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Episode NotesSuavé is the Founder of the Hip Hop ConnXion Family Nationwide with branches in Indiana, Michigan and Headquarters in Illinois. Hip Hop ConnXion has taken 1st in the USA and 2nd in the World at the Hip Hop International Championships in previous years and is the only Illinois based dance company to have been awarded medals at the event. Hip Hop ConnXion is currently the only Midwest dance company to have medaled at the World Championships since the inception of the competition in 2002. The Hip Hop ConnXion professional dance company is a Not-For-Profit 501(c)(3) company with the mission statement, “Our Future Is Here Today”, aimed at inspiring our youth and giving opportunities to those less privileged.
Suavé has appeared in various music videos and movies such as, Walt Disney's "Just Visited" with Christina Applegate as the specialist dancer in the hit movie, "Save the Last Dance". He was a choreographer and dance coordinator for the recently released movie "Dreams" and played a cameo role as a dancer and teacher for the move working beside Dave Scott whose credits include "U Got Served", "Stomp The Yard", and "Step Up 3".
Suavé was the Dance coordinator at the B96 Summer B-bash for Bad Boy world-renowned DJ, Bill and performed in front of 60,000 people alongside artists such as P-Diddy, Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera and Nelly.
He is a performance coach to movie stars, actors and recording artists having worked with artists such as Roshon Fegan (Shake It Up and Camp Rock), Jessy Schram (The Mentalist, House, American Pie, Without A Trace and more) and upcoming singing sensation, Adera.
Suavé guest choreographs at numerous schools and universities and teaches hip hop master classes and workshops in the USA. He has taught around the world in countries such as Norway, Colombia, Ireland and England. He also guest instructs and judges for conventions and competitions around the country and overseas. He is currently on faculty for the Manhattan Dance Project (MDP) National/International Tour.
As a major advocate for inspiring troubled and underprivileged youth, he is also a regular guest speaker/presenter at many schools and colleges and has worked with the DARE and DEA Youth after-school dance programs around the country stressing the importance of staying drug-free, not giving in to peer pressure and making positive choices. He continues to work with charities and organizations that share the same message.
Suavé is also the creator and producer of THE ONE Urban Dance Showcase which is the largest annual urban dance showcase in the Midwest, alongside producing other major dance shows.
For more information, you can contact him at [email protected]. You can also view his work by visiting his website www.hiphopconnxion.com and go to the “Videos” link.
Social MediaFacebook, Twitter & Instagram: suaveconnxion
Produced by Vanessa Abron - [email protected] Edited by Tristan Bruns - [email protected] Recorded On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast Network Located Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
Call us @ 773.604.1899 Email us [email protected]
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Episode Notes
Similarities & Differences: A Conversation With Mark Howard
Mark Howard
<h6>Founding Artistic Director / Choreographer</h6>For more than three decades, this Emmy Award-winning choreographer has been striving for and achieving that which is profoundly significant and equally difficult to attain—the transcendence of craft to art and the synthesis of forms to create something that is forward-looking and new. His work maintains integrity while simultaneously going beyond the framework of ethnicity to carve new traditions.Born in Yorkshire, England, and raised in Chicago, Howard began his dancing career at the age of eight at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance. He began teaching when he was only 17 years old, and by 20 he had launched the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, subsequently leading them to unprecedented World Championship team titles for the United States—the first when he was only 25. As a competitive coach and choreographer, he would go on to redefine what was possible for American teams becoming the first to win gold in all categories.Howard’s pioneering work in the late 80s led to his unique transition from the competitive stage to the performing arts stage and began his gradual evolution from coach to artistic director. By 1990, these formative years led to the creation of a nonprofit forum, Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC), to celebrate and further his work. From its inception, TIDC has been met with great critical acclaim at renowned venues across the world.Howard himself was a regular guest on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson from 1989 until Carson’s retirement in1991, and has accumulated a multitude of national and international television credits including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, CBS This Morning, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Today Show, Live with Regis, Good Morning America, Martha, CONAN, and 1st Look, to name a few. From PBS and Network specials, to extensive film work for Disney, Touchstone, Universal, and Dream Works, Howard has worked with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Ron Howard, and Sam Mendez. He was the personal dance coach for actors Tom Hanks and Daniel Craig while working on the film Road to Perdition.Howard continues to choreograph new works, as well as expand his independent career to work in theater, television, concert, and film. The feature film screenplay SOLES, which focuses on Howard and Trinity, is currently in the works. Howard’s work in the arts has led to numerous Choreographer’s Fellowships awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Howard has been named three times as one of Irish American Magazine’s “Top 100 Irish-Americans,” and he was honored by iBAM! in 2011 and in 2015 by Chicago’s Lawyers For the Creative Arts for his outstanding contribution to the performing arts.
