45 Years Of Dance Reflected Upon Fondly

At 15 years of age, Karen Healy started a dance school, ultimately inspiring thousands of local students across the Burdekin.

The dance school, KHDancers, finished up in June this year and, 45 years later, Karen looks back on the experience with a strong sense of love and appreciation.

Karen started dancing at age four in Home Hill with dance teacher Anne Fraser.

She danced under a number of teachers over the years and when she was 15 her then teacher left town so, as one of the senior students and with the support of local parents, Karen stepped up and began teaching out of the old School of Arts hall.

“It just started from there and grew over the years,” she said.

“There were only probably half a dozen kids at the beginning.

“I didn’t start holding concerts until about 18 years ago; we just used to do it for fun.”

Over the years, Karen’s students would perform across north Queensland including at fetes, debutante balls, Harvest and Water Festival balls and sport matches.

Mainly focused on jazz, contemporary and hip hop, KHDancers established itself as a pillar of the local community, instilling confidence and friendship in students from ages three to 18.

“There’s been thousands of kids over the years, and I still keep in touch with a lot of them,” Karen said.

“We’re onto the second or third generation with some of them; a lot of my seniors in the last few years, I taught their mums.

“We used to have a lot of kids who were really shy so we’d never make a big deal of the concert and on the night, they’d be out there waving at everybody, and their parents couldn’t believe it.”

While Karen loved dance, her focus was on fun and community and provided a safe space to all children who came under her care.

“I love the fun and excitement and thinking of new things to do and new themes for concerts,” she reflected.

“I loved the kids’ reactions, especially the babies, they’d come out and they’d be learning these dances all year and they’d get out there that night and it was like they were the biggest stars in the world.

“To watch that, that used to really make it fun for me.”

Not only were lessons made accessible and affordable, but Karen would also donate some of the funds from concerts to charities and organisations including local schools, Autism Camps Australia, Camp Quality and National Breast Cancer Foundation over the years.

Karen’s sister Maree was her first assistant dance teacher and was assisted by her son, Jake, and niece, Elli, who were instrumental in the running of the dance school.

In June this year, however, after 45 years, Karen had to call it a day after caring for her sick father, who passed away in January, and other family and health commitments.

“It was really hard, I would have gone on for years if I could have, but it was time,” she lamented.

She holds her memories from over the decades so close to her heart and the friendships she made with her students and families even closer.

“I just can’t thank them enough from the bottom of my heart,” she said.

“Through everything that’s happened, they’ve always been the biggest source of support, and I really mean that.

“Even when dad was sick, they were brilliant.

“The girls who have come back and given me a hand when I’ve needed it, their level of support has been unbelievable.

“I still keep in touch with them and I appreciate them.

“I’ve been very lucky with students and parents – very lucky.”

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Karen Healy (middle) taught thousands of dance students over four and a half decades across the Burdekin

Photos supplied