Teaching What You Want to Learn: A Guidebook for Dance and Movement Teachers

Teaching What You Want to Learn distills the five decades that Bill Evans has spent immersed in teaching dance into an indispensable guide for today’s dance instructor. From devising specific pedagogical strategies and translating theory into action, to working with diverse bodies and embracing evolving value systems, Evans has considered every element of the teacher’s role and provided 94 essential essays about becoming a more effective and satisfied educator. As well as setting out his own particular training methods and somatic practice as one of the world's leading dance teachers, he explores the huge range of challenges and rewards that a teacher will encounter across their career. These explorations equip the reader not only to enable and empower their students but also to get the most out of their own work so they are learning as they teach. This is an essential book for anyone who wants to teach dance and movement, from professional and academic settings to amateur artists and trainee instructors.

Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION I. Notes to Self II. Underpinnings III. Cornerstones IV. Language V. Guidelines and Strategies VI. Body Specificity VII. Anatomical Imagery VIII. Converting Theory into Action IX. Assessment and Variety X. Teaching Dance through The Multiple Intelligences, by guest author Don Halquist

About the Author :
(James William) Bill Evans is a Professor Emeritus at the University of New Mexico and a Visiting Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York College at Brockport. He is the founder of both the Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival and the Evans Somatic Dance Institute, now headquartered in Port Townsend, Washington.

Review :
"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-looked at their own teaching lately!"—Peggy Hackney, author of Making Connections: Total Body Integration 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 journal 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 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, Queens College, New York, USA