Joan Gavaler has had an extensive career as a choreographer, performer and teacher, creating over 25 dance works including choreography for The Moving Arts Company, Gavaler Danceworks, Steve’s House Dance Collective, and Gravity Optional Dance Company. Her work has been presented by a variety of organizations including Alliance for Dance and Movement Arts, American College Dance Festival, American Dance Guild, Arts Alive, Artspace Gallery, Beach Blanket Beledi, Canton Ballet, Dance Place, Davis Discovery Center, First Night of Williamsburg, Kilmarnock Center for the Arts, International Congress of the F. M. Alexander Technique, International Dance Festival-NYC, Muscarelle Museum, National Dance Association, Palomar Hotel, Shawnee Nation URB, OhioDance, Old Dominion University, Williamsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Jamestown 2007, and American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Her projects have been supported by grants and matching funds from the Columbus Community Arts Fund, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Ohio Joint Program in the Arts and Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, Westinghouse Foundation, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, and the College of William and Mary.

Professor Gavaler has taught dance technique, improvisation, composition, and Alexander Technique workshops through the Alliance for Dance and Movement Arts, Beach Blanket Beledi, Caravan East, Davis Discovery Center, Days of Creation Arts for Kids, Dickinson College, George Mason University, Iona College, James Madison University, James River Elementary School, Longwood University, The Moving Arts Company, Muhlenberg College, Ohio State University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, York County School of the Arts, and the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.  In addition to her dance and Alexander courses at the College of William and Mary, she regularly serves as a movement advisor/choreographer for theatre productions.  Professor Gavaler is a recipient of the William and Mary 2002 Alumni Fellowship Award for excellence in teaching and was the Distinguished Guest Artist at the 2005 Southern District AAHPERD convention.  She received her M.A. in Dance from the Ohio State University and is an ATI-certified Alexander Technique teacher.  She is a Professor of Dance at the College of William and Mary.