BOONE, N.C. – A vital component of the Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble (SADE) half century celebration – better known as ADE50 -- is a memorial tribute to the late Susan Lutz, honoring a beloved dance colleague at Appalachian State University who passed away in May 2024.
Dance Studies Professor Marianne Adams, former chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, wrote a moving tribute to Lutz which appears in the playbill for each upcoming concert by the ensemble, which runs in the Valborg Theatre on campus from March 26 to 29 with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday March 30; it reads in part as follows:
"Even within abstract, modern dances, our stories emerge. When you see a choreographer's work over a period of years, the essence of their creations unfolds over time. Choreographers give us moving images that we begin to recognize, connect to, and make meaning from. We become familiar with their dance vocabulary, the type of dancers that they prefer, their preoccupations and world views. Associate Professor Susan Lutz's work was often about working out relationships or conceptual ideas — with a very recognizable, specific way of crafting relational forms and rhythmic patterns.
"Susan played with qualities, spatial relationships and images; her work could be casual and subtle — sometimes at the surface, sometimes just below, sometimes at the heart level — cynic that she could be. Her fondness for sarcasm and sharp humor will affectionately be remembered by all of her colleagues. Susan Lutz loved choreographing for Appalachian students; her first recorded choreography for ADE was "Put Your Worst Foot Forward" in the mid-1980s.
"Initially," said Adams, "Susan taught part-time, when dance was in physical education, from the late 1980s until 1997, while raising her young children. She worked full-time in Theatre and Dance for the last 28 years. She often taught a 4/4 courseload, advised and mentored numerous students, hosted and directed the North Carolina Dance Festival at Appalachian, and choreographed multiple Theatre, Dance and School of Music productions for our students. She was committed to community outreach, served as a long-standing board member of the Watauga County Arts Council and was a choreographer for the Southern Appalachian Historical Association's production of Horn in the West. She choreographed over 60 dances for Appalachian students and directed the dance ensemble a countless number of times. We treasure her memory and feel her influence in our students — both current and past."
Lutz's Dance Studies colleagues, Associate Professor Laurie Atkins and Professor Emily Daughtridge, have been in the department for 16 and 20 years, respectively, and worked closely with Lutz for decades. Atkins said, "Susan's steadfast presence and commitment to the dance program inspired numerous dancers over the years including myself, particularly as a young dancer. Her capacity to connect with students through humor and realism was a beautiful blending that often created connections that lasted post-graduation and into the "real life" experience of many of our students.
Daughtridge echoes those sentiments and added "Susan Lutz was consistently the behind-the-scenes engine of the Dance Studies programs. Just behind the facade of her nonchalant, blunt humor, Susan was a skillful and compassionate teacher, a steadfast mentor to students and colleagues. Her capacity to empathize with students' perspectives enabled her to guide them while cultivating their agency in their own growth. She listened to students and talked with them like the adults they were becoming. As an artist, her choreography valued technical clarity, cohesive craft, and pleasing aesthetics, while not taking oneself too seriously - offering a valuable model for our emerging student dance artists."
The 2025 Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble (SADE) is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the ensemble with 7 p.m. concerts from Wednesday through Saturday, March 26 to 29 with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday March 30 in the Valborg Theatre on the campus of Appalachian State University. Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for faculty and staff, and $10 for students. They are available online through the department website at theatreanddance.appstate.edu, as well by phone at 800-841-ARTS (2787) or in person at the Schaefer Center for the Arts box office. For parking information and directions to the Valborg Theatre, see Visitor Parking.
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About the Department of Theatre and Dance
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Theatre and Dance's mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative, and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community, and the region. www.theatreanddance.appstate.edu.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University's College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences, and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,253 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio, and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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