director
SUSAN LUST, Director, PWP
Susan combines her background in dance, performance, teaching, technical production, and health-consciousness to serve as a Professional Performing Artist specializing in Dance and Movement Therapy.
Having studied dance at Boston Conservatory of Music and receiving her B.A. in Dance and Theater from Bard College, she went on to become a certified Dance Therapist from The New York Medical College under pioneer dance therapist, Liljan Espenak. She taught creative movement to young adults with special needs, was awarded a scholarship with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and went on to perform theatrically with a touring production of a Nobel Prize winning author.
Susan trained with David Leventhal and the Mark Morris Dance Group, at the “Dance for PD” program, and with Alex Kerten, author of “Goodbye Parkinson’s, Hello Life,” certified as a Gyro-Kinetics Movement and Behavior Therapist. She has integrated her movement experience including yoga, ballet, modern, ethnic dance, and theater to inspire and bring joy to people with movement and cognitive challenges of all ages as well as able bodied seniors.
Susan was the Managing Director of Sparks of Life Center for Parkinson’s where she developed the organization and its Studio therapy classes in movement, dance, voice, music, and boxing. She trains teachers, as well as giving one-on one therapeutic sessions.