Ethereal and Performative: Art by Susan McKenzie
Susan McKenzie is an artist, teacher, dancer, and choreographer based in North Vancouver, BC. Susan’s works are often ethereal and performative, blending dance with other conceptual ideas. The artist often takes a collaborative approach to work and life, and sits on the board of directors of Vancouver’s Southeast Asian Cultural Heritage Society.
Bird research, observation at Woscana Bird Sanctuary
I like the way that Susan blends her work in dance and choreography with community activism. For example, in our previous feature of Susan’s performance, dance, and writing, we looked at the artist’s work as an educator with the Jumpstart Performance Company. Susan helped to cultivate a love of dance in a number of different communities.
In Susan’s New Dance Horizons gallery on her art portfolio website, we as the viewers get to take a fascinating look at the process of choreographing a dance – in one set of photos, a group spends time at a bird sanctuary, collecting cast-off feathers as inspiration, before engaging in a flight-themed dance number.
