Teachers

Richard Powers is one of the world's foremost experts in American social dance.  He has been researching and reconstructing contemporary and historic social dances for thirty years and is currently a full-time instructor at Stanford University.  Selected by the Centennial Issue of Stanford Magazine as one of Stanford University's most notable graduates of its first century, he was also awarded the Lloyd Dinkelspiel Award for exceptional contributions to education at Stanford. 

In addition to his Stanford responsibilities, Richard is busy teaching workshops across the country, in Europe, and is a popular teacher in Japan where he has returned twenty times to teach workshops. Informative, clear, and with a sense of humor, Richard brings a deep knowledge of dance history and a wonderful philosophy to enhance your dancing experience.

Denver/Boulder has hosted Richard and Angela seven times from 1998-2006 for Waltz, Historic Tango, and Swing weekends.

Joan Walton's high-energy teaching style and ability to communicate movement concepts to all levels of learners have become well known at universities and dance weeks across the country.  As a teacher of Vintage and Historical dance, she has led workshops in Australia, the Czech Republic and all over the United States. 

Joan has created award-winning choreography for both opera and musical theatre, and has performed as a guest artist with the Naples Philharmonic and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestras, dancing Morton Gould's challenging Tap Dance Concerto.  She was also Assistant Director and dancer with Richard Powers' Flying Cloud Vintage Dance Troupe for ten years.  Joan received her Masters degree in Dance Education at Stanford and now teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area. Following her 2004 and 2005 visits to Colorado to teach historic dance in Durango and Ragtime dance in Denver, Joan now brings her expertise to the Avalon.

Angela Amarillas, who has assisted Richard in his classes and workshops for many years, was Stanford University’s first Dance Minor. She is a graceful and knowledgeable dancer who shares Richard's passion for historical and vernacular social dance. Richard and Angela have taught and performed in Rome, Prague, Venice, London, Paris, Provence, and St. Petersburg, as well as across the United States.
 

Tracey Powers was a gymnast in her early years, and then took up dancing as a young adult when she got too old for gymnastics! She has a background in a wide variety of partner dances, including historic 19th and 20th century social dance. She also specializes in Irish dance, having researched, taught, and performed a variety of Irish social dances, as well as being fluent in Irish step dance and ballet. Tracey brings contagious exuberance to all who dance with or nearby her on the dance floor. We welcome Tracey to her first Colorado dance weekend!

How does our team of Bay Area teachers connect? Richard and Joan have been collaborating and teaching together for twenty years...Angela has been partnering Richard in his workshops for fifteen years...Tracey has partnered Joan in waltz, redowa, and mazurka classes for the past two years...Richard and Tracey married in 2005 and have been dancing together and living happily ever after since!