Karla Beltchenko is the Health & Wellness Director at Joffrey Ballet School, where she advances dancer health, performance, and overall well-being through evidence-based wellness practices. A former professional dancer, Ms. Beltchenko has more than two decades of experience in dance, health, and fitness, with a career that spans artistic leadership, teaching, performance, and wellness innovation.

Ms. Beltchenko holds an MFA in Creative Practice (Dance & Movement Research) from Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance in London, where her research explored how “the body carries a story” through movement using Laban Movement Analysis. She also earned a BS in Social Work with a minor in Dance from Western Illinois University, where she focused her studies on alternative therapies in the mental health space.

She began her professional dance career in Chicago, performing with The Chicago Moving Company, The Humans, and Cindy Brandle Dance Company, among others. During this time, she performed and presented her choreography across the United States, Europe, and Asia. She later served as Artistic Director of The Chicago Moving Company before moving more fully into the wellness space.

In addition to her role at Joffrey, Ms. Beltchenko teaches Yoga and Pilates at Equinox and runs her own independent business, The Narrative Body, a coaching and consulting practice focused on body awareness and nonverbal communication.

Dedicated to lifelong learning, Ms. Beltchenko holds certifications in Yoga (RYT 200), Pilates, Personal Training (ACE), Pre/Postnatal Fitness, Lagree Method, Functional Stretch, and Corrective Exercise. She finds great joy in working with dancers in the wellness space, helping them connect mind and body in ways that strengthen performance, resilience, and overall well-being.