Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Clayton.
Hi Susan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After dancing professionally for many decades in professional concert dance companies, touring reviews and teaching dance, at 56 I wondered what professional dancers who do not want to retire “do”. I am also a certified RYT 200 yoga teacher and certified in Progressing Ballet Technique which are more theraputic trainings and I decided to combine the dance knowledge and the trainings to create a class and eventually a company for mature artists who want to dance for longevity and still perform professionally. Holistic Ballet Yoga i.e HBY Ensemble was created nine years ago, we will be entering our tenth season in September, 2026.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It is never easy in the arts! The struggles are finding artists who are at a professional performing level still in their late 30’s/40’s (and up) who will do the work it takes to keep in shape as well as maintain their bodies from injuries. We take our job seriously and do require all the commitments of any other professional dance company that we may have performed with in our younger careers. My current HBY Ensemble 1 company is 48-64 years old. I also run a separate rehearsal time for younger dancers 20-35 years old named HBY Ensemble 2.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
HBY Ensemble is a professional modern dance company for mature artists. Our dancers train in strength/stretch, ballet and modern dance. We also like to occasionally bring in guest artists in related fields such as nutrition, injury prevention, music etc. to do lectures open to the public during our class time. We have a holistic approach to our work.
I am proud of all the choreography we have created and the concerts we have danced in/produced the last nine years. I am also proud that I have been able to create a space for older dancers to continue to be creative and perform for life. Why should dancers stop performing at any age? Life doesn’t stop at 40 and neither should creative moving artists. We modify our work if needed to accommodate our aging bodies, but our work is meaningful and expressive.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Determination and continued study daily. I dance and train daily. Not taking no for an answer.
Pricing:
- Drop-in class for the public is $20.
Contact Info:
