Katie Flashner, a.k.a. The Girl with the Tree Tattoo, is a World Champion ballroom dancer and published author. Her mission is to inspire and motivate dancers to take ownership of their dance journeys, so they can connect with who they truly are and perform with greater confidence and joy.

Katie has been studying dance since 2012 and has successfully competed as an amateur ballroom dancer since 2014, including winning the 2018 World Champion title in American Smooth. Since starting her blog in 2015, Katie has welcomed thousands of visitors who value her openness and willingness to share the good, the bad, and the awkward of her journey while shedding light on the rarely addressed mental and emotional aspects of being a ballroom dancer.

In addition to writing on her blog, Katie has published several books and journals designed to guide dancers on their dance journeys. She regularly contributes articles to Sheer Dance magazine and various publications on Medium, and has also been featured in DanceBeat magazine, Dancesport Place, Dance Comp Review, Dance Advantage, and American Dancer magazine, among others. Her latest book, The Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing, received over 4 stars in Amazon reviews.

Katie lives in Midcoast Maine with her two dogs and enjoys watching the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings when she isn’t dancing or writing.