Dorrance Dance is one big band
"A fresh and innovative show... When “ETM: Double Down” is rocking, Dorrance Dance is one big band."
- The New York Times
ETM: Double Down
Created by Michelle Dorrance and Nicholas Van Young
Michelle Dorrance is one of the most sought-after tap dancers of her generation and “one of the most imaginative tap choreographers working today” (The New Yorker). Under her direction, Dorrance Dance upholds the traditions of tap dance, a uniquely American art form, while propelling them forward rhythmically, technically and conceptually. You've seen her perform with Stephen Colbert on television, now MacArthur "Genius" award recipient Michelle Dorrance and Bessie award-winner Nicholas Van Young bring tap into the age of electronic music in their internationally acclaimed collaboration, ETM: Double Down.
With a musical score triggered by the company of eight dancers' fabulous footwork, ETM: Double Down takes tap to a new level. Tap has always been a way of talking to the stage, but with Van Young's electronic tap boards, the stage is now able to talk back, as every step, swipe and scrape sets off an element of sound - turning the entire stage into a musical instrument. The score is not simply danced to, but danced by the company.
ETM Double Down was created in part during a Creative Development Residency at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, in part at The Yard during a 2015 Yard Offshore Creation Residency, and during a residency provided by The Joyce Theater Foundation with major funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.