MSP 159: Susan Klein

Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast

Creating a Technique that Honors the Individual with Susan Klein

Today’s guest Susan Klein is a true luminary, having shaped the modern dance landscape with her groundbreaking theories as creator of the renowned Klein Technique. In this episode, we explore her transformative journey as a movement pioneer, uncovering her dance background, the hurdles she overcame following a series of debilitating knee injuries, and her return to the world of movement. We discover how her experience ignited her passion for understanding the body and teaching others about movement, and how this ultimately led to the development of the Klein Technique. Susan recounts the pivotal moment she realized the limitations of imitation-based teaching and explains why she believes in nurturing individuality within dance. She opens up about her quest to safeguard her unique contributions, and why she decided to concede, despite her concern about the potential harm of her work being taught incorrectly. Join us as Susan shares her unique journey to quietly becoming one of the most valuable and influential players in the modern dance field.

Key Points From This Episode:

· Susan's dance background and training.

· Why she believes teaching through imitation to be ineffective.

· Her influences and how they shaped her journey.

· The series of knee injuries that temporarily derailed her dancing career and her return to dance, post-injury.

· How Susan’s experience ultimately led to the development of the Klein Technique.

· The importance of individuality in dance and Susan’s continued fascination with movement and teaching.

· Why she finds the widespread adoption of her work both gratifying and concerning.

· Challenges she’s faced in her dancing career and the various career paths she’s explored.

· Susan shares her plan to share her knowledge in book form.

“When I work with people, that's always exciting because their potential and what's going on in their lives or in their body is infinitely interesting.” — Susan Klein

Working and teaching in New York City, Susan Klein is the renowned creator of Klein Technique™ and a practitioner of Worsley style 5-element acupuncture and Zero Balancing.

More on this episode: Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast

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