instructor: susan wrenn

Susan grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and started her ballet training at age 5 with Gayle Corkery School of Ballet.  In addition to ballet, Susan studied jazz, tap, modern, character, and clogging.  She attended conventions and competed in many talent competitions and pageants, where she won numerous awards and scholarships. Susan also attended master classes regularly from jazz greats such as Rick Sullivant, Gus Giordano, Frank Hatchett, Rhonda Miller, John Medeiro, Sam Watson, and tap great, Gracey Tune.  At age 12, Susan was selected to attend the summer intensive program at The School of American Ballet, official school of the New York City Ballet. There, she trained with notables such as Alexandra Danilova, Susan Pilarre, Suki Schorer, Stanley Williams, Antonina Tumkovsky, Elise Reiman, Richard Rapp, Marina Staviskaya, and Andrei Kramarevsky.  She attended SAB intensives for 3 summers. Susan also attended San Francisco Ballet School and Pacific Northwest Ballet School.  Some of her master ballet teachers include Allegra Kent, Daniel Duell, David Howard, Edward Villela, Stephanie Saland, Merill Ashley, Darci Kistler, Richard Lee, John Prinz, Larry Rosenberg, and many more.   

Susan later moved to San Diego and furthered her training at American Ballet School, under the direction of Lynda Yourth, formerly with New York City Ballet.  There, she performed principal roles in major ballets including Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker.  While at American Ballet School, Susan also had the opportunity to study and perform under Elizabeth and Steven Wistrich, current Directors of City Ballet in San Diego, where an original piece was set on Susan by Elizabeth Wistrich. This piece, Mozart Concerto, is still in the repertoire today.

 Susan later attended UCSD, where she received a BA in Psychology and a minor in French Literature, with a focus in Dance.  There, she studied ballet under Judith Sharp (California Ballet of San Diego).  She also studied jazz at UCSD with Patricia Rincon, founder of Patricia Rincon Dance Collective in San Diego.  Susan has been teaching ballet in San Diego for almost two decades and is looking forward to sharing her experience, passion, and love of dance with the students at Visionary Dancer.