Karen Hauer (formerly Clifton) is a professional Latin dance specialist and World Mambo Champion from Venezuela. She has garnered fame for appearing in the British TV series ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and the American TV series ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. She was also part of the cast of the live dance show ‘Burn the Floor’. A native of Valencia, Hauer began dancing when she was eight years old, after her move to the United States. She was trained at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She learned ballroom and Latin dances at the age of 19. Her first television appearance came after she successfully auditioned for the sixth season of the Fox series ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ in 2009. She made it to the top 20 before she was eliminated in the fifth week. Hauer joined the BBC One show ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2012 as a professional dancer. She has been featured in all ensuing series since then. Hauer has also appeared in the companion documentary show ‘Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two’. In 2017 and 2018, she toured the United Kingdom alongside her former husband, Kevin Clifton.
