Austin Patton is a local musician and artist specializing in dance accompaniment, and found object sculpture. He has had the privilege and pleasure of working with many great artists both in and outside the dance community. Austin especially enjoys exploring the interplay between music and movement, feeling that these disciplines are interconnected, and often can have a profound influence on one another: "Music, dance, and art are universal. They help us understand our culture, express ourselves, and aid in interpreting the world around us." Austin's previous collaborations with CD/FW include Sculpture Dance traveling performance events at NorthPark Center, special family festival events at the Kimbell Art Museum and the Dallas Museum of Art, and appearances in "Dance Delivered" lecture-performances at area public schools targeting primarily at-risk student populations. He has served as a dance accompanist for the TCU School for Classical & Contemporary Dance and for Bill Evans workshops hosted by CD/FW.

Evans has uniquely woven his work as a professional choreographer/performer with a career in dance education. Since 2004 he has served as visiting professor/guest artist in the Department of Dance at the SUNY College at Brockport. Between 1967 and 2004, he was based at four state universities: the University of Utah (choreographer/dancer/artistic coordinator with Repertory Dance Theatre and then assistant professor in Department of Modern Dance); the University of Washington (his professional Bill Evans Dance Company was in residence and he served as visiting professor of dance); Indiana University (BEDCO was in residence and he served as associate professor and director of contemporary dance); the University of New Mexico (BEDCO was in residence and he served as full professor and head of dance). The Evans Company is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Evans has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, the National Dance Education Organization Lifetime Achievement Award, the New Mexico Governor's Award for Achievement and Excellence in the Arts, the Outstanding Service Award from the National High School Dance Festival, the Dance Teacher Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award and the Scholar/Artist of the year award from the National Dance Association, as well as numerous grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and other public and private arts agencies. Since 1976, he has produced his own summer dance intensives, for thousands of participants. Since 1999, he has conducted the Bill Evans Summer Dance Teachers’ Intensives and Certification Program in the Evans Laban-Based Modern Dance Technique.

His investigations of Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals began in 1976, when Peggy Hackney joined his dance company. He is certified by both the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Students in New York City and Integrated Movement Studies at the University of Utah.

Evans made previous appearances in the Modern Dance Festival at The Modern in 2010 and 2012. This summer he brings his Bill Evans Summer Institute of Dance to Fort Worth for the 3rd time, leading a special workshop for advanced/professional dancers/teachers, July 26-30 in Fort Worth. CD/FW is presenting the workshop with sponsorship from the TCU School for Classical & Contemporary Dance.

Don Halquist is chairperson of the Department of Education and Human Development at The College at Brockport, State University of New York. He has been a member of the Bill Evans Dance Company since 1985, touring throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico, Finland, France, Hungary, Australia and New Zealand. He has also danced the works of Bella Lewitzky, Claire Porter, Darwin Prioleau and Peter Pucci, among others. He has performed with the New Mexico Ballet and St. Louis Dancers and in the companies of many independent choreographers.

He is a Certified Teacher of Evans Laban-Based Method of Teaching Modern Dance Technique, which he has taught at the University of New Mexico, The College at Brockport, Winnipeg's School of Contemporary Dancers and in Evans Intensive Summer Workshops. He has presented workshops and master classes at private studios, performing arts high schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States as well as parts of Canada, Europe and Mexico. His choreography has been performed by dance and theatre companies in New Mexico, Illinois, Wyoming, New York, Maryland, and Ohio.

Through his work as a faculty member for the Evans Summer Institute of Dance and Evans Teacher Intensives he has developed a curriculum for teaching dance through the theory of multiple intelligences. His research has appeared as chapters in several books and in journals such the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. He has served as a keynote speaker at dance education conferences in New Mexico and Florida, and has presented his scholarship at national and international conferences including annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO).

Halquist has made previous appearances in the Modern Dance Festival at The Modern in 2010 and 2012, and he will also make a return appearance as a faculty member for the Fort Worth edition of the Bill Evans summer workshop in Fort Worth, July 26-30, where he will be teaching Evans repertoire, along with leading seminars in pedagogy.

