Carolyn was born in Texas and raised in Eastern Iowa, where she began studying dance at the age of four. She has trained for over twenty years in various styles including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and more recently in latin styles including salsa and bachata. Carolyn danced professionally with a regional ballet company in Western Illinois for nearly four years, during which time she performed both classical and contemporary works by choreographers including Dominic Walsh, Deanna Carter, and Brian Enos. She additionally choreographed works for the professional company and the associated school of dance, where she taught classes to students ages 3-18 and above. In 2022, she became a certified Sensual Bachata instructor through latin dance masters and world champions Daniel Sanchez and Desirée Guidonet.

Carolyn is currently based out of the Chicago Metropolitan area where she teaches both classical and latin dance classes, and continues to feed her love of dance through continued study in Chicago, New York, and Miami.