Karen Greenspan is a New York City-based dance journalist and student of the Buddhadharma (thanks to a dance). A frequent contributor to Fjord Review, Ballet Review, Natural History, Tricycle Magazine, and Buddhistdoor Global, among other publications, she is also the author of Footfalls from the Land of Happiness: A Journey into the Dances of Bhutan, published in 2019. For more information, visit www.karengreenspan.com
Karen Greenspan
Recent Articles
Three Buddhist Nunneries Dance a New Chapter of Empowerment and Opportunity
For over a thousand years, mostly monks performed the sacred cham dances of Vajrayana Buddhism. Then in 2014, the 17th Karmapa made a significant move by inviting nuns to learn and perform these dances before a crowd of over ten thousand. Karen Greenspan spent four years following these pioneering practitioners, revealing a story of tradition, transformation, and the ongoing movement toward gender equality in Tibetan Buddhism.
Khyentse Norbu’s Film “Hema Hema” Offers a Visionary Glimpse of the Bardo
Originally released in 2016, Khyentse Norbu’s film “Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait” recently debuted in U.S. theaters. Karen Greenspan explores the film’s provocative meditation on the Tibetan Buddhist bardo and the identities we cling to.
Dancing the Dakini Chöd Cham of Machig Labdrön
Dancer and journalist Karen Greenspan takes us on her journey to learn the traditional dance of the Tibetan Buddhist Chöd practice of Machig Labdrön. The practice empowers female practitioners in Bhutan, sustains the tradition in both the Himalayas and the West, and showcases how we can preserve cultural and spiritual traditions.
The Kung Fu Nuns, Fighting for All Sentient Beings
Karen Greenspan reports for Lion's Roar on this courageous group of Himalayan Buddhist sisters, who champion gender equality and respect for the environment.