PHCC's Sue Ann Ehmann is internationally recognized choreographer

Sue Ann Ehmann is an Executive Assistant at Patrick Henry Community College, but she is also a globally recognized contemporary line dance choreographer.

Contemporary line dance is a repeating routine that is typically danced in rows and does not require a partner.  It can be choreographed to any genre or rhythm and for different levels of familiarity – from beginners to advance dancers.

Ehmann began dancing in 1990.  From the very beginning, she would eagerly share what she knew with her friends and co-workers. Only months after her she was introduced to line dancing, she began to choreograph and perform her own dances. After almost two decades, Ehmann continues to learn, teach and choreograph.

The first time Ehmann taught and performed a dance she had choreographed was with her coworkers at their office Christmas party.  Now, Ehmann teaches at conventions and venues throughout the region.

One venue Ehmann teaches at on a regular basis is PHCC.  She offers five week, non-credit courses throughout the semester for both beginners and intermediate dancers. Anyone can sign up for only $25.

When Ehmann is asked why she dances, why she teaches or why people would want to take her course, she responds with the same answer for each question: “It’s fun!”

For Ehmann, teaching dance is like inviting people to come have fun, let go of worries and get a work out in an enjoyable way. 

“When you get the steps, when the music is fun, when you’re lost in the dance - forgetting the day’s troubles - it just makes feels you good,” explained Ehmann.

Ehmann’s passion for dance and for sharing fun carried her from dancing at an office Christmas party to teaching at regional conventions such as the Big Bang Dance Classic in Charlotte and the Virginia Line Dance Festival in Fredericksburg.  Recently, Ehmann was invited to instruct at the 2017 Fort Wayne Dance for All held in Ft. Wayne, Indiana every March. 

Ehmann taught at the Big Bang Dance Classic earlier this year. The Big Bang Dance Classic, which Ehmann has staffed for the past four years, is a three-day dance convention that attracts dancers and instructors from across the nation and around the world. 

“For me, when I go to these events it’s like attending a family reunion. I get to connect with people from all over who have the same passion about dance that I have.”

Through teaching and sharing her choreography at events like the Big Bang Dance Classic, the Virginia Line Dance Festival and through online line dance communities, Ehmann has amassed a world-wide following. According to Ehmann, members of line dance communities throughout the world look for her new dances and share them with those they teach.

She has had three of her dances featured in Linedancer Magazine – which originates in the United Kingdom and is read globally – most recently in the March 2016 issue.

Ehmann also shares her love of dance with the community around her through her Contemporary Line Dance classes such as the ones that she teaches at PHCC. Ehmann will begin her next series of classes on March 24. Classes will take place on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30pm. To register, call (276) 656-0260 or go to https://ph.augusoft.net/.