Where M Movement and Music Collide Collaborator, choreographer and dancer: Michelle Dorrance brings her magic to Vail By Katie Coakley
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VAILDANCE.ORG
ichelle Dorrance has thrilled audiences at the Vail Dance Festival with her innovative and infectious style of tap dancing since her first appearance here in 2016; she followed with a tenure as Artist-In-Residence in 2017. A dancer, choreographer, director, teacher and 2015 MacArthur Fellow (among other accolades), Dorrance founded her own company, Dorrance Dance, in 2011. She returns to the Festival this year to perform, collaborate and choreograph. Her energetic Vail schedule will be highlighted by a co-commissioned world premiere from Vail Dance Festival and American Ballet Theatre (ABT) featuring ABT dancers and other Festival artists. The piece debuts on August 6 at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. She’s also bringing The Blues Project to Vail. Featuring original live music from Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely that both supports and drives the explosive energy created by the choreography, The Blues Project is a collaboration between Dorrance, Reagon, Derick K. Grant and Dormeshia SumbryEdwards, that illustrates the relationship between music and movement. The dancers become composers, in solo and group settings, along with the musicians on stage; the resulting composition illustrates the beauty of creation as an individual as well as a set. The Festival is known as a fertile ground for collaboration and relationships are cemented during the weeks of the event, which are packed with activity and opportunity for the artists. Whether functioning as a performer or a choreographer, Dorrance admitted that she never knows what will happen here—that’s part of the magic. “There is an energy in Vail that comes from the environment and the people that sparks creativity and ideas,” Dorrance said. “There are endless possibilities and room for play that is incredibly exciting. Everyone comes with an open mind. We are all students of one another, learning from each other as collaborators. I am so honored to be part of this community.”
The dancers become composers, in solo and group settings, along with the musicians on stage.
Michelle Dorrance, Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely in The Blues Project. Photo by Christopher Duggan.