Amy Brinkman-Sustache

Who can begin to count the impressions of love, laughter and dance my late colleague Amy Brinkman-Sustache has left on minds, hearts and souls in this world?

Who can count the number of people she brought her gift of dance to, who starting at the age of ten, offered dance lessons in her family kitchen? “We pounded soda caps into our tennis shoes!” she said about those early tap shoes.

And who can measure the grief of all those who have known and loved her, and since receiving the news that she finished her work here on earth, well, way sooner than expected, have been brought to a stunned silence? Amy is too alive not to be living. 

Can’t you just hear her? 

“Listen to me, you’re going to take your angel shoes off, take them and put them where your tap shoes are, take your tap shoes back to your seat and sit criss-cross applesauce and quietly put them on. Okay, go! No running! If you’re going to be a leader you can’t run. Understand?”

She used “her feet to tap out the rhythms of life,” Crocker Stephenson wrote about her in 2005.

Amy turned her love of dance into a career as a performing artist, choreographer, teacher and mentor to countless men, women and children throughout the city and far, far beyond.

She never promoted or talked much about herself. You might not know that as a young woman, Amy competed on National TV, and performed with her husband Gregg Sustache under the stage names of Shabba-Dazz and Sheena. Gregg will tell you she didn’t even get around to opening all the cards she’d received over the years. She was just too busy moving on to the next thing…

Did you know that when her daughter Gabi turned three and started placing tickets for post dinner dance performances beside her parents’ dinner plates, Amy decided it was time for some formal training? So classes for three-year-olds were added to Danceworks’ class schedule and soon enough, along came new Hip Hop classes too. 

When Amy needed something for Gabi to do during the summer, Danceworks Summer Creative Arts Camps were launched, and not too long after that, Danceworks’ School Day Off Workshops followed by Danceworks’ Youth Performance Company.

Did you know that back in the early days of Danceworks’ thirty-two year history, independent artists’ concerts were produced? Amy’s work was among them.

For one of her concerts, Amy brought in Sarah Wilbur and other UWM dancers and a resident dance company was launched. Amy gave it the name, Danceworks Performance Company, with Sarah as Artistic Director. 

When co-founder, Polly Morris, received funding from the NEA for a 50+ Initiative, which brought dance and visual arts to Milwaukee County Senior Sites, it was Amy who said, “Let’s add 50+ Classes to the schedule!” The 50+ tappers and dancers have been inspiring others ever since that it’s never too late to make new connections, start dancing and bring joy to others.

When New York City public schools found success with their students by teaching ballroom dance in their classrooms and the idea came to Milwaukee, Amy said, “Okay, but let’s add Tap too.“ And Danceworks Mad Hot Ballroom and Tap hit the scene serving over 30,000 students.  

As a teacher, Amy would say, “It’s amazing to see a child who normally feels invisible at school put themself out there, learn something new and gain the confidence to be a leader among their peers.”

For the thirty-two years she gave her all to Danceworks, her focus was always on using dance to strengthen the community and make a difference in someone’s life. Creating, connecting and building others up were on her to-do list, every day. 

Amy’s legacy will live on through her daughter Gabrielle (Gabi) Sustache, her family and the countless performers, teachers and students she worked with, trained, mentored and inspired, for generations to come.

Who can count all the lives she will live on through? We love you forever Amy, here’s to you❣️

Memorial service and tribute, August 22, 5PM, Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre, 158 North Broadway

❤️❤️❤️