As an established teacher, dancer and independent choreographer of 20 years,
Susan has an extensive background in music as well as dance. This includes an
A.R.C.T. degree in Piano Performance. Serious study of dance began with teachers
Bianca Rogge, Boris Volkoff and Patricia Beatty in Toronto.
After acquiring a scholarship she attended the London Contemporary Dance Theatre
in London, England and studied with Jane Dudley and Robert Cohan. During her
stay she choreographed dances which were performed at the Newcastle Dance
Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in Scotland. Ventures to Europe
provided the unique opportunity of working with Leonid Massine in Galli,
Italy.
Upon her return to Canada she toured and performed with the Toronto Dance
Theatre and also became one of the founding members of 15 Dance Lab, the brain
child of Lawrence and Miriam Adams. Her contributions to the independent dance
impetus in Toronto have been significant. In collaboration with Kathryn Brown,
in 1984, Susan managed Pavlychenko Studio which became an active centre for
independent dance performance and production. As the school co-ordinator she
established a reputation for a high standard of modern dance training and
implemented an innovative, unique independent dance performance series. Our
efforts contributed to the acquisition of grants from O.A.C., for many
independent dancers.
In 1985 Susan performed with the Glass Orchestra in the Berlin Music Festival
and conducted dance workshops at Tanz Tangente. Her performance in the work of
many prominent Toronto choreographers includes Peter Randazzo, Gall Benn,
Terrill Maguire, Susan Cash, Claudia Moore, Bill James, Holly Small and Gabby
Kamino.
Susan's most recent choreography was performed in New York in collaboration with
Gabby Kamino and Karen Berlin and is a program of her origination. Currently she
teaches and is co-ordinator of the modern dance department at the Etobicoke
School of the Arts. She has held this position for the past eleven years.
