workshops & community engagement
you might know dorrance dance for the work we do onstage, but continuing to expand our impact means going beyond the theater. we are deeply passionate about reaching as many local communities as possible through educational opportunities, especially while on tour.
Tap dance Master Classes
Dorrance Dance company members are passionate about education. Students have been known to travel across state borders to participate in classes with our master teachers. Connecting with local tap communities, dance communities, and music scenes is one of the most fulfilling experiences on tour and we tailor classes and workshops to fit a wide range of experiences and ages. Our workshops provide a fun and positive atmosphere for learning new material and techniques while keeping the teachings of our masters alive.
body percussion workshops
This class explores using the body as an instrument through clapping, stomping, and other rhythmic possibilities of the body. Great for beginners to advanced dancers and larger groups, students use their body to explore a wide variety of rhythms and sounds. This class will help participants discover the percussive possibilities of each dancer’s unique instrument and help develop the body’s relationship between music and movement.
“I was blown away because of the way I could feel the music inside and out.”
house/breaking workshops
Dorrance Dance is known for its collaborative approach and cross-genre styles. Usually including repertory excerpts, this class covers the basics of house, breaking, and the intersection of these vernacular forms to percussive dance. We teach the fundamentals of house, including aspects of footwork, floorwork and the importance of a freestyle approach to the form. Underscored in the movement, we also discuss the cultural context in which this form was created and where it continues to thrive.
lecture demonstrations
Dorrance Dance lecture demonstrations help provide poignant context to tap dance’s uniquely American history and evolution. Using rare archival videos, live demonstrations of traditional dances and styles, with narration, company members connect American History as well as the lineage of jazz, blues, and improvisation to their impact on tap dance and our work today. Our lecture demonstrations can be modified to fit many settings (school gymnasium, classroom, or auditorium stage) and call for student participation throughout.
“What I watched I think I will never ever forget, and I don’t think I will ever see anything as precise as that”
student performances
While on tour, the company can present an hour-long version of the mainstage performance for schools or student audiences, and is one of our favorite things to do. This performance for young people features excerpts of the repertory with company members speaking and asking questions during pauses to provide context for the work and impart important elements of tap history. Featuring audience call and response, this performance is known to have students clapping and dancing along in their seats.
“I really got inspired because when you were tap dancing, I was trying to tap dance at the same time you were!”