M.A.D.D. Rhythms

Description

M.A.D.D. 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 & Martin Dumas III’s formula for giving back, is now a full-fledged 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 15 to 44, 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. We will teach its history, represent its culture and advocate for its future. We will use 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. We believe that having access and options gives a child a greater chance at a positive life. Therefore, we will spread the joy, love, discipline and expression of tap to as many children as we humanly can!

Work Sample

Hoodie #1 - Caleb Jackson
Hoodie #2 - Izaiah Harris
Hoodie #3 - Time Brickey
Vocalist - Dee Alexander
Musical Director/Drums - Ben Johnson
Piano - Carmen Stokes
Bass - Will Howard
Guitar - Curtis Robinson

Lighting - Phoenix Ballentine
Video - Daniel Borak for CHRP's Rhythm World JUBA @ Dance Center of Columbia College



Strange Fruit is the amalgamation of decades of dedication to tap. It is improvisation. It is storytelling. It is live music. It is Jazz. It is a mother's wail. It is black bodies telling their stories. It is my story. It is the pain of being a black man in America. It is the pain that black people have endured in this country since the inception of this country. It is the story of tap. It is Nina Simone's ultimate observation of Lynchings in the south and my observation of lynchings all over America to this very day. The noose has been replaced by a hoodie but the pain is all too real!

This piece originally premiered as part of Feeling Good: A MADD Tribute to Nina Simone in October 2018.

Performers include: Ivy Anderson, Tristan Bruns, Andrew Carr, Megan Davis, Starinah “Star” Dixon, Alexandrya Fryson, Izaiah Harris, Sterling Harris, Caleb Jackson, Donnetta Jackson, Keyana Latimer, Case Prime, KJ Sheldon and William Wims

"Aisha", by Starinah “Star” Dixon featuring “Aisha” by John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner Presented March 2021 Women's History Month Tribute!

The first time that choreographer Starinah “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 B.S. Shuffle” choreographed by Tristan Bruns, featuring “Boogie Stop Shuffle” by Charles Mingus from the album "Ah Um"(1959).
Presented April 2021 Jazz Appreciation Month Tribute

Performers include: Bril Barrett, Tristan Bruns, Andrew Carr, Megan Davis, Starinah “Star” Dixon, Alexandrya Fryson, Izaiah Harris, Sterling Harris, Caleb Jackson, Donnetta Jackson, Keyana Latimer, Case Prime, KJ Sheldon, and William Wims.

"Mingus 'Ah Um' is the first record I ever bought, even before I owned a record player", said choreographer Tristan Buns, " and that bouncing bass line and dissonant harmonies just make you itch to move around." In the same way that Mingus challenged the music, M.A.D.D. Rhythms would like to now challenge the dance.

Our work samples speak to our commitment to tapdance and presenting it with the utmost respect! We speak to the standards of excellence set by Bill BoJangles Robinson, Master Juba, John Bubbles, The Nicholas Brothers, Jeni LeGon, The Whitman Sisters!

History

M.A.D.D. 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 & Martin Dumas III’s formula for giving back, is now a full-fledged 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 15 to 44, and their backgrounds are equally diverse.  The one thing they all have in common is a love for “the dance”.

Artistic Vision

M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ mission is to preserve, promote and contribute to this art form called tap. We will teach its history, represent its culture and advocate for its future. We will use 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. We believe that having access and options gives a child a greater chance at a positive life. Therefore, we will spread the joy, love, discipline and expression of tap to as many children as we humanly can!

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

We specialize in the art of improvisation, so we can quickly adapt our performance to fit any audience. 

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

Tap dance as a discipline is replete with commonly cited characteristics of many forms of African music & dance: improvisation, mimicry, signifying, polyrhythm, asymmetry, and ‘cool’ -- just to name a few. Indeed, tap has been described as “an expression of the deep structure passed on from African culture[s]” within the Black American community. Much has been written to show that tap dance communicates something through these mechanisms -- and much less about what tap communicates, and how.

Barrett has over thirty years of experience as a professional tap dancer and teacher, and a tap lineage dating back to the Hoofers. He is also the co-founder of M.A.D.D. Rhythms, a collective dedicated the art and history of tap dance.

We take as our point of departure the knowledge that tap dance reflects not only an African but specifically a Black American aesthetic and outlook. In our exploration over the past year, we have found that through what dance scholar Yvonne Daniel calls embodied knowledge, tap dance offers a history of the Black American experience.