Chicago Tap Summit 2005

Robert L. Reed The founder and executive/artistic director of the internationally renowned St. Louis Tap Festival (www.tapheritage.org), which is now looking forward to it’s 15th year. Reed is also the founder of the Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Institute, Inc., a non-profit organization. Robert is a much sought after tap teacher, producer, choreographer, and performer and is Artist-In -Residence at Oklahoma City University ( www.okcu.edu/dance_amgt ). Mr. Reed is proficient at teaching many styles of tap and is the protégé of Maceo Anderson, a founding member of the Four Step Brother dance act. He has a youth professional tap group known as the St. Louis Hoofers Club with members from different states, which have performed in many festivals such as the Duisburg Tap Festival in Germany. The young hoofers reached the semi-finals on Star Search. He was with Riverdance as dance captain and toured as a principle with Incognito in Europe. Reed was a featured artist at the Peg Leg Bates Resort and has toured with Cab Calloway. Mr. Reed has opened for such Luminaries as Sammy Davis Jr., Jerry Lewis, Redd Foxx, Cher, the Smothers Brothers and David Hasselhoff, just to name a very few. He appears in the critically acclaimed Peg Leg Pates documentary “Dancing with the Peg”. He performs and travels worldwide. Robert has hosted his own television in Japan named for him Robert Hall, which recently featured Quentin Tarantino and Brittany Spears as guests. July 31st 2005 was designated as Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Day in St. Louis as declared by the Honorable Mayor Francis Slay.

Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards Bio coming soon...

DERICK K. GRANT (Dancer/Choreographer) A native of Boston, Derick K. Grant has been tapping for 28 years. Under the direction of two time Tony Award winning director George C. Wolfe, he was an original company member and Dance Captain for BRING IN ‘DA NOISE, BRING IN ‘DA FUNK at both The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival and on Broadway. Mr. Grant

recreated Savion Glover’s choreography and starred in the role of ‘da beat for the first National Tour of`` BRING IN ‘DA NOISE, BRING IN ‘DA FUNK. Mr. Grant began his training at the age of two at The Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts, and by the time he was eight years old, he had learned the “ hoofin’ ” style of tap from the master tap dancer Diane Walker. Mr. Grant furthered his training in Los Angeles at Universal Dance Design Studio under the tutelage of the late Paul Kennedy. Mr. Grant spent three years with the Jazz Tap Ensemble touring the world. He is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Upcoming Young Artist as well as The Helen Hayes Award (Washington D.C.) for Outstanding Featured Actor for his role in BRING IN ‘DA NOISE, BRING IN ‘DA FUNK . Mr. Grant also received two Los Angeles Ovation Awards for the recreation of NOISE/FUNK’s original choreography and for best Ensemble performance. Mr. Grant was featured at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ AFRICAN ODYSSEY program, part of the EXPRESIONES LATINAS Festival. He collaborated on a piece that incorporated tap and capoeira with renowned Brazilian artist Nego Gato, which opened the festivities for singer Daniella Mercury. He also choreographed and performed in a piece on the history of tap that launched the BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2001 celebration at Aaron Davis Hall. Recent compositions were featured in The Queens Symphony Opera’s DUKE ELLINGTON CONCERT and in Ann Arbor’s ARTS FESTIVAL. Mr. Derick K. Grant lives in NYC and is the proud father of two…perhaps future tappers. Contact: Bob Duva @ Duva & Associates: 212-243-7845 or Mr. Grant @ 212-945-4890.

Lisa La Touche Originating from Calgary, Lisa La Touche has taken her talent and energy from regional to international levels.  Her pursuits evolved from her studies across Canada and in New York City with influences derived from support and lessons of world renowned teachers such as Bril Barrett, Van “The Man” Porter, Ted Levy, Barbara Duffy, Jason Samuels Smith, and Martin “Tre” Dumas III to name a few. She’s even been so fortunate as to learn from the late great Gregory Hines. Lisa’s performance credits include performing with the Vancouver Tap Society in “Expressions of Rhythm” in association with Van Porter and the Vancouver International Tap Festival, the St. Louis Tap Festival in “All that tap XIII”, the West Coast Tap Dance Collective in “The Spirit of Tap”, and most recently a solo debut in Chicago with M.A.D.D. Rhythms in “M.A.D.D. Rhythms: Unplugged”.  As a teacher, choreographer and adjudicator, Lisa has worked for countless dance schools, workshops/conventions and festivals across the North America.  She teaches for the renowned Jazz company Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, and has recently been a featured choreographer with Dancers Studio West in “Alberta Dance Explosions 2004”, guest choreographer with Vancouver’s Urban Tap Squad, and Calgary’s Encorps Dance Collective.  She has even worked at the international level guest teaching for “New York City Dance School”, and “Gluckerschule” both located in Stuttgart, Germany. Her latest development is with “M.A.D.D. Rhythms Canada” working alongside Bril Barrett and Martin “Tre” Dumas III, where Lisa is both a Founder and the Artistic Director of Calgary’s first tap dance company.  She has just recently produced her first show “Release Yourself” collaborating with many artists from across Canada to spread the awareness of tap dance.  M.A.D.D Rhythms Canada recently had the honor of being featured in the ITA’s “On Tap” with an article about the company pursuits and successes.  Lisa works with many talented Canadian tap dancers working to achieve the goal of promoting and preserving the art of tap dance and bringing it to the next level.  Lisa continuously aims to share her energizing spirit and inspire others with her love for rhythm and dance.

