Susanne (Susie) McHugh is a Queens-based dancer, choreographer, and mental health advocate. Originally from Philadelphia, she earned her BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts in 2014 where she was awarded the Nadia Chilkousky Award for Creativity and Dance-Making for her senior thesis Choke. In 2018, Susie participated in the inaugural Ann & Weston Hicks Choreography Fellows Program at Jacob’s Pillow, inspiring her to establish Susie McHugh + Dancers. She has since participated in programs and residencies with Mare Nostrum Elements, New Dance Alliance, CHEN Dance Center, and LaRussa Dance Theatre, and was a 2024 EmergeNYC Flagship Fellow at Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Her choreography has been presented at esteemed venues across New York City and Philadelphia, supported by grants including the NYFA City Artist Corps Grant and the Barbara and Carl Zydney Grant for Artists with Disabilities.

 

Susie’s most recent work, Below the Bottom is an evening-length dance theater piece exploring mental illness and recovery and was presented in April 2025 at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center as part of Mare Nostrum Elements’ Emerging Choreography Series. Her artistic practice often draws from her lived experience with mental illness, using storytelling-based choreography to foster empathy, connection, and social awareness.

 

In addition to choreography and art direction, Susie serves as the Senior Helpline Associate at NAMI NYC, continuing her mental health advocacy work outside of the arts.