Press Room
2008 George S. & Dolores DorÉ Eccles Visiting Scholar: Susan Hadley, Professor of Dance Ohio State University
For Immediate Release: January 21, 2008
(Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah) The College of Performing and Visual Arts is proud to welcome Susan Hadley, Professor of Dance from the Ohio State University, who will be in residency as a George S. and Doré EcclesVisiting Scholar at Southern Utah University from January 28th through February 2nd, 2008.
During her time on the SUU campus, she will set choreography of an original work on university students to be presented in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance main stage production of Journeys: a Faculty Dance Concert, March 5th – 8th, 2008. In addition, SUU students will perform this work of choreography at the Northwest Region American College Dance Festival at the University of Utah, March 17th – 20th. This choreographic project will be the product of a creative collaboration between SUU students and the artist with rights owned by SUU to be used only for the purposes of this program.
During her week with SUU, Hadley will teach five master classes (intermediate/advanced modern technique, and principles of choreography) to SUU dance students. Through this hands-on experience, students and faculty will be given the opportunity to witness the process of this successful scholar/artist and gain insights into their own creative development. Both faculty and students will have the opportunity to build a quality relationship with this scholar/artist through this collaborative project.
This visiting scholar's program will provide many priceless opportunities for SUU's Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, College of Performing and Visual Arts, Southern Utah University, and the community at-large. Hadley will have an interactive presence on campus through her week long involvement with both faculty and students including a lecture presentation. This talk is sponsored by the SUU Convocation and is open to the university and community at-large.
The SUU Convocation will present Hadley and longtime collaborator, musician and composer Bradley Sowash in "WEDUNIT! Making a Jazz Mystery Ballet: American Culture Reflected in Dance and Music" Tuesday, January 29 at 11:30 a.m. in the SUU Auditorium. Hadley and Sowash began collaborating in 1984 at Dance Theatre Workshop in NYC, and their latest work is "WhoDunIt?" for BalletMet, where pink tulle meets film noir. The presentation will address the collaborative process in the field of dance and Professor Hadley's creative affiliation with other great artists of the 20th and 21st Century.
Susan Hadley is a dancer, choreographer, scholar, and educator of international acclaim. As principle dancer with the renowned Mark Morris Dance Group, Professor Hadley danced numerous original roles and maintained a steady touring schedule.
In 1986 she was the principle dancer in the company's first national television program for the PBS series Dance in America. In 1988, the company was invited to become the national dance company of Belgium, and spent three years in residence at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. The company returned to the United States in 1991 as one of the world's leading dance companies. In addition, Professor Hadley danced with Senta Driver's company and for the legendary artist Meredith Monk's in her opera Quarry. She served as Rehearsal Director for Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project, and the Morris production of Platee at the Royal Opera and Lincoln Center.
As a choreographer and scholar, Professor Hadley has created original work for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Repertory Dance Theatre, American Repertory Ballet, and BalletMet.
Susan Hadley is a full professor in the renowned Department of Dance at The Ohio State University where she is a recipient of the 2002 Colleges of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award and the 2006 Ohio State University Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Hadley joins a long history of Eccles Visting Scholars including the world-reknown and Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Michael Colgrass, the well-loved, late veteran television actor, Gordon Jump, the celebrated British conductor, Professor Tim Reynish and the famous multi-media actor Karl Malden.
The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Visiting Scholar Program provides a way for Southern Utah University to invite nationally recognized scholars to campus. The six colleges bring in a scholar for three to five days of hands-on work with students and faculty. This program gives SUU students the opportunity to work alongside the scholars, learn from experts in their field of study, and ask specific questions of individuals who have dedicated their lives to specific fields of interest. The program also creates an opportunity for students and faculty to network with scholars and builds lifelong working relationships.