Diehl began her professional dance career as a founding company member of Rochester City Ballet (formerly Draper Dance Theater) and has danced with Bill Evans Dance Company, Present Tense Dance, Biodance, Treeline Dance Works and Anne Burnidge and Dancers. Diehl holds an MFA in Performance and Choreography from The College at Brockport and an MSW from Case Western Reserve University and has been teaching in higher education since 2007 as an adjunct lecturer and visiting professor. She currently teaches dance studies at University of Rochester, Nazareth College, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Diehl has choreographed works for several universities including The College at Brockport, Webster University, and HWS Colleges and has presented her choreography at the American Dance Guild Festival, WAXworks, 60x60 Dance, and Converge Dance Festival. She is the director of Rochester Dance Project, a collaborative group formed not only to build the dance audience in Rochester by providing more opportunities for choreographers to present work, but also to offer dance artists affordable classes and additional performance opportunities. This is Diehl's first appearance in the Modern Dance Festival at The Modern (as both performer and choreographer) and also her first appearance as guest faculty during the Fort Worth edition of the Bill Evans Summer Institute of Dance, July 26-30, when she will teach "Ballet Technique for Modern Dancers."

Porter has performed PORTABLES internationally, with appearances in India, Germany, Holland, England, Latvia, and Korea. Porter's U.S. work is extensive. In the New York City area, Porter has presented PORTABLES at Danspace (St. Mark’s Church), PS 122, Joe’s Pub, Dance Theater Workshop, The Kitchen, The Joyce Theater, Joyce SOHO, 92nd St. Y, Town Hall, The Bottom Line, The NY Horticulture Society, Liberty Science Center, and New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

PORTABLES has also showcased at the American Dance Festival, The Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy, Bates Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow, Florida Dance Festival, The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theater DC, Tampa Bay Off Center Theater, Duncan Theater Palm Beach FL, Center Stage Raleigh NC, The Southern Theater Minneapolis MN, The Yard on Martha's Vineyard, and others. Porter performed at the opening of the Peter Eisenman Building at the University of Cincinnati, was the hostess-comedienne-scene changer for the Minnesota Composers Forum's New Music Concert, performed for Mikhail Baryshnikov's 2009 GALA, set a solo on Kansas City Ballet, has appeared on staircases, boats, backyards, gyms, classrooms, airports, humor festivals, museums, and soap boxes and is currently performing Namely, Muscles at festivals, conferences, theaters, medical schools and universities around the U.S.

Porter has received several National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowships, New Jersey State Council for the Arts Choreography Fellowships, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Awards and Commissions from Dance Theater Workshop’s First Light Project, The 92nd St Y Harkness Dance Festival, Art Matters, VOGUE Magazine, University Dance Companies, and Domino's Pizza Company. Porter taught courses in Laban Movement Analysis and Choreography at Columbia Teachers College, Case Western Reserve University, Grand Valley State College, NYU's Dance Education Program, Connecticut College, Manhattanville College, and at HOPE College MI. She teaches her No Nonsense Workout in Bergen County NJ and serves on the Board of DanceNJ. Porter has an MA in Dance from Ohio State, a BA in Mathematics from The College of New Rochelle, is a Laban Movement Analyst, and is represented by PENTACLE/DanceWorks NYC.

North Texas audiences may remember the humorous duet In Gloves which she created for William (Bill) Evans and Don Halquist, which was featured in the 2012 Modern Dance Festival at The Modern. Since that appearance, Porter was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013.

You can read more about her work at www.cportables.com.

Artistic Director, Verlezza Dance. Kent State University, Guest Instructor (2007). He holds an M.F.A. (Dance) from the University of Michigan (1979), a B.A. (Dance) from the State University of New York at Brockport (1977) and an A.A. degree from Orange County Community College, NY, (1975). He danced professionally with the May O'Donnell Dance Company in New York City from 1979-1988 and with the Joyce Trisler Danscompany, Glenn-Lund Dance, Sophie Maslow, Norman Walker and Janet Soares/Dances among others. In 1988, he established his own company comprised of former O'Donnell, Maslow and Trisler dancers entitled, Verlezza Dance. He has choreographed, directed and taught for many companies, including the Joyce Trisler Danscompany (NYC) and Joffrey II (NYC). Sabatino taught at Marymount Manhattan College, NYC (1992-1994) and Dowling College, New York (1988-1994) and has been guest artist/faculty at numerous universities. In 1994, he became Artistic Director/Choreographer for Dancing Wheels, where he also served as principal dancer and faculty member until 2003. Sabatino with Barbara were the 2003 recipients of the Northern Ohio Live Achievement Award in Dance. As Artistic Director and choreographer of Verlezza Dance, he continues present lecture/performances and main stage concerts as well as teaching classes, workshops/residencies. With Barbara, he co-directs/instructs the Creative Movement/Dance program at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation and the Euclid Adult Training Center for senior adults with developmental, physical and sensory disabilities. In 2005, Sabatino established a partnership with the City of Shaker Heights and the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland where he opened a studio, School of Verlezza Dance, offering classes with a full range of curriculum, age and ability levels for students with and without disabilities. A certified Pilates instructor,he extends his teaching approach to broaden his philosophy of arts and wellness. The Verlezzas are recipients of the CCBMR/DD Inclusion Award (2003, 2008). Verlezza Dance is a 2008 Ohio Governor's Award Nominee.

