Susan Jordan

Susan Gay Stevens Jordan QSM (born 1947) is a New Zealand dancer, choreographer and dance instructor.^[1][2]

Biography

Jordan began dancing at the age of 7, and danced professionally with the New Zealand Ballet Company from the age of 17. She briefly gave up dancing to study typing and shorthand at a business school, and then theology with the aim of becoming a missionary, however she returned to dancing.^[3]

Jordan considered studying ballet in England or Australia but instead completed a Master of Arts degree in dance in Washington, D.C in the United States, where she was exposed to the teachings of Martha Graham.^[3][4] On her return to New Zealand she established the dance studies programme at the University of Auckland and taught the Graham technique.^[5][6] In 1976, she founded a modern dance company in Auckland called Movement Theatre.^[7][8]

Jordan established her own dance company, Jordan & Present Co, and during the 1980s and 1990s choreographed works for Creative New Zealand and its predecessor the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, as well as privately commissioned pieces.^[9] In 1993 she was commissioned to create a piece to commemorate the centenary of women's suffrage in New Zealand.^[10] Her choreography has been described as postmodern, aiming to create new relationships between performers and their audience.^[7]

In 2011 Jordan established a dance programme for senior citizens, originally named Dance Mobility and later re-branded as SeniorDANCE, to encourage seniors to keep active.^[11][12] The programme teaches older people to dance and aims to build balance and co-ordination, and has been recognised by the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation as an initiative which can help prevent falls in older adults.^[13]

In 2018 Jordan received funding from Creative New Zealand to complete a research project on creative ageing.^[14]

Jordan is president of the Northern Dance Network, a charitable organisation that creates 'pathways and opportunities for dance and dancers' formed in 1992, and established the Tempo Dance Festival in 2003.^[15]

Awards and honours

In the 2024 New Year Honours, Jordan was awarded a Queen's Service Medal, for services to seniors and dance.^[16]

Further reading

• Bolwell, J., & Wellington College of Education. (1992). Susan Jordan: The making of a New Zealand choreographer: a biographical essay. Wellington: Wellington College of Education.^[17]

References

1. "Septuagenarian dancer Susan Jordan tells older people to 'claim your space'". Stuff. 13 September 2019. from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
2. "Jordan, Susan, 1947-". Jordan, Susan, 1947- | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1947. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
3. "Crave Cafe". Crave Cafe. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
4. Schultz, Marianne (2011). "Phantom Limbs" (PDF). New Zealand Journal of History: 225–245. (PDF) from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
5. "Susan Jordan". The Big Idea. from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
6. Flightdec. "Looking Back, Moving Forward". DANZ. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
7. Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Modern dance flourishes, 1970s and 1980s". teara.govt.nz. from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
8. Flightdec. "In Conversation With Chris Jannides". DANZ. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
9. "Jordan & Present Company". Jordan & Present Company | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
10. Jordan, Susan; Jordan & Present Co; Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council of New Zealand (1993), Holy women., Wellington, N.Z.: Jordan & Present Co., OCLC 232470351, from the original on 8 September 2021, retrieved 8 September 2021
11. "Dance as a form of 'creative ageing'". RNZ. 18 May 2021. from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
12. "Seniors dance to their own beat in community dance troupe". Magic. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
13. "Sprightly seniors dancing in the aisles". NZ Herald. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
14. "Creative New Zealand Supports Creative Ageing | Creative New Zealand". www.creativenz.govt.nz. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
15. "About - Northern Dance Network". Northern Dance Festival. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
16. "New Year Honours List 2024 | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 30 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
17. Bolwell, Jan; Wellington College of Education (1992). Susan Jordan: the making of a New Zealand choreographer : a biographical essay. Wellington: Wellington College of Education. ISBN 978-0-908957-01-9. OCLC 1135029235. from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.