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I have really enjoyed researching Michelle Dorrance over these past couple of weeks. I have learned a lot about her and have been inspired as a tapper myself to continue to push my training. I hope that one day I can take class with Michelle because this research has made such a strong impact on me. Not only is she an amazing tapper, but she is a strong, female role model for young inspired tappers like myself. How she runs her own company and all of the accomplishments she's had, wanting to stay true to herself and the roots of tap. I love how Michelle always wants to pay tribute to those she's learned from and who inspires her. Michelle working with the American Ballet Theatre. Inspiring up and coming tappers at Chapel Hill.  One thing that Michell has taught me thorough this research is that there are not limits. You shouldn't set boundaries on what can and can not be done in a dance, especially tap. One thing that I really admire about Michelle is how she is a...
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The Big Picture

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Michelle Dorrance has collaborated with many different artists to create many meaning pieces of work. Just the fact that she is a woman has a significant meaning in itself. If you do a google search for famous tap dancers, your top 5 results will be all men; Fred Astaire, Bill Robinson, Howard Sims, Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. Tap has a long history of being dominated by men. Dorrance really strives to be an influence for female tappers and to help break that stigma that only males can be successful in tap. The form of tap was created from both slave and immigrant communities of the US. Parts pulled from dance rhythms of Africa and others from Irish jigs. Now days there are many kinds of tap. Street/ rhythm tappers or Broadway more musical theatre tap. All are pulling from the same steps, just adding a different style and almost character to it. As for Michelle's style, she brings a much more contemporary approach. You'll notice in her work that she uses a lot more m...
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Artistic Leacy

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"I have had the honor of studying with and spending time with a great number of our tap maters before they passed away" says Michelle Dorrance at the 2012 Danspace Project. Dorrance has had the opportunity to train with tappers such as Clayton "Peg-Leg" Bates, Dr. James "Buster" Brown, Gregory Hines and the Nicholas Brothers.  In the 2012 Danspace Project, Dorrance's goal was to honor those tap masters, living and passed. A lot of the work that Michelle creates is inspired by those she has trained with. "I would also like to honor our living maters whom I am constantly influenced by" say Michelle. In Michelle's 2013 show SOUNDspace, she talks about how she is exploring new ideas but are also "constantly mindful of our rich history". Dorrance's inspiration to do slide work in socks came from Dr. Jimmy Slyde.  "In order to tap dance on the gorgeous wood floor you see here in the church, we had to turn away fr...
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Introduction to Michelle Dorrance

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Michelle Dorrance was born on September 12th, 1979 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dorrance was raised by her mother, M'Liss Gary Dorrance who was a former dancer with the Eliot Feld's American Ballet Company and the National Ballet of Wasington D.C and her father Anson Dorrance who is the current coach of the UNC Women's Soccer team. When Dorrance was 8, she joined what was known at the time The Children's Tap Company, now known as the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble. Through this company, Dorrance had the chance to meet many tap legends. Over the years she began to train with tappers such as Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates, Gregory Hines, Jimmy Slyde, Savion Glover, Brenda Bufalino and many more. Dorrance is now well known for her acknowledgement as a MacArthur fellow when she was awarding with the "Genius Grant" and for founding and artistic directing the Dorrance Dance. She is an American tap dancer, performer, choreographer, teacher and director...
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