Karl Pil is a multi-racial Belgian-American dancer originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began his dance training at age 16 under Eun Young Ahn in the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s Student Division, later advancing to the Pre-Professional Division. He continued his studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), where he trained under Mikhail Tchoupakov and Ilya Kozadayev.
While at UNCSA, Karl performed original works by leading contemporary choreographers including Danielle Rowe, Claudia Schreier, Gina Patterson, and Tom Gold. He was also selected by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute to train in Harlem under Endalyn Outlaw and Donald Williams as part of UNCSA and Dance Theatre of Harlem’s performance partnership.
Education
Karl graduated from UNCSA in 2024 with a BFA in Classical Ballet and a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship. His academic and artistic achievements were recognized with the Tom Kenan Merit Scholarship, the School of Dance Dean’s Fellowship, and the Gillian Murphy Endowed Scholarship (awarded twice).
Extracurricular Experience
Karl is currently on faculty at the Oregon Ballet Theatre School, where he teaches Strength and Conditioning. He is a certified Pilates Mat Instructor and a certified Racial Equity Consciousness Facilitator through the University of Pittsburgh. Karl serves on Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Culture Committee and is pursuing a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology through the Harvard Extension School.
Outside of Dance
Outside the studio, Karl enjoys traveling, hot yoga, and circus arts. He has fallen in love with Portland, and spends his free time exploring the city’s unique neighborhoods and Oregon’s spectacular nature.
@karl.in.motion
