M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Chicago’s premier tap collective, continues its 20th Anniversary celebration in April with a new nation-wide initiative with Vans, two new video premieres by principal dancers Tristan Bruns and Starinah “Star” Dixon celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month, a new video from Carmen Paquette premiering at the Art-Science Festival 2021 @ Illinois: The Illuminated Universe and at its monthly “2nd Fridays Tap Jams, ”Friday, April 9 at 8 p.m. CDT. The videos will premiere throughout April on M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ YouTube channel. Information on these special 20th Anniversary events and more may be found at MADDRhythms.com.
“Tap is always evolving and its infinite use to express continues to amaze me. This April, our dancers pay homage to Jazz in M.A.D.D. Rhythms style with two new videos from Tristan and Star for Jazz Appreciation Month,” said Bril Barrett, founder of M.A.D.D. Rhythms. “In addition, Carmen mixes Tap and science for her piece about magnetism! We look forward to dropping these videos and livestreaming and inviting the community to our monthly “2nd Fridays Tap Jams.” We hope you will join us for these and our other 20th Anniversary celebrations.”
April M.A.D.D. Rhythms events include, in chronological order:
VANS “FOOT THE BILL”
M.A.D.D. Rhythms-designed Vans T-shirt and Sneaker
M.A.D.D. Rhythms has been selected by Vans as part of Vans’ “Foot the Bill” program that supports small business partners throughout the country. Vans is teaming up with independent shops and community driven spaces, like M.A.D.D. Rhythms, to create custom footwear and apparel.
Available at https://www.vans.com/footthebill?partner=madd-rhythms
2nd FRIDAYS TAP JAMS
Friday, April 9 at 8 p.m. CDT - “2nd Fridays Tap Jams” hosted by Bril Barrett
Virtual and In-Person at Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Dr. (47th Street Entrance)
The second Friday of each month, M.A.D.D. Rhythms hosts “2nd Fridays Tap Jams” a FREE and open to the public celebration of Tap. Individuals may join via Zoom or in person, following all social distancing protocols. “2nd Friday Tap Jams,” encourages members of the community to discover Tap or to improve their skills, it pays homage to the hoofers of old and the traditions they have set and helps individuals learn to create, communicate and express themselves. Each “2nd Fridays Tap Jams” is a unique event involving members of the M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ company, guest artists and live musicians.
VIDEO DROP
Monday, April 12 at 5 p.m. CDT
“The B.S. Shuffle” by Tristan Bruns featuring “Boogie Stop Shuffle” by CharlesMingus
Performers include: Bril Barrett, Tristan Bruns, Andrew Carr, Megan Davis, Starinah “Star” Dixon, Alexandrya Fryson, Hannah Geiser, Izaiah Harris, Sterling Harris, Caleb Jackson, Donnetta Jackson, Keyana Latimer, Devin Mosely, Case Prime, KJ Sheldon, Molly Sute, Davon Suttles and William Wims
Charles Mingus’ music may seem chaotic, especially “Boogie Stop Shuffle,” whose underlying and catchy bass melody and rhythm belie its structural complexity. Yet Mingus was a strict composer and, at least for his first album, “Ah, Um” had most of the parts thoroughly composed—even the various instrumentalists’ solos. Tristan Bruns’ piece, “The B.S. Shuffle,” captures that sense of controlled chaos with his choice of syncopated and accented rhythms and a “dance-party-esque” vibe, where dancers seem to be coming at the viewer from every direction. There are also solo improvisations by the dancers of M.A.D.D. Rhythms using jazz-inspired expressions, but, as Mingus himself would often prove an obdurate proponent of his own visions, Bruns, too, makes a stand against the maestro himself, hoping that he would agree with his choice through a shared obduracy towards their art.
VIDEO DROP
Monday, April 19 at 5 p.m. CDT
"Aisha" by Assistant Director Starinah “Star” Dixon featuring “Aisha” by John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner
Performers include: Ivy Anderson, Tristan Bruns, Andrew Carr, Megan Davis, Starinah “Star” Dixon,Alexandrya Fryson, Hannah Geiser, Izaiah Harris, Sterling Harris, Caleb Jackson, Donnetta Jackson,Keyana Latimer, Devin Mosely, Case Prime, KJ Sheldon, Molly Sute, Davon Suttles and William Wims
The first time choreographer Star Dixon heard “Aisha,” written by McCoy Tyner and performed by the legendary John Coltrane, she was immediately drawn to the song and could feel Coltrane creating a vivid visual with the music that, for Dixon, symbolized love. Later, Dixon found out Tyner wrote this song for his wife and it all made sense—the music, the energy and the feelings this song created inspired Dixon to move.
The production team for the videos “Aisha” and “The B.S. Shuffle” includes Adam Salinas (director), Alexander Lakin (director of photography), Victor Tan (1st assistant camera) and Caitlyn Spiritus (gaffer).
VIDEO DROP
Monday, April 26 at 5 p.m.
“Momentary Magnetism” by Principal Soloist Carmen Paquette
Performers include: Time Brickey, Andrew Carr, Izaiah Harris, Caleb Jackson, Donnetta “Lilbit” Jackson, Carmen Paquette, KJ Sheldon, and Davon Suttles.
“Momentary Magnetism,” receives its world premiere, Friday, April 23 at the Art-Science Festival 2021 @ Illinois: The Illuminated Universe and uses the medium of Tap dance to express the phenomenon of magnetism. It aims to further encourage the importance of exposure to the sciences, technology, engineering, art and math as cohesive and complementary concepts.
The video production team for “Momentary Magnetism” includes Carmen Paquette (director/editor); Faraz Mirza(cinematography/VFX supervisor); Elise Owen (camera operator); Nate Crossley (drone operations) and Evan Duckworth (lighting design and operation) with Tap audio production by Time Brickey.
