David Dorfman, William Meredith Professor of Dance and Chair at Connecticut College, received a Guggenheim fellowship in 2005 to continue his research and choreography in the topics of power and powerlessness, including activism, dissidence and underground movements. His research culminated in "Underground", performed by David Dorfman Dance and 25 additional dancers, which had its world premiere at the ADF in June 2006, had its NYC premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival in Nov. 2006 to conclude DDD’s 20th Anniversary season and continues to tour internationally. Dorfman has received 4 fellowships from the NEA, 3 New York Foundation for the Arts fellowships, an American Choreographer’s Award, the first Paul Taylor Fellowship from The Yard, a 1996 Bessie for his community-based dance "Familiar Movements/The Family Project".

2003 David Dorfman was awarded the Barrymore Award for best choreography for the original musical Green Violin - Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, and recently received the Mid-Career Award from the Martha Hill Fund for Dance. "Disavowal", inspired by the legend of John Brown/radical abolitionist, premiered in Chicago in September 2008 and was shown at Danspace Project/St. Mark's Church in NYC in May 2009. "Prophets of Funk - Dance to the Music", DDD’s newest touring creation to the songs of Sly and the Family Stone, has been premiered in Febuary 2011 and will be touring throughout this year.