Susan Lee
Susan Lee is one of Toronto’s well-known figures in contemporary dance. She began working with Maxine in 2002 and has been contributing to Heppner's work every since, including "Nine Bronze Pieces" the “Memory” and “KISS” projects. Known for her athletic fluid dancing and powerful stage presence, she has originated roles in almost fifty world premieres of dance and dance-for-film by many established Canadian choreographers including Holly Small, Kaeja d’Dance, Yvonne Ng, Peter Chin, and Maxine Heppner, touring in North America, Europe, Mexico, Portugal and Southeast Asia.
Susan’s creative interest lies in improvisation in performance, integration of live music and dance, and combining dance with other disciplines and media. Her recent work integrates video projection and real-time based interactive technologies in a variety of settings, notably “Trace Elements” (CanAsian Dance Festival 2013).
Susan’s choreography, presented in dance festivals and series in Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax and Peterborough, has been described as “…simple and extraordinary.” (Halifax Chronicle-Herald), and “…a tour de force of magic and mystery” (Globe and Mail). Honours include Toronto Dora nomination for outstanding performance, and grants and scholarships in support of her creative research and productions.
Susan has taught throughout her 20-year career: contact improvisation and partnering techniques, structures for improvisation as a performing art, and modern technique. She is currently faculty at the dance department at York University. From 1995- 2006, she was co-Artistic Director of Series 8:08 and served on the boards of several dance organizations, including the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists and the CanAsian Dance Festival.
