Founders Bio
Dance
William’s path as an educator and designer of training equipment began with his profound dedication to achieving technical excellence as a dancer. Throughout his career in Modern Dance, he performed nationally and internationally with companies such as Elisa Monte/David Brown, the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, Douglas Dunn and Dancers, the Tunisian National Ballet, among others. His experience as a performer continues to inform both his approach to teaching and his design philosophy.
EDUCATOR
William has been privileged to share his knowledge with students and peers since the earliest days of his dance career. He has taught contemporary modern dance internationally, including programs in Russia, throughout Europe, North Africa, and across the United States. His teaching in Pilates began in 1984 at the California Institute of the Arts under the guidance of Ron Fletcher. In 1987, he became the first instructor hired after Juliu Horvath and Hilary Cartwright to teach what was then known as the White Cloud Method (1987–1999). From 2000 to 2020, Bill devoted himself to integrating the diverse movement lineages that shaped him into the comprehensive body of work now known as the Shen Tao Approach.
ACCREDiDATION
In addition to holding a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts, William has earned degrees and certifications in Anatomy and Kinesiology, Laban Movement Analysis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Ericksonian Hypnosis, Myofascial Restructuring, and multiple advanced modalities of Deep Tissue Bodywork.
DESIGNER
William’s background in equipment fabrication is deeply rooted in hands-on experience. Raised with a practical understanding of building and design, he constructed his first Pilates machine in 1986. From 1987 to 2000, William apprenticed under Juliu Horvath, contributing to equipment fabrication, construction, maintenance, and repair. In 2000, Juliu entrusted William with his personal woodshop and encouraged him to develop his own line of training equipment. Over the past 25 years, William has designed and fabricated hundreds of prototypes, continually refining the Shen Tao catalog. The equipment featured on this website represents the most advanced and versatile results of that ongoing evolution.
DEVELOPER
One of William’s core strengths is his ability to identify the shared, underlying principles that connect multiple complementary disciplines. His work has been driven by a deep inquiry into the common factors that support meaningful change—whether in neurophysiology, movement, psychology, or emotional well-being. His mission has been to organize and develop this body of work in a way that allows it to be passed forward—equipping the next generation of movement innovators, educators, and explorers.
The Barge Years
