Our Values Shape Us

  • Collaboration

    Type content here...

  • Spirituality

    Type content here...

  • Faith

    Type content here...

  • Inspiration

    Type content here...

  • Creativity

    Type content here...

  • Individual Growth

    Type content here...

Our name

"Corps," Latin for body and "Bara," Hebrew for create.

We believe we are closest to our intended selves when we create, and that we make our best creations when we're in community with others engaging our whole being. 


Through research and creation processes that include discussion, spiritual practices, improvisation and experimentation, we invite artists to engage their spirituality in the creation and performance of concert dance at the intersection of relatable humanity and journeys of the soul.

OUR Vision

We are a thriving contemporary dance company that explores life's meaningful questions.


Art has a way of illuminating the beautiful in the common, the brutal, the earthy reality of our lives. We hope you see your own journey reflected in ours.

Our mission

We develop and invest in artists, facilitating an expansive, holistic dance practice to create and present work which engages our diverse audiences.


Corps Bara dancers are chosen for their skill, dedication and commitment to the form. Their time with the company equips them to engage in life-long careers in dance by forming their creative practices, offering a wide range of performance experiences, and forging a community of support.


Our audiences are attracted to the experiential, holistic nature of our work, spanning intellect, emotion, metaphor, kinesthetic imagery, and spirituality.

OUR HISTORY

Corps Bara has roots dating back to 1992 when founder Karen Sudds had the dream of building a community of dance professionals who would integrate their art form with their faith and ultimately impact the future of dance in Canada. In 2000 Corps Bara was founded and twenty years later the company has grown from a recreational "dance club" to a dynamic professional company, becoming known for providing career opportunities for those wishing to integrate their art form of dance as a spiritual vocation within their journey of faith.


Corps Bara continues to invest in artists, equipping them for careers in dance. This impact is evident by the many alumni who have gone on to further performing and training in prestigious companies and schools throughout North America, some returning to take on leadership roles within the company.

Our FOUNDER, Karen Sudds


Raised in Banff, Karen had the privilege of both working and studying at The Banff Centre. This rich exposure to the fine arts fuelled Karen’s passion for art and led her to pursue a career in dance. Karen began her training at the University of Calgary and continued her studies in both Singapore and Australia where she focused her attention on “Liturgical dance”.  Upon returning to Canada in 1990, Karen founded the Christian Dance Fellowship of Canada to network dancers and further develop dance as a faith-expressed art form. Recognizing the growing need for quality dance training, which embraced a spiritual foundation, Karen began Crossings Dance Ministries, Canada’s first dance training centre of its kind. To provide valuable performance opportunities for aspiring dancers, Karen founded Corps Bara Dance Theatre and remains on the Board of Directors. In addition she is a Board member for Healthy Dancer Canada and a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. Karen holds her Pilates Mat Certification from Pilates Core Integration, her Pilates Method Alliance Certificate for Pilates for Youth and Level one of the Dance Teacher and Practitioner Training through Perfect Form Physiotherapy with Lisa Howell (2015).  She was awarded the 2011 International Award for Dance Ministry from the International Christian Dance Fellowship for her outstanding contributions in the field of Dance and Faith. Karen recently completed her Masters of Dance Science at Wolverhampton University, UK, and actively involved in developing leading edge dance training and safe dance practice.