• About Susie

Background

I live in the North Pennines, an area of outstanding natural beauty and known as ‘the last wilderness in England’.  This is my base as a freelance dance artist working in healthcare, education, and community settings.

My training was in classical ballet, gaining a degree at the Royal Academy of Dance and later, an MA in choreography at Middlesex University.

Injury left me unable to perform, but drew me into the field of dance education – a happy twist of fate. I have worked with a variety of dance companies including English National Ballet, London Contemporary, Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Royal Ballet School, Anjali and Corali, developing, leading and managing dance projects in schools, the community and health care settings. In each setting I have been – and continue to be – guided by highly experienced and generous dance practitioners.

Travels

On returning from six months of travelling in 2005, which included leading dance projects in rural areas of Uganda, I began to focus on my specific area of interest: dance and disability, and started work with Candoco Dance Company. Initially I held the post of Course Curriculum Leader for the groundbreaking Foundation Course in Dance for Disabled Students.  In 2006, I was promoted to Course Director.

In 2008, I travelled for a year.  Over this time, I worked with the Cambodian integrated arts company, Epic Arts advising on their development of training programs for disabled dance students. Until 2011, I lived in New Zealand where I embedded the role of Education Manager the country’s leading integrated dance company, Touch Compass. Additionally, I worked alongside sports/dance physiotherapists at Westmere Pilates on their pioneering dance conditioning programmes for young talented dance students.

Back home

On returning to the UK in July 2011, I was invited to re-join Candoco as Youth Dance Manager. In addition to the development of the Youth Dance Company, the role led on enquiry surrounding teaching pedagogy, the placement of disability in dance training and mentoring and guiding emerging disabled dancers.

At this time, I also began to work freelance for Dance Art Foundation under their health and wellbeing programme, Breathing Space, delivering projects in children’s hospices.

I have had an interest in dance in health, specifically in hospital and hospice settings, since working for ENB. Here, in 1999, I instigated projects on St Mary’s Paddington and Middlesex Hospital Children’s wards, and the adolescence oncology ward. However, the benefits of dance in health, particularly hospitals, were little understood then, but I knew it was something that ‘made sense’ and that I would return to.

And now

By 2011, dance in health had joined the growing arts in health sector. This was my time. My work now predominantly focuses on this fascinating area, and following an extensive project I led in 2016/17, Reaching Horizons, I have taken on the role of developing the arts programme, Healing Arts, at North Cumbria University Hospital Trust.

This fascinating new role allows me to understand the healthcare environment better and open avenues for more in-depth work and to engage with other artists.

“The creative impulse is fundamental to the experience of being human.”

Mithen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Reading University

“I have worked with Susie on a number of projects over the past twenty years. She is always a joy to work with delivering thoughtful and clear work and immensely supportive to the teaching team. She is not only a warm and sensitive leader but her natural listening skill means that she learns from all those around her: colleagues, participants and students alike.”

Anna Gillespie
Anna GillespieCo- Director Musical Moving , Dance for people with Parkinson’s. Free lance musician for dance Teacher on Ballet in Education - ROH/ RBS

“Susie and the team have really focused on the unusual circumstances in which to teach and provided not just ideas for dance but thoughts on how to approach our occupational therapy programmes with young vulnerable children.”

Westminster Hospital
Westminster Hospital home tuition

“I have witnessed the great potential these classes can have on individuals in terms of greater mobility, they further stimulate a sense of community and joy within the group which is one of the best recipes for positive health and wellbeing.”

Alex Richardson
Alex RichardsonMsc Occupational Therapy Student, Cumbria University