Shoes hold a sacred place in a dancer’s life. From the first time you rise over the box of fresh pointe shoes, hear the clack of metal taps on the floor, or stand in the power of a heel, a meaningful relationship is born. Many dancers’ careers are quite literally supported by the shoes they […]
By age 26, Caleb Teicher already managed to establish themself as a respected dancer, choreographer, and creator. Onstage they are endless energy, all sprawling limbs and nimble feet; off-stage, they are ceaseless creativity, landing commission after commission and collaborating with musicians of every genre. Of course, they learned from the best: Teicher was a founding […]
There’s a new holiday dance tradition in the works, thanks to the genius brain of tapper Michelle Dorrance. Dorrance Dance, her innovative company, is putting its own spin on The Nutcracker, using Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s jazzy version of the classic score and a slew of talented tappers, including Josette Wiggan-Freund as the production’s […]
Dorrance Dance’s Elizabeth Burke’s dynamic technique and intricate musicality have made her a tap-scene standout. A Chapel Hill, NC, native, she trained with the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble, led by her mentor, Gene Medler. She’s an alumna of The School at Jacob’s Pillow and graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with bachelor’s degrees in political […]
Happy Thanksgiving, dance friends! Since today is a day for reflection and gratitude (and eating…so much eating), I asked my fellow Dance Spirit editors to tell me the dance-world things they’re most grateful for. Here’s what they had to say: Courtney Bowers, managing editor: “I’m thankful for Jennifer Garner’s hilarious ballet memes, Michaela DePrince’s super-cool […]
“Imagine if a vocalist sang everything in monotone,” says Michelle Dorrance, whose company will perform its evening-length ETM: Double Down in England and Germany this summer. That’s the equivalent of a performance without a diverse array of flat slaps, deep-bass heel drops and high, tinkly taps—it’s one-note. Tappers “are dancers and musicians, and we have […]
Since founding her company, NYC-based Dorrance Dance, in 2011, Michelle Dorrance has won one major award after another, starting with a Bessie and culminating in 2015’s MacArthur Fellowship. Like most tappers, she’s quick to cite the legends and masters who came before her. But Dorrance’s belief in the power of tap has helped her carve […]