“Momentary Magnetism” wishes to thank: M.A.D.D. Rhythms, the Harold Washington Cultural Center, Daniel and the Shoemaker group, Pamela Pena-Martin, Smitha Vishveshwara, Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Camp, the National Science Foundation through University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.
“Momentary Magnetism” is supported by the National Science Foundation through University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Materials Research Science and Engineering Center Award Number DMR-1720633. Additional support provided by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
ABOUT TRISTAN BRUNS, choreographer/performer
Tristan Bruns is a member of M.A.D.D. Rhythms where he is also the copywriter and member of the Advisory Board. A Chicago tap dancer who has received training under Donna Johnson, Ted Louis Levy, Sam Weber and Martin “Tre” Dumas III, Bruns has been a recurring faculty member of notable tap festivals including Circle City Tap Festival, Rhythm World and The Chicago Tap Summit. Bruns is also a member of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s resident ensemble, Stone Soup Rhythms and has performed as a guest artist with other Chicago dance companies such as the Cartier Collective, Chicago Dance Crash and Matter Dance. He is the director of Tapman Production which has produced four seasons of new works and has performed in production around Chicago including Drury Lane’s 42nd Street and Porchlight Music Theatre’s Sophisticated Ladies. Nationally, he has been a performer and featured soloist at Celtic Fyre at the Busch Gardens Theme Park in Virginia and The Showboat Branson Belle in Missouri and internationally, at the Beijing International Dance Festival in China, the Reus Tap Dance Festival in Spain and The Poznan Jazz Festival in Poland. Other notable performances include “Supreme Love” choreographed by Jumaane Taylor, “The Steve Harvey Show” with M.A.D.D. Rhythms, “The Inside/Out Stage” at Jacob’s Pillow with Subject: Matter dance company and the MGM Grand for the Chinese television show “Super Dancer Born Tonight.”
ABOUT STARINAH “STAR” DIXON, choreographer/performer
Starinah “Star” Dixon is an assistant director, choreographer and original principal dancer of world renowned tap company, M.A.D.D. Rhythms. She has taught and performed at the most distinguished tap festivals in the country including The L.A. Tap Fest, DC Tap Fest, RIFF Dallas, Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Rhythm World and M.A.D.D. Rhythms own Chicago Tap Summit. She’s performed internationally including in Poland, Japan and Brazil. Performance venues include Jacob’s Pillow, Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Center. Outside of M.A.D.D. Rhythms, she’s performed as a guest with such companies as Michelle Dorrance’s Dorrance Dance and Savion Glover’s All Funk’d Up. Dixon is currently on staff at numerous dance studios in and around Chicago.
ABOUT CARMEN PARQUETTE, choreographer/performer
Since moving to Chicago in 2014, Paquette has danced with Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Tapman Productions and is currently a company member of Making A Difference Dancing (MADD) Rhythms. In 2015, she co-founded the street-performance group “Broads on Boards” that has since built a platform of artists uplifting one another and their community through busking around Chicago. Performing her way across the U.S., Paquette has had the opportunity to step onstage at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City, the D.C. Tap Fest, the St. Louis Arts Festival, Oklahoma City University and has even displayed her stage fighting skills with Rapier Wit in Toronto, Canada. She has taught at M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, the Joffrey Academy of Dance and Dance to Evolve. She is an avid supporter of STEAM initiatives in education, having worked with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in outreach programming to encourage students to explore their creative and scientific potential. She continues to partner with the I-MRSEC at the University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign (UIUC) to expand upon the traditional practice of art and science in the classroom.
ABOUT M.A.D.D. RHYTHMS
M.A.D.D. (Making A Difference Dancing) Rhythms is a phenomenal tap dance collective whose “SOLE” purpose is to spread the love and joy of tap worldwide. What started as Bril Barrett and Martin Dumas III’s formula for giving back, is now, in its 20th year, a full-fledged 501 (c) 3 performing arts company, quickly gaining a reputation for representing the true essence of tap: RHYTHM! The company is composed of young, versatile tap dancers from all over Chicago. Their ages range from 17 to 45 years old, and their backgrounds are equally diverse. The one thing they all have in common is a love for “the dance.”
M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ mission is to preserve, promote and contribute to this art form called tap. They teach its history, represent its culture and advocate for its future. M.A.D.D. Rhythms uses this beautiful dance/music form to make a difference in the under-served communities of this world by connecting and caring for the youth of this world. Believing that having access and options gives a child a greater chance at a positive life, M.A.D.D. Rhythms spreads the joy, love, discipline and expression of tap to as many children as they humanly can!
M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ performance opportunities, in short, have included: Dance Africa Chicago, Dance Chicago, The Stars of “Dance Chicago” in Istanbul, Turkey, M.A.D.D. Rhythms Canada’s “Release Yourself” and “Great Feets of Rhythm,” Downbeats Canada’s “Embrace the Rhythm,” Miami’s Art-Deco Festival, An Expo for Today’s Black Woman, Kwanzaa Festival, The African Festival of the Arts, St. Louis Tap Festival, Boys and Girls Clubs National Conference, the Chicago Historical Society’s Summer Performance Series, and DuSable Museum’s educational theatre series. They have also produced nine full-length productions, created the annual Chicago Tap Summit and educated more than 200 students via The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy.
In an effort to continuously give back to their communities, they have also worked with many public and private schools and volunteered performances for various community affiliated organizations including A.C.E.S. (Athletes Committed to Educating Students), Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, Nikola Tesla Alternative High School for Girls, TCA Health and Nutrition Fair, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and Rainbow House.
Left to Right - M.A.D.D. Rhythms April Video Creators - Tristan Bruns, Starinah "Star" Dixon and Carmen Paquette