The power of “Stomp” cannot be denied.

The troupe of eight dancer-percussionists has made its third visit to Lawrence in five years. And so far, the Lawrence community has not tired of its clanging and banging. Already the troupe has performed three sold-out shows this weekend at the Lied Center, and today’s matinee promises to be packed to the rafters, too.

The success of “Stomp” the 9-year-old brainchild of Brits Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas rests on a simple principle: Drumming and movement are at our primal core. We love to keep time with our hands, with our feet, by rapping two sticks together, by snapping our fingers.

“Stomp,” of course, takes that notion to the edge and proves that any old thing can become an instrument to create rhythms and melodies. In the course of a show, the “Stomp” crew’s percussive sounds come from trash cans and lids, wheel rims, battered street signs, brooms, sand, matchboxes, hand brushes and dust pans, metal and plastic drums, poles, basketballs, plastic and paper sacks, cigarette lighters, plastic water bottles, plastic pipe and, yes, even the kitchen sink. Intermingled with those sounds is the choreographed cadence of stomping feet and body slaps.

The performers, dressed in post-industrial garb, connect with the audience, first by dazzling them with their skills and then by their stage personalities. One dancer plays the dupe who is always a bit off or going the wrong way; a woman one-ups her male counterpart and then gives him a so-there nod. Others become standouts with their athletic feats or drumming abilities.

“Stomp,” which ends its run at 2 p.m. today, is 100 minutes of nonstop family entertainment.