Michele Manley Hanlon is Co Artistic Director of Elledanceworks Dance Company of Dallas, TX. She received her BFA in Dance form the University of Arizona and MFA in Modern Dance from Texas Christian University and has been a performer, choreographer, and teacher in the Metroplex since 1988. Before coming to Texas she performed with Orts Theater of Dance and Tenth Street Danceworks in Tucson, Arizona. In Texas, she has danced as a company member of the Dance Consortium, Dancers Unlimited Repertory Company, and Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth. Among organizations that have commissioned or purchased her works are Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth, Collin County Community College, Pieces Dance Company, Newman Smith High School, and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Hip-Pocket Theater. Her work has been presented by The 5th International Internet Dance Festival, The Scandinavian Dance Congress in Kedja, Oslo, The Stadt Museum in Dusseldorf, Germany, The Dallas Museum of Art, The Dallas Morning News Dance Festival, the Nasher Sculptural Center, Fort Worth Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth Dance Festival, Dallas Dance Gathering, The Movement Source Dance Company (AZ), New Arts Collective, University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Christian University, Mesquite Civic Ballet, The Phoenix Museum of Art (AZ), and in many independently presented dance concerts. Her teaching credits include University of Texas at Dallas, TCU, Collin College, Dallas Independent School District, and Las Cruces Chamber Ballet (NM). Michele is a Professor of Dance at The University of Texas at Dallas where she also serves as the Assistant Director for the Arts.

Delanie Bitler has a BS Degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. She is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School where she trained exclusively in dance. She has also studied at numerous schools including Dallas Black Dance Theater, Chamberlain Ballet, and Ballet Concerto in Fort Worth. She is a Realtor with Ebby Halliday, REALTORS. She has two children and a loving husband that provide endless support for her artistic adventures. This is her tenth season with Elledanceworks.

Jennifer Dennison has been dancing for over twenty-six years, beginning at the age of four under Gwen Owens of London School of Dance. It wasn't until college that this hobby became her passion. Since then she has had many opportunities dancing in the Collin Dance Ensemble at Collin College under the direction of Tiffanee Arnold, and with Micki Saba and Michele Hanlon in the UTDance Ensemble at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has participated in many intensive workshops and residencies from such artists as Riverdance, Pilobolous Too, Battleworks, and O-T-O Dance where she studied the art of aerial dance. This is her sixth season with Elledanceworks.

Tracy Kennedy received her Bachelors degree in dance at the University of California-Irvine. Her dance studies include work with Donald McKayle, Albert Reid of the Merce Cunningham company, and dance workshops in London. She is currently teaching and subbing in dance classrooms within the public school system. This is Tracy's twelfth season with Elledanceworks.

Mel Mobley is the Head of Music Composition and Theory at the University of Louisiana at Monroe where he currently holds the Biedenharn Endowed Professorship in Music. As composer, conductor, performer, and advocate of new music, Mel has been part of numerous premieres around the country. He has been featured as a performer and/or composer at contemporary music festivals including BONK in Tampa, FL; FunNewMusic in Champaign, IL; the Electro-Acoustic Juke Joint Festival in Cleveland, MS; and the SEAMUS National Convention in San Jose, CA. He has had recent premieres performed by the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, The Black Bayou Brass Trio, and the ULM Wind Ensemble. His work "Covering" will be released by PARMA Recordings this fall on compact disc and the NAXOS database. He also performs with several regional symphonies and with his percussion ensemble, The Implosion Percussion Group.

Dr. Mobley is a member of the National Composer's Association, USA (NACUSA); the Louisiana Composers' Consortium (LCC); the Southeastern Composers' League (SCL); and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).