Rosemount High School
3737 Beaubien E., Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1X 1H2



elias, (Powell) SUSAN

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Hi everyone!

My name is Susan Elias-Powell.

What you will probably remember most about me in high school is that I was (and always have been) very passionate about dance.  I started with ballet classes at the age of six.  In high school I spent my summers studying classical ballet, as well as other forms of dance.

After I graduated in 1967, I joined the Canadian Ballet Association. Montreal was a thriving dance center at that time, and I was fortunate to be able to study with many well-known artists, and had many performance opportunities. I did a two-year teacher training program.  I studied anatomy and pedagogy as applied to dance, as well as the biomechanics of dance. By 1970,
I was teaching full-time.  Basically, I ate, slept and drank dance for a lot of years.

In 1978 I met British-born Anthony John Powell (Concordia, BFA Music Summa Cum Laude).  Besides his music studies, he had a very serious interest in Ballroom dancing. As a dance team we competed, traveled and trained in International Style Ballroom with many former world champions.

 Anthony and I were married in 1980.  In 1985, Lindsay, our first daughter was born. And, in 1988 identical twin girls Hilary and Ainsley joined the Powell family.

Well by now, as you may have guessed...three more dancers to carry on the family tradition.

In 1990 we moved to Dollard des Ormeaux, on the West Island. The girls grew up competing, performing, traveling and training (yes, history does repeat itself...) and Anthony and I built our teaching career.

In 2003 I went to New England for sales and marketing training for potential dance school owners.  We then proposed to the girls the idea of opening our own school.  They were completely in favor, and so..... POWELL SCHOOL OF DANCE of Cornwall, Ontario was founded.

We are a multi-disciplined school offering classes in Classical Ballet, Jazz Ballet, Broadway Tap, Celtic (Riverdance style) for children, teens, and adults.  And, Anthony and I teach Social Dance to adult couples.  We have just completed our 3rd season, the highlight of which, is the end-of-year Recital...our 2007 production “HATS OFF TO BROADWAY” was a near sell-out performance !!  And, we also use our talents to benefit local community fundraisers, such as hospital galas, etc.

We are a very busy, and close-knit family and learning to work together on a professional level has added a new dimension to our lives.

The girls are very ambitious beyond their dance goals.  Academically, Lindsay will be going into her 4th year at McGill in Education, and Hilary and Ainsley have just completed their first of a two-year program at Dawson in Child Studies, with a view toward Education at McGill.  Their objective is to ensure
the highest quality of instruction in our “school”.

Obviously my life still revolves around dance.  Will I ever “hang up my dance shoes”...officially, probably not... as the school’s director my responsibilities are geared more toward the administration of the school which I thoroughly enjoy.

And my most satisfying moments...seeing my three daughters following in my footsteps...well, I mean dance steps...