MacArthur Fellows Program

Susan S. Marshall

Choreographer | Class of 2000

Title
Choreographer
Location
Putnam Valley, New York
Age
42 at time of award
Area of Focus
Choreography and Dance
Published July 1, 2000

About Susan's Work

Susan Marshall is a choreographer who interweaves movement, structure, imagery, and drama to illuminate the contemporary condition.

Marshall’s highly athletic, technically demanding physical idiom fuses ballet, modern, and post-modern release styles with everyday actions.  Her vocabulary is rooted in human gestures from which she fashions complex permutations that transform simple movements into rich expressions of dance.  She marries her rigorous and complex craft to an emotional resonance that avoids sentimentality even when working with the most poignant subject matter.  As a result, her dancing touches deep chords in her audience while revealing remarkable choreographic intelligence.  This fusion of intellect and emotion allows Marshall to experiment successfully with a wide range of genres, from theatrical performance to ballet to opera.

Biography

Marshall is the artistic director/choreographer of Susan Marshall & Company, which she founded in 1983.  Her productions include Spectators at an Event (1994), Les Enfants Terribles (1996, with Philip Glass), The Most Dangerous Room in the House (1998), The Descent Beckons (1999), and Sleeping Beauty and Other Stories (2003).  The company has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

Marshall studied at the Juilliard School (1976‑1978).

Last updated January 1, 2005

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