Connect
To Top

Meet Susan Davern

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Davern.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Susan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Stuttgart, Germany, as my father was a Green Beret in the US Army, and we traveled all over the world. I moved frequently and became used to international change. At the age of 8, I began my dance training in Tulsa, OK with the Cecchetti method, and fell in love with ballet. Shortly after, our travels took us to Seoul, Korea and I danced with the daughter of the last remaining royal family member in Seoul. It was very exciting. The Palace staff in Seoul made our costumes, and I got to enter parts of the Palace not open to the public. We came back stateside (again) and moved to Falls Church, VA where I continued my ballet training for years with Solange Binda Maclean. She brought joy to my movement, and I still consider her family today at her timeless age of 98.

I received training with both the Boston Ballet and Joffrey Ballet, performing with them at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA. I decided to further my dance education at the State University of New York at the College at Purchase where I received some of the best ballet and modern dance training from famous dancers such as Ivan Nagy, Gayle Young, Bettijane Sills, Rosanna Seravalli, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Mel Wong, Sarah Stackhouse, Larry Clark and Eleo Pomare. I performed in Pomare’s famous “HEX,” which was is a provoking piece about disintegration. I was also fortunate enough to have Romana Kryzanowska introduce me to Pilates, and train me alongside my dancing for several years while at Purchase. She is considered a “Joseph Pilates elder,” and a deep influence in my life.

I learned a lot of valuable skills while at SUNY. I initiated a collaboration with SUNY and a city school system with Karin Johnson Soderland, and we taught all forms of dance to kids for a year. This partnership is still programmed within the college. When I had a common injury and couldn’t perform, I learned about dance marketing and advertising, as well as the ins and outs of performance. After graduation, I moved to Washington DC and performed with several dance companies while simultaneously working on new home construction and land development. When I was performing “Histoire Du Soldat” at the Kennedy Center with Keir Dullea, I fell hard, blowing out my knee. That night at the hospital, my bad news turned to joy when my husband and I found out I was pregnant with our first daughter. We moved several more times, had more kids, and settled in a new home in Alpharetta, GA. I started working at North Atlanta Dance Academy and Theatre 20 years ago, and am still teaching ballet and modern dance there today. I also picked up another teaching position at RISPA in Milton, GA.

I started having knee issues 10 years ago due to my ACL repair, and needed knee replacement, but wasn’t ready to go under the surgery, so I decided to bring Pilates and the equipment back into my life. Instead of just taking others’ Pilates classes, I felt it was best to get certified, so I could use my own Pilates training for benefits toward my beaten body and even incorporate it more into my dance classes. After incorporating Pilates into my lifestyle, my body started to feel better immediately, and any previous knee issues I had dissipated. Before even testing out of my certification, I was hired by Johns Creek Pilates and worked there for a few years. I also became a Pilates teacher and Coordinator for Lifetime Fitness. For years, I won numerous awards with my team by surpassing quota every month. I have been interviewed and featured by Pilates Glossy, won a Pilates contest in 2015 to train with one of my inspirations, Laura B. Grant, and have continued my training with so many wonderful educators from all over the world. I feel as though I will never truly be done learning.

In 2017, I felt it was time to open my own HomePilates studio. From the first day, it has grown into something I’m very proud of. I have submitted to various state grants in hopes of trying to establish a scholarship program for people who cannot afford one-on-one training. I created a Coffee Talk for Pilates teachers in the state of Georgia as a support group, a learning group, and a source for all information.

Has it been a smooth road?
No, of course not, it has been anything but a smooth road. I struggled with many injuries and setbacks, but I turned those moments into motivation to learn something new and further my dance education. I’d say the biggest obstacle in my career was my height. I am very tall (5’10+), and when I auditioned in NYC, I would make all dance cuts to the end, only to find out I was too tall. It was very defeating knowing I had the talent but I was overlooked, because of my height. However, the dance world has changed so much since then, and I’m happy to see that casting has broadened its expectations of the ideal image of a dancer.

My struggles, especially lately, have been adapting my business COVID 19. No one wants to infect others, so I temporarily closed my home studio and saw a significant drop in clients. My solution to this was to adapt by switching to online classes, but even those platforms have technical issues, which are difficult to work with. I found myself struggling to come up with ways to market to new clients, especially when I would be teaching them through a handheld device and not face-to-face. Although the process has been super challenging, it has brought me a new found love for a digital platform in which I can provide a fun and unique class for my clients. To my surprise, the online version of Mat Pilates has my clients begging to return to HomePilates studio, because my online sessions are more challenging!

HomePilates- Susan – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m super proud to combine my years of dance training and Pilates education to help dancers and nondancers alike. I’ve developed a program that has so many benefits, some of which include:

  • improved flexibility
  • increased muscle strength and tone
  • improved stabilization of your spine
  • improved posture
  • rehabilitation or prevention of injuries related to muscle imbalances
  • improved physical coordination and balance
  • relaxation of your shoulders, neck and upper back
  • safe rehabilitation of joint and spinal injuries
  • prevention of musculoskeletal injuries
  • increased lung capacity and circulation through deep breathing
  • improved concentration
  • increased body awareness
  • stress management and relaxation

What makes my training unique is my ability to work with diverse groups of people. My client base is vast, and I’ve loved working with people of all different athletic backgrounds. I have worked with all ages, injured and non-injured clients, tennis players, soccer players, a Falcons football player, a Hip Hop studio manager, talented dancers, cerebral palsy, and amputees. I have helped people with sciatica, vertigo, cancer, back injuries, and more. I am probably most comfortable working with people that want to be pain-free. I incorporate dance and Pilates into my dance instruction for competitive and performative dancers.

I am so proud of the support my husband and family constantly give me. They encourage me to provide a service that I truly believe in. Pilates helped me become pain-free, and now I want all ages, to feel good and move!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I personally hope more people discover that Pilates is a beneficial lifestyle and not just a six-month program to try and then move on from. I want them to use Pilates to feel younger, look better, and become stronger. If Pilates is incorporated in your life, you won’t have to visit the doctor for tightness or pain. Pilates is a way of medicinal relief.

Looking towards the future, I hope to continue my HomePilates program in a way that encourages people to exercise daily and make it part of their routine. It makes me so happy to know that new Pilates studios are constantly opening up in Georgia because so many more people have the opportunity to become educated about this great fitness system. I also want to see diversity in Pilates studios, Pilates education, and Pilates memberships and that they include stronger communication, as the world is constantly changing.

I would like to thank Alex Gonzaga of www.ProteusFitness.net for recommending me to this wonderful magazine and for featuring me as a resource in his company.  He is an asset to Atlanta!

Pricing:

  • $80 per session

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Zanne Bedore Photography
HomePilates17
Ballet by Day

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in