Bril Barrett Bril Barrett is a unique and creative entertainer on the cutting edge of the new renaissance of tap dance. He represents a dramatic surge of young dancers reaching new heights with innovative styles, and good old-fashioned work ethic. Passion is a word that best describes how this rythmaholic attacks his career. Tapping since the age of five, Bril has earned an excellent reputation as instructor, choreographer and dancer. Bril’s mission is to preserve and promote tap dance as a percussive art, to emerge as a representation of the new generation of Hoofers, proving that creativity has no limits, and to serve as a role model showing the youth that perseverance, determination, positivity and passion are the key ingredients to a successful life. Bril’s performance opportunities have included The National and International Tours of Riverdance, The National Tour of Tap Dance Kid, Gregory Hines Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Democratic National Convention of Chicago, The Chicago Human Rhythm Project, The St. Louis Tap Festival, The Detroit Tap Festival and many others. He’s been featured on the TV show “Cupid”, a McDonalds commercial, and is the second tapper to appear in a Coca- Cola commercial. Bril Barrett is also dedicated to giving something back to the community. He’s volunteered performances for the UNCF, the NAACP, the Urban League, and the Chicago Historical Society. In addition to being a part of many community outreach programs, Mr. Barrett toured the schools as Professor “E”. A rappin’, tappin’ professor of electricity who taught children about electrical safety, and was a part of

a new team that created positive, motivational, educational and entertaining performances for children of all ages. Bril is the founder and co-artistic director of M.A.D.D. RHYTHMS. A hot, new and exciting tap company consisting of teens from all over the Chicago land area. He is also one of the founders of M.A.D.D. RHYTHMS CANADA.

MARTIN "TRE" DUMAS III Tre is a native of Chicago and where his is currently co-Artistic Director of M.A.D.D. Rhythms. Tap dancing since the age of 8, Tre first began attracting the tap community’s attention by representing Tommy Sutton’s Mayfair Academy of fine Arts as an instructor at the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. Soon after, Tre was cast in the national touring revival of Broadway's "The Tap Dance Kid" where he first worked with Bril Barrett. Shortly therefore Tre joined Bril’s existing group "Steppin’ Out" and started performing together in numerous tap festivals and events. He was then featured in the North-American, and European tours of "Riverdance" dancing with the show for nearly 3 years. Upon his return to his home town, he continued his association with Mr. Barrett developing a vision that was once an idea into an internationally renowned company, M.A.D.D Rhythms. Within his pursuits Tre has had the privilege of learning from and sharing stages with Dianne "Lady Di" Walker, Robert L. Reed, Van "The Man" Porter, Paris Mann, and George "Mo Leggs" Patterson III among others. He has performed and taught for the St. Louis Tap Festival, the Detroit tap festival, The Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and with M.A.D.D. Rhythms Canada while also working at countless workshop across North America and Europe. This includes a six months teaching excursion in Stuttgart, Germany. With an innovative style and a fun and positive approach to teaching, Tre has become one of the country's brightest up-and-coming tap influences.

Jumaane Taylor Jumaane Taylor is a young tap dancer who has been dancing since the age of 7. He first began tapping at Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre where he now teaches an Intermediate class. This experience has helped broaden his horizon as a dancer. Since then, Jumaane has done numerous performances with ETA Creative Arts Foundation Inc. and won 1st place in The 1st Annual All Chicago Tap Off. Jumaane has performed side by side with Bril Barrett and Martin Dumas III in festivals all over the U. S and has had the opportunity of studying and sharing the stage with Savion Glover, Dianne "Lady Di" Walker, Dr. Jimmy Slyde, Robert Reed, Van "The Man" Porter, Idella Reed, Jeni LeGon, Jay Faygon, Jimmy Payne Jr. and Ted Levy. Jumaane has also traveled to many places such as Oklahoma, Florida, Michigan, and has danced in tap festivals such as the St. Louis Tap Festival and the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. Currently Jumaane is teaching choreography and performing with his crew, M. A. D. D. Rhythms found by Bril Barrett and Martin Dumas III. Together they will teach the world how to tap dance.