SUSAN GADDY POPE, Ed. D.
Susan’s professional journey in dance education spans over 30 years, during which she has made significant contributions. Her teaching experience includes positions at the Newark Board of Education and the New York City Department of Education, where she also directed the SUMA/Children’s Aid Society Dance Company. At Montclair State University, she is an adjunct professor, coordinator for the Dance Education BA program, and member of the Transformative Education Network (TEN) Field Team. Susan has performed with the Rod Rogers Dance Company and the Hudson City Repertory Dance Company.
Susan received her doctorate in Dance Education from Teachers College, Columbia Univ. Her research focuses on embodied pedagogy through an indigenous and Africanist lens, arts-based research, portraiture methodology, and multimodal forms of representation. As a published author, Susan has shared her insights and experiences in journals and books, including articles in Dance Education in Practice, the International Journal of AAHPERD; I DANCE BECAUSE…, a collection of stories, essays, and poems about dance; and DANCING MY PRAYERS, a guide to combining movement and prayer in your devotional life. Her latest book chapter in The Loveliness Project is a powerful platform for the voices of Black women.
Susan leads workshops for dance educators, classroom teachers, and civic organizations. She has taught creative movement in Accra, Ghana, and Panama City, Panama. She is a certified trauma-informed yoga and meditation instructor and curator of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Elder Stories.