Susan De Guardiola

HAND JIVE

Susan de Guardiola is a dance historian, teacher, and caller. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, she teaches regularly, leads balls and other dance events, and serves as resident instructor for The Elegant Arts Society.

Susan's particular specialties are Italian dances of the late 16th century and French, English dances of the early 19th century (Jane Austen/Napoleonic Wars), 15th century court dance, 17th century country dance, the Napoleonic and Victorian eras, and the early 20th century/pre-World War I era. Susan also teaches cross-step waltz and conducts gender-role-free dance workshops. She has also been known to admit to a taste for Disco line dances.

She is a popular dance leader at major New England dance festivals and dance weeks. Among the venues Susan has taught include Eclectic Enterprises in Boston; the Toronto English Country Dancers; the Bay Area English Regency Society; Mostly Waltz in Boston and New Haven; Odd Socks in Toronto; Vinnie's Jump and Jive; groups in Connecticut, Denver, and Charlottesville; Lavender Country and Folk Dancers; the Boston Gay & Lesbian Contra Dancers; the Actors Movement Studio in New York City; Dance Flurry; the Down East Country Dance Festival; the Pinewoods English Dance Week; the Newport Vintage Dance Week; Cape May's Spring Festival Victorian Weekend; the NOMAD Arts & Music Festival; the New England Folk Festival; Louisiana for a Song and a Dance; Country Dance New York's Elegant Madness evening of Regency-era Dance; an 1880s ball at New Jersey's beautiful Acorn Hall; and the Town of Bethel (Connecticut) Sesquicentennial Celebration. She has taught historical social dance of various eras in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Virginia, Louisiana, Ontario, and more. She also has taught in St. Petersburg, Russia.