Karen Lee Bridge
Dancer 
Actress
Teacher Choreographer
Director
Promoter Producer
Karen has studied and performed ballet, jazz, and tap as well as Theater Arts and drama since age 7. Her grandfather was a professional promoter on the East Coast, so Karen grew up watching and meeting many of the greatest performers of our time such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, Barbara Streisand and many more.
In Denver, Karen has studied with Stan Picus, Cleo Parker Robinson, Ballet Arts and Artistic Body Development with Michael Dailey.
In 1986, Karen was selected top female teacher in the United States at the U.S. Ballroom Dance Championship. In 1987, she was the U.S. Professional Rising Star Latin Dance Champion with her Los Angeles partner Enio Cordoba. For enjoyment she entered the 1990 U.S. Open Swing Dance Championship with Roberto Cordoba and placed 2nd in West Coast Swing and was Top Performer at the 1990 World Salsa Championship with Enio Cordoba. In 1992 she placed 3rd in the United States Argentine Tango dancing with the "Tango Master", Felix Chavez. Not long ago, Karen coached our US Olympic ice dancers in Colorado Springs to improve their partnering skills. She recently was choreographer for the latest Colorado Lottery commercial.
She has studied with U.S. and world class champions such as Johann and Nadi Eftdal, Sammy Stopford, Barbara McCall, and Bobby Madeira, Walter Laird and 7 time undefeated U.S. Latin 5 dance champions, Ron Montez and Elizabeth Curtis in all styles of partner dancing. In the United Kingdom, she received professional championship ballroom training from world class coach Geoffrey Hearn.
For many years Karen Lee has brought to Denver top U.S. coaches and choreographers such as Buddy Schwimmer, Enio and Robert Cordoba, Felix Chavez, Al Franz, Eddie Torres and Frankie Manning.
In 1992, Karen married Neil Bridge, a renowned piano player and music educator in Denver. Neil currently plays with many groups in Denver and even with some of his former students, such as Nelson Rangell and Gary Sosias of Conjunto Colores.
Karen sings with the Neil Bridge 7+ for wedding, special occasions, festivals
and fundraisers.
In 1995, Karen created Karen Lee Dance Theatre a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
that allows inner-city kids to learn the skills and joy of swing, salsa, Latin-American and ballroom dancing free of charge. For this effort, Karen was chosen as a Channel 7 Everyday Hero in April 2005
Karen and Neil have contributed the gift of music and dance for many years in support of public radio, KUVO 89.3 FM. Karen's goals are to continue to provide high-quality dance instruction which teaches comfort and ease in social ballroom dance, encourage individual creativity and expression, rhythmical and musical understanding, and most off FUN!
