MICHAELENE ​KARLEN

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Michaelene Karlen is a professional dancer, model, founder of her own skincare company, Ballerina Botanicals, and founder of Raise The Barre.  She won the title of Miss Minnesota 2018 representing the Waseca County Pageants as Miss South Central.

She was born in Rochester, MN and began her classical ballet training at age three. At age six she performed with Children's Dance Theatre in Rochester. She continued her training with Minnesota Dance Theatre under the direction of Lise Houlton, all the while attending dance intensives with MDT, Jacobs Pillow, and Lines Ballet. 

In May of 2016 Michaelene graduated from the Ailey/Fordham University Bachelor of Fine Arts program in New York City. It is here in New York where she worked with renowned choreographers such as Jae Man Joo, Michele Wiles, Emery LeCrone, Francesca Harper, Matthew Rushing, Sylvia Waters, all of whom inspired her to set her own choreography.

Michaelene has danced professionally with Arch Contemporary Ballet in New York City, James Sewell Ballet, and currently dances for Alternative Motion Project in Minneapolis. She has been a model for Intelligent Nutrients, Lulli Dancewear, and was the lead actress in a commercial. She returned home to Minnesota to run her skincare company, Ballerina Botanicals, which has been featured in by multiple magazines, blogs and two times by Etsy.
 
Just last year, she founded her own nonprofit, Raise The Barre, which is also her social impact initiative as Miss Minnesota. Raise The Barre, has allowed over two thousand students the opportunity to experience a professional dance workshop. Her dance workshops teach both boys and girls the importance of teamwork, while providing them with leadership skills, and the strength to improve their athletic performance. Through benefit concerts, t-shirt sales, and donations, Michaelene provides students with scholarships to continue their dance education at a local dance studio. To date, she has awarded seven full tuition dance scholarships. This provides these students the opportunity to dance in a studio setting for the first time and the inspiration to dream big. 

Learn more about Raise The Barre, and purchase a T-Shirt at www.michaelenekarlen.com/raise-the-barre and follow her on  Facebook https://m.facebook.com/MissAmericaMN
 
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