Founder-director Marie McCluskey trained in dance at Arts Educational School, London before continuing her studies at the London School of Contemporary Dance (LSCD), then only recently opened. Her experience at LSCD — particularly in terms of creative inspiration and sense of opportunity — informed her vision for Swindon Dance, which she initiated in 1979 with funding from the local authority and the Arts Council.

Her exploration of new directions for dance and other dance-related issues has continued throughout her career. In 1984 she was awarded a Winston Churchill Scholarship to study the training and development of black dancers in New York at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and Dance Theatre Harlem and others. 1993 saw her achieve a cash prize for Swindon Dance in the Digital Dance Awards. In the same year she was awarded an MBE for services to dance.

In addition to leading Swindon Dance, Marie is an active advocate for the art form. She was founding-chair of the Foundation for Community Dance and the Association of Dance of the African Diaspora (ADAD). She has served on numerous dance advocacy, education and policy-related committees, including as a member of the Arts Council's Advisory Committee from 1993-2003. Currently she is a director of the Siobhan Davies Dance Company.