Susan paino
dancer ~ teacher ~ costume designer
Susan Paino
Hello! My name is Susan Paino. I've been a dance arts educator since 1982 and have designed and led child/family dance classes and creative arts events for over 20 years.
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After living in the Boston area most of my life, my family moved to Hillsborough, NC, right in the middle of the 2020 pandemic. During the months of the shutdowns, I participated in and offered online dance and movement classes, studied a secular form of yoga instruction for children, and practiced Spanish to build up my conversational skills. (Si prefieres comunicarte en español, ¡está bien!) I've also developed a new creative dance project for children, and I hope to schedule classes beginning in summer 2022.
When I'm not studying or dancing, I am most often sewing, reading, writing, walking/biking along the Eno River, and working at a local public school.
My interest and flair for costume design is rooted in my early dance studies with the founder of Boston Ballet, E. Virginia Williams. At her home studio, I was surrounded by talented seamstresses who hand-built tutus and tiaras. I danced in the studios downstairs and watched the costume-making upstairs.
And how can I not mention my mother, who often had her sewing machine set up in the dining room, where she made clothes for me and my sisters. Thanks to her, I learned much. Lesson number one...sewing rooms are much more useful than dining rooms!
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As a designer, I enjoy creating imaginative fashions for dance and theatre - especially when I find ways to use recycled and up-cycled clothing, fabric, and other materials.
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My most recent project, conducted long-distance, was with Boston's Fort Point Theatre Channel: Oceans of Rivers: Improvisations with Climate.​
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Inquiries to discuss costume project ideas are always welcome.
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Click here for my costume design page.
Scenes de Ballet composed by Marc Warhol; costume built and hand-painted by Susan Paino; photo by Daniel Van Ackere; dancer Lucy Warren