Karen Bruce
Quick Facts
Biography
Karen Bruce (born 25 March 1963) is a choreographer and director, working in theatre and television, both in the UK and elsewhere.
Bruce's work includes direction and choreography of The Last Tango, Dance 'til Dawn, Midnight Tango and Love Me Tender. She choreographed The Bodyguard (UK, Germany, USA), Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, BBC Tumble, Strictly Come Dancing (five seasons beginning in 2011) and on the second series of So You Think You Can Dance for the BBC. Bruce won an Olivier Award for her choreography of Pacific Overtures at the Donmar Warehouse and Best Choreographer at Premios del Teatro Musical for her work on Saturday Night Fever. She is notable for her acclaimed choreography for the Take That musical, Never Forget, directing and choreographing the UK productions of Footloose The Musical and Fame on tour and in the West End.
Theatre credits
Strictly Come Dancing – The Professionals (UK tour); Footloose The Musical (West End/ UK tour/ South Africa); Saturday Night Fever (Associate director/ choreographer, West End/ UK tour/ Australia/ Singapore/ Korea/ South Africa/ Spain); Fame (Shaftesbury Theatre/ UK tour); The Wedding Singer (UK tour) and Oliver! (Bermuda).
As Choreographer
- Starlight Express (Joburg Theatre, South Africa)
- The memorable Strictly Underwater sequence for Sport Relief
- Pacific Overtures (Donmar Warehouse, Olivier Award Best Choreographer)
- Never Forget (Savoy Theatre/ UK tour)
- The Producers (Stage Entertainment, Spain)
- Brighton Rock (Almeida)
- Far Pavilions (West End)
- Annie Get Your Gun (No 1 UK tour)
- Dr Dolittle (UK tour)
- A Chorus Line and Sweet Charity (both Sheffield Crucible with Sweet Charity winning the TMA Best Musical award)
- Chess (Budapest)
- Opening Ceremony at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.