Susan Epstein at an early age worked in her family’s renowned dance retail business, Taffy’s. She earned her BFA in Dance from Southern Methodist University and did graduate work at Case Western Reserve University. After a NYC dance career, Susan joined the family business full time, and is credited with building the business and selling it to the international brand, Capezio. Susan then became an established industry marketing and merchandising consultant for clients like Perform Group, LLC/Curtain Call, and others.  She is a past president of The United Dance Merchants of America and is the founder of the UDMA Dance Resource and Costume Show. With her partner, John Hickey, Susan formed West Park Productions, an Event and Production Management company. Afterwards, she founded Dance Pathways, a website and lecture series that invites the conversation, exploration and commentary on the opportunities for dancers. Currently Susan is the Producing Director of the NYC Dance Deconstructed program at Gibney Dance.  She is also an active member of NDEO, is the Conference Director for  NYSDEA ,  is the Co-Chairperson of UNITY and is a past member of  the board and now an honorary board member of  The National Dance Week Foundation.