Susan McGuire has moved around a lot: Cleveland, New York, London, Berlin -- and that's not counting when she was on tour.

But the last time McGuire boarded a plane back to the Hoosier state from New York -- her home for many years -- the veteran dance professional, who has been teaching at Butler University since 2004, realized that Indianapolis finally felt like home.

Which makes the tall, former member of the Martha Graham and Paul Taylor dance companies one of Central Indiana's most experienced modern dancers.

A former ballerina who took a chance on modern dance at her husband's insistence, McGuire brings Butler a slice of dance life that could only come from someone who has reconstructed Taylor's work for American Ballet Theatre, coached at the nation's top festivals and led the artistic side of the London Contemporary Dance School.

Descended from a family of teachers, McGuire said she is looking forward to a fall schedule packed with classes and long hours in the dance studio -- despite a recent battle with sciatica, a painful nerve condition.

At 64, McGuire still follows the advice she gives many of her students: "Never give it up."

Question: In the 1960s, you had a career dancing for a regional ballet company and teaching ballet in Cleveland. Why did you decide to move to New York at age 27, after seeing the Martha Graham and Paul Taylor companies on tour in Ohio?

Watching the Woman in White from Martha Graham's "Diversion of Angels" (a 1948 piece, contrasting three aspects of love) was an epiphany for me. That was the piece I saw in Cleveland that changed my mind about what kind of dancer I wanted to be. Years later, I had the great privilege of dancing that role on the stage at Covent Garden in London.

I expect a lot of girls dream of becoming professional dancers. What.made the difference for you that allowed you to actually build a dance career?

It was one of those fortunate circumstances where you absolutely must do it. It was not something I decided. It was not something I could leave alone. I could not live without it. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it's true.

How tall are you, and has your height had an impact on your career, either with Graham or Taylor?

I'm 5-8. Certainly, Martha had roles for tall women -- the White Woman in "Diversion of Angels," the Chorus in "Cave of the Heart," the Pioneer Woman in "Appalachian Spring." I think height definitely was an advantage there. Paul Taylor had a lot of varying physical types in his company. There were a lot of magnificent, tall men, so I was never without a partner.

Certain books on Graham describe her.as a big, dramatic personality who had certain challenges in life, such as alcoholism. What was she really like to work with?

Martha Graham was a revolutionary against the ballet world. She changed the American theater -- not just dance. She really had an extraordinary impact on stage movement. She also had insight into the human psyche.

She was quite a small person, but had a huge presence. I am not one of those people who has ESP, but you could always tell when she was in the room.

She had been at her worst (with alcoholism) before I joined the company. At the time I did join, it was like everything rose from the ashes.

How about Taylor?

Paul Taylor was part of the Graham company and.went out on his own, and he took the opposite approach. He was Southern, and had fought as Graham had, but in a different way. He was also a.kind of down-home, Southern kind of being.

I was fortunate that I joined the Taylor company in 1977, at the beginning of what is now called his golden age. It was the era of David Parsons, so there was a very strong contingent of men. I think Taylor really liked the idea of having more people in the company at that time.

What about your family?

You have to know I have been married to the same man, Ulf Goebel, for 40 years -- well, we have been together for 40 years and married since 1972. I have a.grown son, Michael McGuire, who is 44 years old. He's an actor who lives.in New York and also works for a limousine service. He has performed almost entirely in off-Broadway productions.

Did your husband move with you to New York and London and back?

He has traveled with me. In fact, he was the catalyst that convinced me to go to New York. Without him, I'm not sure I would have.

Is the dancer's life hard on marriages and other relationships?

I think the dancer's life is hard on relationships, and dancers often won't commit to relationships until they retire, or until they're close to their retirement -- unless it's someone in the same company. I knew one married couple in the Taylor company. But I think it is the exception to be married to someone for a long time while performing.

Has your husband been interested in your work through the years?

Absolutely -- every aspect of my work, whether it has been teaching, choreography or dancing. He fell so in love with it that he took dance lessons himself. He was in political philosophy at that time, so it was quite a jump for him. This didn't last very long, because he has no talent in this area, but he has a deep understanding of dance. He has always been my biggest fan and my sharpest critic.

A few years ago, there was a TV commercial about a dancer who kept in shape past a certain age with help from a particular product. What do you do to stay in shape?

I think there were two of those commercials. They were for painkillers, no doubt! It's a struggle because your body is rebelling, and you don't have the flexibility you once did. To help stay in shape, I get on the elliptical three times a week for 30 minutes. I do strength exercises, and I do a lot of work at the ballet barre. Ballet is my first language, so my body understands the commands I give it, even though it can't do everything it used to do.