Meet Ms. Suzanne Spiese

Ms. Suzanne Spiese joins us again this season. Ms. Suzanne has an extensive background in teaching young dancers ages 3 - 8. She has a passion for this age group and loves sharing her 25+ years of knowledge with our instructors and with your dancers. We are so lucky to have her at our studio and teaching your dancers. Ms. Suzanne is also the Costume Designer for the FMBallet and runs her own dance costume business.

Q & A with Ms. Suzanne

Q. What is your favorite part of teaching?

A. My favorite part of being a teacher is to pass on my love of dance to my young dancers. I love seeing them try something for the first time. I want my classes to be a comfortable friendly place where the art form of ballet can be passed on to the next generation and that the dancers can feel excited about dancing and learning.

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Ms. Suzanne Spiese

Suzanne Spiese started dancing as a young child in Lisbon, ND. She later moved to Fargo to attend NDSU and began studying ballet, tap and jazz dance with Kathy and Eddie Gasper, then the FM Center of Dance. In Fargo she danced as a soloist with The Red River Dance and Performing Company under the direction of Kathy and Eddie Gasper as well as The Orchesis Dance Company at NDSU. During this time she also taught ballet and jazz dance classes at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

After earning degrees in Family and Consumer Science Education, as well as Clothing and Textiles, she moved to New York City for 3 years. There, she had the opportunity to take ballet, tap and jazz dance classes throughout the city. After moving back to the Minneapolis/St. Paul she completed her certification in Early Childhood Education and taught Early Childhood Education and lead Parent discussions with the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program in St. Paul.

Later she moved to Oakes, ND where she and her husband (Mike) owned Oakes Drug and she opened the Oakes School of Dance. She just celebrated her 22nd year owning and teaching at Oakes School of Dance.

Sue has 4 children: Abigail, Carley, Julia and Michael and a recent “empty nester”. She has choreographed 15 summers at The Lamoure County Summer Theater and most recently, two summers with The Oakes Theater Group.

In recent years she attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet teacher workshop, under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary as well at the Dance Life Teachers conference under the direction of Rhee Gold.

For the past 8 years she also has enjoyed costuming and making professional tutus for the FMBallet.