A Dorrance Dance Production

The Center Will Not Hold

A Dorrance Dance Production

As a pioneer of new tap dance, Michelle Dorrance has raised the clacking of metal soles to a completely different level. She has always sought an exchange with other styles and contemporary dance. With the New York breakdancer Ephrat Asherie, Dorrance now enters into a dialog with street dance, which, like tap dance, was once created as a subversive form out on the street, rooted in protest and grown through improvisation. A collaboration develops from the reflections of two strong women, while other dancers bring in their own elements such as body percussion, house or Chicago footwork. Set to music by Donovan Dorrance, however, it is not so much about virtuosity or competition: the serious theme of the piece is the current state of the world, where people wear masks to protect themselves. The dialog raises the question of whether the center, the middle of humanity, can hold out - or whether everything will fall apart and our world will plunge into chaos.

The result is a soulful and artful stylistic puzzle with a clear emotional, exciting arc.
The New York Observer

With each Dorrance Dance performance, tap dance expands.
The New York Times

It's not just about flawless technique, battles, outdoing each other and community - though those elements are there, of course. It's also about something else - something softer, a little surreal and very human.
The New York Observer