The Chaleki Dance Journey

Chris and Karen Chaleki, known as C&K, are a lovable, humorous, and fun couple who are always together, experiencing challenges and growth throughout their dance journey.  Chris is a specialized engineer who collaborates with start-up companies to bring their products to market.  Working for an organization called Project Orbis, he has traveled to every country in the world except Greenland.  He was the only engineer in the organization working on a project for the Flying Eye Hospital and was responsible for maintaining all equipment necessary for living on and operating from the plane.  Karen is a small business consultant who assists companies ranging from $100,000 to $10M with payroll, bookkeeping, insurance, and marketing.

Karen, from Maine (yup a true Maniac) and Chris from Massachusetts (thinker and social butterfly) met at a dance studio.  She started taking dance lessons with her father at the studio.  The dance studio had a large window facing the road.  Chris, a bachelor, passed by the studio one day and noticed the quantity of women-to-men ratio was higher, and decided that taking a class would give him a chance to meet the right woman.  After two weeks, Chris decided that dancing was not for him, but his instructor convinced him to stick with it.  Refusing to dance with anyone at the socials for six weeks, he sat and watched.

After much consideration and more lessons, Chris figured out his left foot from his right and started enjoying dance.  He enjoyed dancing so much that he and his instructor and three other partners, one of them being Karen, entered the dance competition world.   

Dance was the activity that added sugar and spice to Chris’s life, and Karen was everything nice.  She was the right woman!  They started taking lessons together and, in time, went on to compete.  

Humor is their best antidote when making a mistake while dancing.  Many times, you would hear Karen say, “Now, what was that?”  both laughing.  Chris and Karen enjoy different dances.  Karen frowns when asked to dance the Foxtrot but loves Quickstep and Jive (she likes it fast).  Chris’s favorites are Foxtrot and Tango (he likes it slow).  

Their assets in competition are their “pretty feet.”  They have impeccable footwork to this day, except when they are cutting loose on the social floor.  Choreography is challenging for Chris.  Many of their coaches allowed him to lead and follow onto the competition floor, helping them relax (as much as possible at a competition), reset, and get back to the choreography.   

They became members of USA Dance (known then as USABDA) in 1998 at the National Organization.  Their first USA Dance competition was the MAC in New York City, where they came in third out of 120 couples.   Their instructor could not believe that they came in third overall. They became hooked and, in time, reached Championship level as a 10-Dance couple.

Chris and Karen purchased the very dance studio where they met.  Being Amateurs, they were not to teach, so they hired professional instructors.  They stuck to demonstrating to beginners and competing.

Leaving their successful dance studio in 2004, they made a journey together to retire in Belize, Central America, where they stayed for over ten years.  Why go to Belize?  It’s a place where every moment is a discovery, and every site a marvel.  Belize is renowned for its rich culture, stunning natural beauty, and the world’s second-largest barrier reef.  

They built their house in the bush with their own power supply, water supply, and telecommunications.  Chris became involved in an internet company in Belize, where they provided internet over water for 32 miles, which they were told couldn’t be done.  

Karen became very active in a group called Belmopan Senior Steps, teaching dance as an exercise.  With over sixty attendees, the group was a fabulous success, and they both made many great friends.

If you travel to Belize, you are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in case of an emergency. Travelers are advised to travel in groups and avoid high gang activity.  Chris and Karen, however, had the best protection — the many mothers, grandmothers, and wonderful women in the Senior Steps kept an eye out for the safety of the two gringos.  Karen was able to walk through the toughest sections of town with no worries.  “I was known as Mr. Karen, which I still hold as a title today,” says Chris.

Karen used music from all over the world for her dancing exercises. Belizean music is a vibrant mix of Creole, Mestizo, Garifuna, Mayan, and European influences.  Creole is a fast-paced form of calypso using banjo, guitar, drums, accordion, and yes, a donkey’s jawbone.  Karen’s class consisted of people from India, England, United States, China, and Belize.  “Here we go, work it, dance it, move yuh body!”  Karen instructed the group to follow her fun, energetic steps, consisting of the Macarena and Salsa.  She would even slow down the steps to teach the Waltz.

