memorial hall
the center will not hold
a dorrance dance production

The Center Will Not Hold was born from “a little room,” a short duet created and performed by Ephrat Asherie and Michelle Dorrance in December 2022. The expanded and reimagined work now includes a collective of performers deeply rooted in one or many of the following street, club, and vernacular dances: House, Breaking, Hip Hop, Tap Dance, Chicago Footwork, Detroit Jit, Litefeet, Memphis Jookin, and Body Percussion.  

The work features original music composed by Donovan Dorrance with live percussion by world class drummer/percussionist, John Angeles.

emerson cutler majestic theatre
the center will not hold
a dorrance dance production

The Center Will Not Hold is an expanded and reimagined work born from a little room, a short duet created and performed by Michelle Dorrance and Ephrat Asherie in December 2022. The piece now features a collective of singular performers (including Michelle Dorrance and Ephrat Asherie) deeply rooted in one or many street, club, and vernacular dances including house, breaking, hip-hop, tap dance, Chicago Footwork, Detroit Jit, Litefeet, Memphis Jookin, and body percussion. The work features original music composed by Donovan Dorrance and live percussion by world-class musicians.  

bluma appel theater
the center will not hold
a dorrance dance production

Born from a little room, a short duet created and performed by Ephrat Asherie and Michelle Dorrance in December 2022, The Center Will Not Hold is now an expanded and reimagined work that includes a collective of singular performers deeply rooted in one or many of the following street, club, and vernacular dances: house, breaking, hip hop, tap dance, Chicago footwork, Detroit jit, litefeet, Memphis jookin, and body percussion. The work features original music composed by Donovan Dorrance with live percussion by world-class drummer/percussionist, John Angeles.

Jacob’s pillow, ted shawn theatre
the center will not hold
a dorrance dance production

Jacob’s Pillow fan favorites and close collaborators Michelle Dorrance and Ephrat Asherie kick off Festival 2025 with a lively celebration of street, club, and vernacular dances, born from their many years of creating together. Originally crafted in 2022 as a short duet, The Center Will Not Hold premiered as a 30-minute piece at New York City Center’s 2023 Fall For Dance Festival.​​ Now, in this reimagined evening-length work, Dorrance and Asherie offer an eclectic ensemble of 11 performers, each deeply rooted in regional music and movement—from tap dance and hip hop to breaking, house, Chicago footwork, Detroit jit, litefeet, Memphis jookin, and body percussion. The Center Will Not Hold features original music composed by Donovan Dorrance with live percussion by world-class drummer and percussionist John Angeles.

6/25, 6/26 & 6/28- 7:30PM Performance
6/27, 6/28 & 6/29- 2:00PM Performance

colours international dance festival
the center will not hold
a dorrance dance production

As a pioneer of new tap dance, Michelle Dorrance has elevated the clacking of metal taps to an entirely new level. She has always sought to engage with other styles and with contemporary dance. Now, in collaboration with New York breakdancer Ephrat Asherie, Dorrance enters into a dialogue with street dance, which, like tap dance, originally emerged as a subversive form on the streets, rooted in protest and growing through improvisation. From the reflections of these two strong women, a connection develops, and other dancers contribute their own styles, such as body percussion, house, or Chicago footwork. Set to music by Donovan Dorrance, the piece is not about virtuosity or competition. It has a more serious theme, namely the current state of the world, where people wear masks to protect themselves. Dialogue gives rise to the question of whether the center, the middle of humanity, can hold – or whether everything will break apart and our world will plunge into chaos.