Susan Hadley has been named chair of The Ohio State University Department of Dance. She succeeds Susan Van Pelt Petry, who served as chair for nine years and returns to teaching and research. 

A principal dancer in the original Mark Morris Dance Group in New York City and Brussels, Hadley also served as Morris’s rehearsal director for Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project, Zivili's premier of The Officeand the Royal Opera and New York City Opera productions of Platee. She was a member of Senta Driver's company HARRY and performed with Meredith Monk.

In addition to self-produced concerts in New York City and throughout Ohio, Hadley has choreographed for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Repertory Dance Theatre, American Repertory Ballet, BalletMet Columbus, Ballet Memphis, Ballet Pacifica, Contemporary American Theatre Company, Ohio State Theatre, and Ohio State Dance. Her work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, The Choo San Goh Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Ohio State’s College of the Arts and Wexner Center for the Arts. 

Hadley, Ohio State dance faculty member since 1990, received The Ohio State University Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award and the inaugural Ratner Distinguished Teaching Award.

photo by Janell Strouss