Teaching What You Want to Learn

Bill Evans has danced—tap, ballet and modern dance-- throughout his 86 years of life. He founded a professional company that toured throughout all 50 states in 1975, and founded a summer institute of dance, which is still ongoing, in 1977. Evans is emeritus professor at the University of New Mexico and SUNY Brockport. He is a recognized leader in dance and somatic movement education and founded the world’s first somatic dance festival in 2013.

"BRAVO, BILL! You have given all of us educators a valuable gift by delineating your open humanitarian approach to teaching! You have passed on vital information that needs to be available for all new teachers of dance, as well as for long-time professionals who might not have re-examined their own teaching lately!”—Peggy Hackney, world leader in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies and author of Making Connections: Total Body Connectivity through Bartenieff Fundamentals“An abundance of insight, gathered over a lifetime of teaching, choreographing, and performing. Evans provides a treasure trove of examples of incorporating effective practices and language, including that of images, prompts, anatomical clarity, all given to support deepening our students’ experience of themselves dancing. Evans’ personal journey through a long career of teaching dance while maintaining and generating enthusiasm and openness is an inspiration to fellow teachers to continue to grow and learn. His insights are specific, life affirming and useful. A rich resource for both new and experienced dance teachers. An inspiration. Wise and generous.”—Claire Porter, renowned Guggenheim Fellow, choreographer, writer and performance artist“Teaching What You Want to Learn, is a series of short, accessible and enlightening essays that celebrate the transformational power of critical thinking. Evans advocates for teaching the whole dancer by nurturing their intellect, emotions and physicality. A personal favorite are the For Your Consideration questions at the end of each essay that invite the reader to reflect on their own learning experience and how to enact change. A must read for anyone who values the learning process and is interested in teaching dance!”—Edisa Weeks, Bessie recipient, choreographer, performer and professor of dance at Queens College, New York, USA

• 1. THE BACKSTORY 2. NOTES TO SELF 3. UNDERPINNINGS 4. CORNERSTONES 5. WORDS MATTER 6. BODY WISDOM 7. TEACHING GUIDELNES AND STRATEGIES 8. BODY SPECIFICITYAND FUNCTUIONAL ANATOMY 9. ANATOMICAL IMAGERY 10. CONVERTING THEORY INTO ACTION 11. FEEDBACK, ASSESSMENT AND SYLLABI 12. SUPPORTING DIVERSE LEARNERS, 13. TEACHING DANCE AND MOVEMENT THROUGH THE MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCEES. CONCLUSION