About Valerie Williams
Valerie Williams earns her living in modern dance, musical theater, opera, Renaissance dance and commercial dance. Dancing professionally since 1973 she has performed, choreographed and taught in a wide variety of situations including professional and amateur dance and theater, opera and even marching bands.
Since 1975 she has toured professionally performing, choreographing and teaching throughout North America and Europe with Co'Motion Dance Theater, Musica Antiqua, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co. and the Old Creamery Theater Company.
Valerie Williams directed rehearsals for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co. from 1986-95 on a free lance basis as well as directing rehearsal for the premiere and international tour of Uncle Tom's Cabin/The Promised Land.
She produces an average of three concerts per year for Co'Motion Dance Theater plus the successful Kids' Co'Motion.
Valerie's training includes a broad range of technical study, but her experiences include much more: scholarly reconstructions of Early Dance, advanced study in biomechanics and kinesiology, and running a successful dance company. Valerie has an excellent eye for movement and has coached all ages and experience levels.
Her current work explores what interactive technology can do for dancers. Working from the premise that technology should serve the performers, Valerie collaborates with engineers and composers such as Steve Holland and Ben Allaway to create opportunities for dancers to manipulate the stage envionment. With her programming in
Isadora®, dancers' movements change, initiate, and/or link the sound and projection on stage. For instance, using a camera to track the dancers, a particular piece of music can play when a dancer moves into a specific place on the stage; a wearable sensor
can 'memorize' a particular chord; that same wearable sensor can can allow the dancer to change the quality of the music being played; a dancer holding still can disappear from a projection and reappear upon moving.
Valerie believes in the education of physical, intellectual and spiritual intelligences and has found no other form as fitting as dance and creative movement. Besides constantly seeking to make sure people have a positive experience in dance, Valerie expresses a contagious joy in the art form. She is a frequently requested Artist in AIS/C programs in a nine state region and presents workshops, teacher in-service, seminars and residencies in Creative Movement, Composition, Movement and Curriculum, Biomechanics, Dance Technique.