Karen Clippinger, M.S.P.E. Professor, received her masters in Exercise Science from the University of Washington in 1984. Her lifelong work has focused on the application of scientific principles to enhance alignment and movement performance while lowering injury risk.
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From 1995-2000 she taught part-time at University of California Los Angeles while still working clinically.
In 2000 she accepted a full-time position at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). She is currently a professor at CSULB and teaches Functional Anatomy for Dance, Prevention and Care of Dance Injuries, Body Placement, Pilates I, Pilates II, and Scientific Principles Applied to Teaching Technique. Ms. Clippinger also functions as the Coordinator for the Pilates Studio located in the Dance Center at CSULB, is faculty for Body Arts and Science International, and is actively involved in promoting high standards for Pilates and Dance Instructor education.
Prior to her full-time appointment at CSULB, Ms. Clippinger worked as a clinical kinesiologist for 22 years, including at Loma Linda University Medical Center and several sports medicine clinics in Seattle. She has worked with hundreds of dancers/ performers including members of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Joffrey, Mark Morris, Bill Evans, Alwin Nikolais, and Cirque Du Soleil companies. She has also consulted for the U.S. Weightlifting Federation, U.S. Race Walking Team, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and California's Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Ms. Clippinger has given over 375 presentations in Australia, Canada, England, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and throughout the United States including at conferences for the American College of Sports Medicine, International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, Body Arts and Science International, International Dance Exercise Association, Pilates Method Alliance, Balanced Body University, Body Mind Spirit, International Association of Biomechanics in Sports, and the Olympic Scientific Congress. She has taught workshops at numerous universities including the University of Calgary, Cornish Institute of the Arts, Duke University, University of Hawaii, Stanford University, and the University of Washington.
Ms. Clippinger has authored numerous articles and chapters. She wrote an exercise column for Shape Magazine for four years and served as one of the founding co-editor-in-chiefs of the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science from 1996 to 2005. Her textbook Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology was released in 2007 and has already received excellent reviews and feedback, as well as has been adopted by many prestigious universities.