometown?

I live in Venice, California. While I am a true southern California native, I have had the immeasurable opportunity and initially unforeseen pleasure of living in Brooklyn, NY, Seattle, WA and Atlanta GA, pursuing my adult, married and career life.

3. What is your profession/career/title/self-label/designation? What does your average day look like?

These days I label myself a creative, self employed, independent contractor. Foremost I am an educator in the field of kinetic awareness, ballet training, longevity training/GYROTONIC(R) practice, with a significant experience in parenting. My average day is difficult to define, because it’s always different. I spend time fundraising for an organization called Elemental Music (an organization that has a goal of igniting a passion for music in young musicians through collaborative ensemble and educational programs), I exercise, I work with individual clients in building flexibility and strength, and I teach ballet classes to adult students.

4. What did you study in school?

Dance Performance and Choreography.

5. What was the journey like to get where you are (in life and career-wise)? Write about some of the achievements that you are most proud of. What was the breakthrough moment for you (in your personal life and/or career?) that set you on the current path in life?

My path to professional life began at ten years old, when laced up some figure skates and stepped on to the ice at the Culver City rink, walking distance from my home and the school I attended. The ability to glide, jump, spin, and play with the physics and forces of the sport gave me adrenaline rushes. At 18 and after years of competitive figure skating which entailed six-day weeks, 5:30AM training calls, off-ice ballet, jazz and modern dance classes, I had determined that it was time to shift focus towards college. But I had to decide what to study, since it wasn’t going to be figure skating. At that point I could only imagine satisfying my physical self in an academic environment by focusing on something like dance. So I did, and I found that dancing—something I loved so physically—was even more compelling in an academic setting. The research—exploration into the details of movement; perfecting and defining motion, space and time; problem-solving through mind/body integration—this was my next chapter.

At 21, I was enjoying the full experience of modern dance and knew that New York City was going to be my best option for success as a performer. I finished college, continued dancing in Los Angeles with my eyes turned east. I spent a month ‘crashing’ at a friend’s apartment in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, auditioned for a dance company I had dreamed of joining and received an invitation to return to study with them.

I moved to Brooklyn a year later, after marrying my, now partner of 35 years, Jeff. Within two weeks of being in NYC, I was off to Rome for my first performance with the Nikolais and Murray Louis Dance Company—my dream job. I was employed as a dancer in a New York City dance company.

6. How is your life different from what you pictured at 20?

As an undergraduate student at Loyola Marymount University, I had such an incredible faculty advisor, Judy Scalin, that I imagined having her job one day. She inspired me, daily. I worked toward that goal, but choices in family time, sharing life with a partner and interlacing our separate career paths meant drifting away from the goal.

I found that putting in the steps towards academic employment meant dropping some pieces of my life that completed me.

After some real joy teaching at Emory University in Atlanta, my husband and I moved back to LA, where my earned MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, my teaching history and professional credentials were not valued as they were in Atlanta. I had had such a supportive group of colleagues at Emory, which was not to be the case in LA. I unfortunately became keenly aware of the politics of academia and of “border struggles.” It took years that included some inspiring highlights, but I pivoted, mentally, at 50. I had found myself wearing an altogether different hat, volunteering for my children’s high school music organization where the work as Co-president of the board of directors was all encompassing of my time. I stayed in that position for several years. (I can say with confidence that I understand the challenges of equity in public education).

The joy of being able to execute a 90-student orchestra tour to Europe with the high school during this professional transition gave me the courage that I needed to imagine changing direction. A small group of volunteers, led by me and my good friend Jane (Co-pres.) provided an amazing opportunity to a group of young adults because of our fundraising and perseverance .

AHHH, to experience the world outside yours at the age of 17, playing music for audiences that are not your home town. Remember YOUR big high school memories? This is what I felt like, it was facilitating for these young adults. Traveling with them to Europe allowed me to marvel at the transformative impact these opportunities hold; 16, 17, 18 year-old hard shells cracked and I witnessed 90 gracious recipients of this incredible gift of global spirit.

7. Was there a time when life knocked you down or out and how did you get back up on your feet?

Anyone who knows me would say that my defining knock-out moment would be four years ago, when I was diagnosed and hospitalized with Leukemia. And then they’d say “nothing knocks Karen down.” But, I did spend a month in a hospital room and a year of treatment to overcome. I spent a few scared days imagining life literally taken from me. My husband happened to have been laid off just prior to my hospitalization, and I really watched him struggle with the responsibility of being optimistic. Our daughter, Sadie was in her high school senior year, looking towards college; our son, Taylor was in Boston, a junior at MIT.

