Su Marshall Choreography

ABOUT ME!

Hello there! My Name is Su Marshall and I hail from Christchurch, New Zealand ... where?
Here's a profile of myself, which is a little tricky to write - how to sound like a profile is warranted, without sounding like an egomaniac? Okay, here's my best shot!

First I guess I'll bore you with the early stuff. I was born in a little ... NO!!! Not THAT early! I started dancing at the age of 5 - ballet, of course, like most little girls do. I stuck at it for 16 years, but at 5'9" I'm taller than most male ballet dancers and once I stand on tippy-toe ... well, that's ballet as a profession out the window!
During this time I also did a lot of European national dancing (i.e. folk dances from all over Europe, trying to capture the real feel and character for each country's style) and passed all the exams and medals available. Since I was the only one in Christchurch (at that time) who'd gone that far, my teacher persuaded me to teach too.
And so my first experience of teaching dance eventuated.

Let's fast forward a few years ...
October 1991, Operation Deep Freeze Base, Christchurch. I went to the bar at the US Navy's base to catch up with some American friends I had met in Antarctica and some of them were 2-stepping and line dancing! WOW! I wanted to give this a go! As luck would have it, lessons were starting the following week.
The lessons there only lasted 4 weeks, but by that time I was hooked on both the dancing and the instructor (you've gotta make the most of life's opportunties!). We continued to dance when we went out, until one fateful night at a bar called "Bourbon St" he was spotted (it's those tight jeans that do it!) and asked if he could teach up there.
So - July '92 found us teaching "Slapping Leather" and the "10 Step" to a grand total of about 5 people.
Admittedly not an auspicious launch, but definitely enthusiastic. Well as they say, it just grew from there. The American bloke has LONG gone, but the dancing now has a life of it's own.

In January 1998, I stopped teaching my regular weekly class as I work a full-time job at the International Antarctic Centre, and I was not super-woman enough to keep up such a hectic schedule. Now I concentrate on choreography and competition work. I am part of a great team called "High Five!" (we've been lucky enough to win gold medals 2 years in a row at Australia's biggest competition held in Tamworth, N.S.W.), and I coach an up-and-coming team, the "Young Guns". I also attend classes 3 times at week ... my schedule is looking pretty full again! Luckily though I don't have to do all this by myself ... through line dancing I met the love of my life, Ian ian

, and we do all of this together (including "High Five!"). My love of teaching is satisfied by taking workshops 4 - 5 times a year.

DANCES

MUSIC INFO

GUEST BOOK

LINKS

eMAIL

My philosophy on line dancing is pretty simple ... have fun! I figure there are enough things in life that can drag you down, so why fill your leisure time with something you don't enjoy? As I always tell my classes, if you can't do a step just smile even more brightly and bluff it ... eventually you'll come back round to the part you do know! Keep this philosophy in mind even when you're learning a dance you find difficult ( and remember to do that every so often ... the adage of "use it or lose it" applies to your brain as well). Or if you're entering a competition (some people need to push themselves that little bit further).
But if the fun ever goes, you should go too.

Well, that's it from me.
Guess I'll see you on the dance floor,

warm fuzzies

Web Site
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by thecat

SU MARSHALL (nee Swanson)
190 Lyttelton Street, Spreydon
Christchurch, New Zealand
ian_su.marshall@clear.net.nz