Salb’s resume is not confined to just her dance studio productions. She has choreographed more than 30 musicals. Thus, many people never involved with her studio have seen her work at some point.

For years, she helped choreograph musicals at the then College of the Southwest. Shows like “Dream Girls,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Hello Dolly” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.” She choreographed shows at Hobbs High School — “West Side Story,” “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Annie Get Your Gun.” She’s choreographed shows at New Mexico Junior College and the Community Playhouse — “The Macado,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Jekyll and Hyde,” “Wizard of Oz,” “Pump Boys and the Dinettes,” “Nunsense” and “Addam’s Family Musical.”

“I loved choreographing for Glynese Floyd. And I loved choreographing for the high school and the Playhouse,” she said.

She was born Karen Maciolek in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and moved to Albuquerque in 1954 when her father took a position with Sandia Corporation. The oldest of five children Karen, began her dancing career with Natalie Krasnoff, a Russian born and trained ballerina. It is her family and her dance instructor Salb said instilled her since of purpose and standards when it comes to dance — and life.

“To be professional is when you are given a task, you’re doing it to the best of your ability … out of respect for the audience and then the audience will give you respect. I learned that from the Russian teacher and I learned that from my parents,” Salb said.