Internationally renowned dance artist, educator, Laban movement analyst, writer and arts advocate Bill Evans will be in residence at Wells College March 4–8, 2018. Evans will teach open master classes in his own modern technique, somatics and tap. All members of the campus and local communities are welcome to attend and experience his masterful teaching methods.
Evans will teach the following master classes on both Tuesday, March 6, and Thursday, March 8:
- Somatics/Bartenieff Fundamentals, 9:25-10:40 a.m.
- Modern, 1:00-2:15 p.m.
- Tap, 2:25-3:40 p.m.
The residency will conclude with an informal studio showing on Thursday, March 8 at 5 p.m. in Schwartz Dance Studio. The master classes and the showing are free and open to the public.
Bill Evans’ career spans over 40 years and more than 20 countries, influencing myriads of dancers and teachers throughout the world. He is currently director of the Bill Evans Dance Company, Bill Evans Rhythm Tap Ensemble and Bill Evans Summer Institute of Dance. He is the recipient of the National Dance Education Organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Dance Teacher magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, among many other awards. Mr. Evans has also spoken before the U.S. Congress on behalf of the American Arts Alliance.
“Professionals like Evans are the very role models our young students need within this current social climate,” said Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Heather Acomb, who trained with Evans and performed in his company; she is now a Certified Evans Teacher and teaches in his summer workshops locally and nationally. “He celebrates and acknowledges diversity. He can show our students how to balance expressivity with connectivity, how to be both stable and mobile, and how to remain grounded and resilient through any life situation.”
In addition to teaching classes, Evans will also be creating a new dance for 15 Wells College students, to be performed in the spring dance concert, April 13–14, 2018.
The In-Residence Grant Program offered by Wells College makes this visit possible.
For more information about Bill Evans, visit billevansdance.org.