After those few scared days, the ones where I cried quietly by myself, called Jeff in the middle of the night, and tried to help Sadie navigate some college application remnants over the phone, I spent the next several weeks accepting a hospital bed as my vacation rental and daily visits with friends as my vacation entertainment. In many respects this was the most inspiring time of my life.

I was inspired by the outpouring of love I received from the family and friends who have been in my world for years. I won that fight because of those people. I had some unbelievable angels in my midst who showed up at unexpected intervals, educating me on the level of care and love I could never have imagined. A month on a hospital diet became a month of my favorite delicacies delivered to my bedside. A month of living in one room became an opportunity to go “stairwell hiking” in the hospital with my “game” friends.  I am a better person because of all of them.

9. Knowing what we know now in a current political climate, can women be "all that we can be" in today's world? What is the way forward, as you see it, for "feminist values"?

Feminist values are critical, but so is balance. Yes, women are equally—or even more—valuable in the work force, but doing “it all” is not always the healthy choice, for any gender.  Each of us has a strength different than another. I saw that really clearly when I was being cared for by friends when I was sick. Some made food, some sat with me and entertained me, some sent my son home on an airplane to visit, and some gifted our family in other, amazingly generous ways. So...each of these special people made up my entire support system. We all want to be the best at everything, but do we NEED to? Where one’s strengths wane, there is another, whose gifts can shine. It is okay to share the wealth.

10. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)?

The kitchen is my happy place! That’s soooooo 1950s!

AND, I feel 6 feet tall (I am 5 feet 2 inches) when I see a client find confidence and strength, freedom to move and explore while I guide them through their physical journey.

11. What extracurricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of? Why?

I am neat, organized and disciplined. Can I call those hobbies?! Oh and I am a FABULOUS tour guide and event planner! I also dabble in computer programming/website design (and it is really time to get mine up and running—of course it wouldn’t be a hobby then, would it?). Hiking brings me great pleasure. I have a billion hobbies, actually. Swimming in the cold Pacific is NOT one of them, nor is surfing.

13. What fears are you still hoping to overcome?

Trying to overcome the fear of a sedentary life.

14. Anything you'd do differently, if you had another go at life?

Economics might have been my calling. I like research and numbers, politics and markets.

16. What are you hopeful about?

I am hopeful for the population in this United States to continue its diversification and for the governing people to reflect this diversity.

17. What are some ingredients to a good life? Has the global pandemic changed your perspective about the world, about your life, your goals and dreams?

I work with a lot of people who are struggling with feeling good, due to physical limitations. The main ingredient to a good life is an active life. And boring and trite as this may sound, balance is the key to life. I have lived a very disciplined, but adventurous life. Balance might just be my middle name. In the past, I would often focus on planning the next exciting move. However, the COVID pandemic has rewritten my template.

I think more about what I can do for my friends and family—less about the big steps and more about the little ones. 

As for globally, the pandemic brings to light the fragility of life on this planet.. Images of the future have gone from hope to cynicism.

19. What advice would you give your 14-year-old self?

Advice to my 14 year old self: see #8 and then refer to #14.

20. What are you reading now? (what books do you gift most and what are your favourite reads?)

My reading world is all over the place. I gifted Post Corona by Scott Galaway to my kids this Christmas. Anything economics-related. And I just finished Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

21. Who is a WOW WOMAN in your world who inspires you and why? Can you nominate three (or more) women you know who perfectly fit WOW WOMAN description? What would you tell them, if you had an opportunity, why you admire them?

Lucette Landry: Quiet, smart and scattered, Lucette has taken on so much of life that is challenging and difficult, balancing family in a significant way.

Nancy Sefton: Passionate and committed. My sister was the first to come to my side, from afar, when I landed in the hospital. I am not the only beneficiary of her affection. She’ll be by anyone's side, should they need her, but let me tell you, family first for her.

Sadie Safrit: okay, yeah, she’s my daughter. That’s all you need to know, right?! But truly, WOW.

22. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)?

Find me on Instagram @ksafrit, facebook at @karen sefton-safrit, and sometime soon I’ll have my beyond the pointe website up and running!

Rapid Fire Questions:

What and who is worth suffering for?

I am not good at suffering, so this might be the answer to question number 6.

What are a few things you thought you would never get over when you were going through them?

I panicked when my husband was laid off while I was sick. I could not handle his depression while I was healing. I felt like he was not going to get another job because of it, and my full time work potential is so sketchy that I saw our livelihood slipping away.

If you didn't have to work anymore what would you do with your days?

Cook, plan travel, travel, learn a language, practice my computer programming skills, hike, practice piano, take dance classes.