Fill Us In: Michelle Dorrance

Welcome to Fill Us In, our rapid fire fill-in-the-blank questionnaire inspired by the famous Proust questionnaire where we take a peek inside the minds of Carolina Performing Arts’ artists.   

In this edition, we’re talking with Chapel Hill native Michelle Dorrance, award-winning tapper and choreographer, and founder and artistic director of Dorrance Dance.

Carolina Performing Arts: What is the best way to start your day?
Michelle Dorrance: With gratitude.

CPA: What is the worst way to start your day?
MD: With regret.

CPA: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
MD: Never forget “the last of the human freedoms.”

CPA: What smell can transport you back to your childhood?
MD: The indefatigable human spirit.

CPA: What is your favorite meal?
MD: A Sunrise Biscuit.

CPA: What thing is necessary for you to make art?
MD: Not enough time.

CPA: Plane, train, bus, or bicycle?
MD: Train.

CPA: If you weren’t an artist, what would your profession be?
MD: A teacher.

CPA: What do you splurge on?
MD: Loved ones.

CPA: What does a perfect “room of one’s own” look like to you?
MD: A wood floor, great sound.

CPA: If you could transform into an animal, what animal would you be?
MD: A soaring bird.

CPA: What advice do you have for artists just starting out?
MD: Do it because you love it, not because you want something from it.

CPA: Ocean, pool, or bathtub?
MD: Ocean.

The Spark with Tift Merritt featuring Michelle Dorrance originally aired on Thursday, April 8, 2021.