For the past 25 years, Susan Slotnick has gone behind the walls at correctional facilities every week to bring the joy of modern dance to incarcerated men and boys. Her choreography dealt with serious themes geared to inspire audiences and students toward social justice activism. Susan is also the author of the book Flight: The Dance of Freedom. The book details Susan’s story, and takes readers behind the walls of the correctional facilities, providing insight into the correctional environment and what happens when people are given a second chance.
Born to an emotionally detached mother and distant autistic father, Susan rebelled, flunked out of school and befriended people with complicated lives. Early experiences showed Susan how difficult life was for many and this instilled a passionate zeal for her to help marginalized, forgotten and disenfranchised individuals. She has helped change the perspective and mindset of countless incarcerated men by allowing them to experience emotions through transcendental art. Her humanitarian work has been covered and praised by several media outlets. Susan’s life work and dance company, Figures In Flight, has garnered much critical and professional acclaim. Numerous feature articles about her have appeared in dance magazines and she received the Dance Studio Magazine's "Caring Heart Award". She has been celebrated for Women's History Month as Huffington Post's "Greatest Woman of The Day" and featured in two radio documentaries. Susan was also featured in the documentary "The Game Changer" that won Best Documentary Short at both the Harlem and Cannes film festivals.