Our delightful vintage dance instructor for the Matt Tolentino/May Crossing
Joan Walton was introduced to the world of Vintage Dance by Richard Powers in 1983 and has not stopped her involvement since. As Assistant Director and dancer with Cincinnati’s Flying Cloud Vintage Dance Troupe for ten years, she performed all over the country, including at the Smithsonian and on the ABC-TV mini-series North and South. Since 1991 she has taught classes in 19th Century, Ragtime, and Jazz Age dance styles at Vintage Dance workshops across the USA, in Paris and the Czech Republic. The recent years have found her teaching in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, Russia.
Her high-energy, focused teaching, theatrical choreographic style and morning warmups have become well known to vintage dancers over the years. As a teacher, her strength lies in her ability to communicate movement concepts to all levels of learners with energy, humor and interest. A keen observer of learning styles, Joan has an ongoing interest in understanding the many ways that people learn to dance.
Teaching on the faculties of San Jose State University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music has produced opportunities to choreograph Vintage Dances, Musical Theatre and award-winning Opera productions. She received a Master’s Degree in Dance Education from Stanford University’s top-rated School of Education, and is currently teaching, choreographing and residing in the San Francisco Bay Area.
