Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT), now celebrating its 20th anniversary season, is proud to announce that Sterling Harris (he/him/his) has been promoted to a new position, artistic associate, at Chicago Tap Theatre. CTT Company Member and Production Manager Molly Smith (they/them/theirs) assumes the role of rehearsal director vacated by Harris. They come to the organization with years of experience teaching, performing and choreographing.
Harris’s new role recognizes the quality of the work he has consistently brought to CTT and both solidifies some of his earlier duties while giving him a greater artistic voice in the organization. Most crucially, he will be focused on the internal development of the dancers, with a special focus on expanding their improvisation ability. This will supplement the weekly technique classes taught by Artistic Director Mark Yonally (he/him/his).
“What I am most excited about is to see what Sterling does with the opportunity to create his own show,” said Artistic Director Yonally. “Having watched and listened to his musically sophisticated, compositionally satisfying work in our shows, I can’t wait to see what he does with a full-length show premiering in June of 2023. We are very much endeavoring to give him any resources he needs to bring his vision to life, including rehearsal time, musicians and a budget for lights,sets and props.”
ABOUT STERLING HARRIS, ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE
Sterling Harris, a Chicago native, fell in love with tap at the age of seven and hasn’t stopped dancing since. He began training with Lee Howard and Martin “Tre” Dumas at age 11 and studying jazz theory and improvisation at age 14. After enrolling at Northwestern University, Harris joined the campus’s premier tap company, Tonik Tap, where he went on to serve as the artistic director his senior year. During this time, he also studied Jump Rhythm Technique under the mentorship of Billy Siegenfeld. He graduated from Northwestern with a B.A. in Neuroscience but has been focused on following his passion for dance. Currently, Harris is the artistic associate with Chicago Tap Theatre and is entering his fifth season performing with the company. He is also a company member with M.A.D.D. Rhythms and dances with Music From The Sole, 333, YellowShed and is an alumnus of the Tap Program at The School at Jacob’s Pillow. Off the wood, Harris is a research study coordinator in the Feinberg School of Medicine and looks forward to the day when he can connect his artistic endeavors to scientific knowledge.
ABOUT MOLLY SMITH, REHEARSAL DIRECTOR
Molly Smith is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and arts administrator originally from Charlotte, NC with a BS in Dance & Arts Management from Oklahoma City University. Smith has almost a decade of experience teaching dance and currently teaches at Incite Dance Center as well as being on faculty with Activate Your Artistry dance convention. They are a choreographer and dancemaker, presenting works recently through Take Up Space Dance Festival, The Newport Theatre and Poonie’s Cabaret at Links Hall; they are also a co-founder of and tap dancer/musician in Them the Band. Smith also has experience in company management, stage management, production management and arts administration for various theaters throughout Chicagoland. This is their fifth season with CTT and they are proud to serve as both rehearsal director and production manager.
ABOUT CHICAGO TAP THEATRE
Now in its 20th season, Chicago Tap Theatre is a non-profit 501(c)3 with a multifaceted mission: to preserve America’s indigenous dance form, to promote that dance through story-based shows and innovative presentation, to educate the community and make tap dance accessible to a broad spectrum of people and to foster relationships with other arts organizations. Chicago Tap Theatre also offers classes for children and adults.
