Register
for a two-day tap dance workshop May 23-24 with some of Chicago’s best
and brightest all star tap dancers, including Ivy Anderson, Bril
Barrett, Andrew Carr, Star Dixon, Tre Dumas, Jay Fagan, Izaiah Harris,
Heather Latakas, Nico Rubio, KJ Sheldon-Zarate, Billy Siegenfeld, Molly
Smith, and Mark Yonally! Intermediate and Advanced Levels available for
ages 8 through Adult.

Weekend Schedule: 

Saturday, May 23rd: 

10-11am Int w/ Ivy Anderson and Adv w/ Molly Smith

11am-12pm Int w/ Bril Barrett and Adv w/ KJ Sheldon-Zarate

12-1:30pm Lunch (bring your own) An Embodied History of Tap Dance with Bril Barrett

1:30-2:30pm Int w/ Jay Fagan and Adv w/ Izaiah Harris

2:30-3:30pm Int w/ Andrew Carr and Adv w/ Martin “Tre” Dumas III

3:45-4:45pm Tap Jam, all levels welcome

Sunday, May 24th: 

10-11am Int w/ Mark Yonally and Adv w/ Star Dixon

11am-12pm Int w/ Heather Latakas and Adv w/ Nico Rubio

12-1:30pm Billy Siegenfeld Audacity Award Presentation & Legacy Discussion

1:30-2:30pm Combined levels Legacy Class with Billy Siegenfeld

2:45-3:45pm Tap Footage presented by Shuffle Liiife Productions

4-5:30pm
CTA Convening at Conscious Plates (820 E 63rd St) Delicious vegan
brunch food for purchase. Gather with the Chicago Tap Dance Community
for conversations to bring us closer and discussion of what’s coming up
next for CTA!

 

Transportation

Parking : street parking is available in the residential area surrounding the Center.

Public Transportation: Green Line – 47th street stop; Red line – 47th street stop; bus – Number 47 to King Dr.

Enter on 47th St door at the Ring doorbell. Take the stairs or elevator to the second floor.

 

Special
thanks to the Harold Washington Cultural Center and The Richard H.
Driehaus Foundation for their support of CTA’s programming.

Chicago
Tap Allstars is a communal collective that bridges the gap between
artistry and activism by audaciously advocating for the entire Tap
community while creating experiences centered on education and
self-expression of the art form.

• We offer an
  inclusive community for Tap artists, organizations, and enthusiasts to
  coexist and improve access to economic gatekeeping.
• We create experiences centered in education and self-expression of the art form.
• We advocate for more resources afforded to Tap Dance and Tap Dancers.

History

Founder
of M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Bril Barrett and Founder of Chicago Tap Theatre,
Mark Yonally, joined forces to create Chicago Tap Allstars, a tap dance
collective based in Chicago, in response to the cultural and racial
reckoning of summer 2020, and its effects on the world, its people and
the arts. Frustrated by the economic gatekeeping, historical
revisionism, and lack of resources afforded to Tap Dance and Tap
Dancers, Bril and Mark took on the challenge of engendering a strong,
inclusive, and transparent community that collectively could accomplish
more than they
could apart.

As leaders of two well-established
Tap Dance Companies, they marshaled their efforts to provide the
administrative and logistical backbone for the broader community.

The
initial step towards achieving their goals was creating one of
Chicago’s first truly inclusive celebrations of National Tap Dance Day
in May 2021. Featuring over 30 Tap Dancers from all over the city, CTA
offered a weekend celebrating Tap from multiple angles, including
virtual classes, a history discussion, and a live performance.

The
following year CTA offered in-person activities for the first time.
This allowed them to fulfill part of their mission to unite people from
the North and South Sides of the city. The beautiful Harold Washington
Cultural Center in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood hosted a weekend
of classes and a show. On the North Side in Rogers Park, CTA hosted a
screening of Tap Footage from Chicago Tap Dancers (curated by Nico
Rubio) and the movie Bojangles.

In year three, CTA made the
critical decision to separate its activities into events for Tap Dancers
and Tap Audiences. In May 2023, CTA presented two days of classes,
including its first Heritage workshop and Legacy Series lecture from
National Treasure Reggio “The Hoofer”
McLaughlin. In August of that
year, CTA was honored to perform at Dance for Life alongside Chicago
cultural icons like Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Giordano Dance
Company, and Joffrey Ballet.

Today, Chicago Tap Allstars continues
to uphold its standards as a communal collective for independent Tap
artists, organizations, and enthusiasts alike to enjoy, embrace, and
celebrate Tap Dance while continually advocating for the entire tap
community and actively reshaping the narrative around Chicago and the
history of the art of Tap Dance.