Susan’s dance training began with Madame Solange Binda Maclean, Washington Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and scholarships to the Boston Ballet. While receiving her dance degree from SUNY College at Purchase, she studied with Ivan Nagy, Bettijane Sills, Gayle Young and Rosanna Seravalli for Ballet, and Larry Clark, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Mel Wong, Kevin Wynn, Sarah Stackhouse and Eleo Pomare for Modern. She has performed “Les Sylphides”, “Nutcracker”, “The Brood”, “Les Noces” as well as other works. She was also fortunate enough to have Pilates training with Romana Kryzanowska while dancing at Purchase, who was a student of Joseph Pilates.
In 2013, Susan became certified with Peak Pilates and was hired at Johns Creek Pilates before getting certified. She worked at LifeTime Fitness as the Coordinator for years, winning numerous awards, made the 100% club just about every month, almost always bringing goal revenue to the club as well as making top in region multiple times during the years there. She opened her HomePilates studio in 2017, catering to dancers and all clients wanting Pilates in their lives. Susan has certifications in Pilates and ADHD from Laura B. Pilates and Pilates-Based Education for Neurological Conditions by the Neuro Studio and Lauri Nemetz. Workshop trainings include Clare Dillon-Palma, her Master Instructor through Peak, Sandy Shimoda, Shari Berkowitz, PMA and Peak Pilates Summits, and others. She was published in Pilates Glossy Magazine with an article about becoming a teacher later in her life as well as featured in VoyageAtlanta summer series.
Past clients include many dancers who are now professionals, tennis players, soccer players, local dancers, a TV host in Atlanta, and even a Falcons football player. Susan has worked with everyday clientele as well as cancer patients, brain trauma individuals, amputees, cerebral palsy, and many more. She initiated a Coffee Talk program in 2018 that invites Georgia Pilates teachers to collectively meet and discuss successes, problems, post hirings, and generally support one another as a family.
Susan is most comfortable with those who need help, as it is a puzzle and she is endlessly trying to solve this puzzle using Pilates and the equipment. Susan loves working with dancers as she can merge her experience and training with Pilates to keep dancers moving forward for a career in dance.
