Early in 1989, a local radio station in Northern NJ had a give-away that included a free dinner and country line dance party. As fate would have it, Sue was the 'right caller'. She and 25 of her hospital co-workers were treated to some mediocre food and 2 line dance lessons.
Despite being unable to reproduce a single step of either lesson, Sue was entranced. She began attending regular classes - where, for 6 solid months - she struggled to master "Cowboy Boogie". Just as she was getting discouraged, she attempted to "explain' the beginner dance to some newcomers who had been overwhelmed by their first regular lesson. To everyone's amazement (including Sue's) while she was "teaching" them the dance, she finally "got it"! From that point on, she began dancing 4 nights a week, soaking up hundreds of dances and thousands of song combinations. When a local couple "retired' from teaching a year later, Sue joined the NTA, purchased DJ equipment, got her BMI/ASCAP license and stepped into the gap. Her groups grew rapidly - soon she was teaching 4 to 5 times per week, spread over 5 locations in 3 NJ counties.
With the demands on her time quickly overwhelming her, Sue elected to create a fluid group of trainees and assistants that became known as "The Other Ones". "These people have been, and will always be, the 'backbone' of what we do." states Sue. "People like Judy Crane, (Secretary/Coordinator), Mary Adragna (DJ/Archivist), Tom Daly (Instructor/DJ), Sam Posner, Jan Christie, Samantha Yahnke, and Sue McDole ensure that our group gets its work done week after week." Others, such as Matt Thomson, Jim Syfor, Kim Squero, Ellen Kirchner, Larry Hill, Pete VanStone and Lois Barnes have helped out extensively over the years.
Today, Sue and her group focus their energy into running the NJ dancehall, "Let's Dance in Rockaway" (www.letsdance-rockaway.com). Remembering her own rough start, getting newcomers acclimated is still Sue's passion. With this in mind, an ultra-beginner class called "Starters" occupies the Monday night slot at the hall. Let's Dance caters to both line and partner dancers, with Beginners class on Tuesdays, and mixed Beginner/Intermediate classes on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. In addition, freestyle partner dancing is taught on Thursdays. Of necessity when running a venue of this size, "The Other Ones" group has now spread to encompass Chris MacBurney (Special Events Coordinator), Mike MacBurney (DJ/Webmaster), Martha Reeder (Communications), Bobby Monacelli (DJ), Greg Lockwood, Jon Alves (DJ), Jen Burkhour, Kayla Cosgrove (Instructor), Joyce Monacelli and Wes Jacobus (Instructor).
Stompin' Sue And The Other Ones have taught at numerous dance weekends, including the Mishnock And Friends Country Dance Weekends at Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, NY, Nevelle Grande, Fallsview, and Pike's Peak was well as multiple Florida locations. The Group has choreographed several dances, including "Barrel Me Over", "Makin' Time" and "Roundabout Shuffle".
In her copious amounts of spare time, Sue manages a hospital laboratory and is a highly qualified microbiologist. She and her husband Phil currently reside in Newton, NJ, but are slowly restoring an old Victorian house in Montrose, PA. They are active in animal rescue (they have 9 cats to prove it), and love to travel.