More Music
A Little Room (Single - 2022)
“A Little Room” premiered as the score to a Dorrance Dance duet, sharing the same name, between Michelle Dorrance and Ephrat Asherie at The Joyce in December, 2023.
“Music has been the most inspiring thing in my life outside of my family, tap family, friends, and teachers. When I first moved to New York, I spent literally all of my money and almost all of my free time seeing live music... Like many others before me, I moved to this city to pursue something that was equal parts my passion and my identity. And I never could have imagined the way this art from and this city would transform me - and I feel the same way about the relationships that have formed because of them. What moves me so deeply in my favorite tap dancers is feeling pure emotional energy moving through a body to make music. That's how I feel about … Ephrat, … each one of my dancers, and our musicians. They inspire me, heal me, push me, thrill me, remind me why we're alive. Thank you all for making me a better artist and human being.” - Michelle Dorrance
Sus’m Out (Single - 2022)
Originally commissioned in 2021 by the University of Utah School of Dance, “Sus’m Out” was written for choreographer Ephrat Asherie for her dance piece “out-side-in”. In October 2022, “out-side-in” had its world premiere with dance company Philadanco as part of their work “Continuum: New, Now, Next”.
"The pandemic was marked by immense moments of loss, reckoning, self-reflection, introspection, and mountains of other emotions, actions and reactions. How we see ourselves, see ourselves in each other, care for each other and thrive together became precious questions for many. This piece reflects on our hopes of moving, uniting, inspiring, breathing and making art together." - Ephrat Asherie
Lo-fi Plagal Motions in B (EP - 2022)
A pandemic project with an awfully pretentious (but accurate) title for what amounts to be one song written four different ways. Listen if you like chill electronic music, hip-hop grooves, quintuplet swing, or "whatever the kids are listening to these days".
Annunciation (Original Film Score - 2021)
“Annunciation” is a score for a short film from 2021 directed by Delaney Plant and featuring cello performances from Robert Willes. The film's poster is a painting by Drew Rane. Each are brilliant artists whose work should be followed closely. Listen if you like dark, baroque themes with a modern twist.
Myelination (2017) by Prawn til Dante
Donovan Dorrance & Gregory Richardson (Prawn til Dante) have been composing and performing with Dorrance Dance, a New York City based tap dance company founded and directed by Donovan’s sister Michelle, since 2014. Most of their work supports a full ensemble of tap dancers but their album “Myelination”, sharing its name with and featuring music from Dorrance Dance’s 2017 show, is intended to stand alone as a groove-based, minimalist, jazz influenced odyssey. Album artwork by Matt Murphy. Dancer on the cover is Byron Tittle.
Additional Credits:
Myelination is an evening-length dance by Dorrance Dance, choreographed by artistic director Michelle Dorrance. Music for Myelination (2015) commissioned by the Charles and Joan Gross Family Foundation. The 2017-2018 creation and presentation of an evening-length version of Myelination is also supported, in part, by a New Music USA project grant. Special thank you to the Guggenheim Works & Process team for the use of their space. This album is dedicated to the amazing group of people that make up Dorrance Dance, including the dancers and musicians, the administrative staff, the production and lighting crew, and especially the artistic director. We wouldn’t have this without you.
Additional Work
This playlist offers an extended glance into my range and interest as a composer beyond my work in dance and film.
For commissions, licensing requests, or more work samples, please email donovan@donovandorrance.com.
Photograph by Diego Quintanar.