Native Belize dance moves consist of Punta Rock blends of Caribbean Soca, Calypso, Reggae, Merengue, Salsa, and Hip-hop. Cumbia is a popular type of music played by troupes in the Mestizo areas and shares similarities with Salsa and Merengue.

Their journey to Belize gave them the opportunity to make friends, appreciate the food, outdoor beauty, and ancient history.  They don’t have a favorite food.  Due to the lack of refrigeration, they only ate what was prepared by friends, family, and from the resort where Chris was the chef.  An example of food entrees might consist of rice and beans served with meat such as marinated pork wrapped in leaves, fried plantains, and potato salad. Ceviche, which is fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices, and Chamolia, a soup made with conch, chilies, spices, and fresh snapper or hogfish.  Drinks might be a rum cocktail or Belikin beer.  A favorite dessert is the Belizean fudge, which is a mixture of condensed milk, sugar, vanilla, butter, nutmeg, peanuts, coconut, or raisins.

Chris and Karen explored the breathtaking landscapes of the mountains, rainforests, clear turquoise coastal waters, cascading waterfalls, and the ancient history of the Mayan ruins.  When snorkeling, swimmers will discover the coral reef is a kaleidoscope of colors, a place where reality and fantasy blur.  They had Mayan ruins and caves in their backyard.  The ancient history of the Mayan ruins brings one back in time, whereby for unknown reasons, civilization broke apart between 600-900 A.D., leaving cities to the jungle.  Many caves in Belize have been discovered filled with artifacts and treasures left behind, along with altars, religious carvings, and the remains of sacrificial victims.

Around 2015, to be with family and live an easier life, Chris and Karen moved to Virginia.  The challenges they faced while living in the tropics have helped them grow.  It was one of the time capsules that held a story for them to remember.

Today, they no longer compete, but still socially dance. Karen is currently the USA Dance, Inc.’s Assistant Treasurer and Central Office.  For the past two years at Nationals, Chris has been the one who cheers you on as you pass the ticket window.

As members of USA Dance since 1998 (known then as USABDA), they enjoy the USA Dance social parties and show dances.  Every event they go to, they make a point to have fun.  “If you want fun energy at a dance, just ask us to come,” said Karen.

A fun memory of a dance social is the first time Karen stepped out as lead.  Today it is common to see females leading; in 1999 not so much.  The men kept telling her she was in the wrong line; the women kept saying to stay where she was because they liked to follow her.  It was a Swing lesson, and they danced the steps with ten extra followers, so why not lead?  Even today, they still have a problem when an instructor says men on this side and ladies on that side.  Karen will stand in the middle and comment, “Where do you want me?  I am not a lady, and I am sure not a man, but I can lead.”  It usually gets some laughter.

They go dancing to spend time together.  It is their favorite activity together.  According to Chris and Karen, “If we make a mistake…wait, there are no mistakes…we just make up our own new step. If we forget something, well…wait, we didn’t forget…we will ignore that move.  It is the freedom of dancing together that makes us enjoy dancing and makes us look good on the dance floor.”

Their favorite dance show was at their wedding.  They choreographed a dance to Barbara Streisand’s, “I’ve Dreamed of You.”  Karen’s dress was floor-length, and she could hear Chris saying in the background, “How can I dance with that dress?”  Little did he know that it was anticipated by Karen and the long skirt came off to reveal a mini-skirt underneath so they could dance the waltz.  It made Chris’s day since he is hard to surprise.   

When not social dancing, they both enjoy yoga and gardening.  Their favorite saying was and still is “We are just beginners.”  They have taken more lessons than most dancers. Dancing is a huge part of their life journey.  As time goes on, they still enjoy it and hope that when they are in their nineties, they will be able to return to the competition floor and win. 

Thank you, Chris and Karen, for sharing your dance journey.  You have great memories to cherish and even more planned for the future.