Produced by Vanessa Abron - [email protected] Edited by Tristan Bruns - [email protected] On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast Network Located Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
Call us @ 773.604.1899 Email us [email protected]
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Episode Notes
African Dance & Ballet: A Conversation With Regina Perry-Carr & Elaine Blair
Regina Perry-Carr, Former Artistic Director of Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago (MDT). Perry-Carr is the 4th Artistic Director in the notable, historic forty-nine year old organization. A native of Chicago,IL, Perry-Carr began her formal dance training with her mother Regina Taitts and ballet instructor, Charlene Rose(Cecchetti technique) at the age of three. Perry-Carr continuously trained in dance throughout elementary school and high school under the tutelage of her mother's dance program located in the Oak Park YMCA and with Nunufatima created by Taitts. In 1991,she began training with Najwa Dance Corps and Mama Andrea Vinson. In 1994, Perry-Carr was accepted into the workshop training program of Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago under the direction of Mama Amaniyea Payne.
Perry-Carr owes much of her training & development in Muntu, to Mama Vaune Blalock, former principal dancer of MDT. Perry-Carr advanced through the ranks of the Muntu becoming an apprentice and in 1998 matriculating to the main company becoming one of their full-time teaching artists and principal dancers. Perry-Carr began teaching and performing nationally and internationally with Muntu and later independently.
After taking leave from the company, in 2008 Perry-Carr founded and served as Artistic Director of Nunufatima Dance and Crafts Company, a non-profit performing arts and education organization dedicated to educating, entertaining and cultivating community through all forms of performing arts.Perry-Carr has performed for numerous venues, which include theater, television and film. Her teaching and choreographic credits include elementary and high school, park districts, arts organizations, dance studios, professional dance companies, and theatrical productions. Perry-Carr was able to study and dance with African Dance legends; Baba Chuck Davis, Arthur Hall, Baba Kwame Ishangi, Papa Abdoulaye Camara, Mama Amaniyea Payne, Idy Ciss and Moustapha Bangoura. Regina is a dancer extraordinaire, believing dance is not only movement but requires body, mind,and spirit. Regina is commended for having a beautiful poise which radiates the stage and warms the hearts of those seeking to learn the technique and the beauty of African dance. Perry-Carr is credited with being a wife, mother, dancer, choreographer, director and producer. Perry-Carr has thirty plus years of training and twenty-four years of teaching experience in West African Dance. She has grown to understand being a lifelong student of this ancient and amazing art form called African Diasporic Dance is an honor. Perry-Carr has spent more than thirty years honing her dance craft. She thrives teaching and empowering others through movement and song. As the Artistic Director of Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, she passionately teaches about cultural transformation, understanding, and education of our rich African and African American dance traditions.
Elaine Blair is a native of Chicago, IL. She began her training at the age of 10 at a south side YMCA under the direction of Enid Collins. She later trained at the Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre learning many genres of dance under the tutelage of Shirley Hall-Bass. She went on to study with Joel Hall, Homer Bryant, Alvin Ailey School (NY) and attended Columbia College (Chicago) where she earned a BFA degree in Dance Teaching emphasis. During her performing years, one notable performance was the opening act for Sister Sledge and the Spinners at the Arie Crown Theater. Her television and film performances were "Dance Fever" and "Rappin Roots". Elaine has taught many workshops in Chicago, the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance School in Denver, CO, and has taught and performed in many cultural exchange programs in Nassau, Bahamas with the Bahamas Dance School. In 1992, Elaine received the Talented Teachers award from the Whirlwind Performance Company and in 2002 was nominated for the Golden Apple Teachers award. Her professional career was a teacher in the Chicago Public school system for 29 years. For the last 26 years she was the director of the dance department at Carver Military Academy where she exposed students to various genres of dance and theatrical productions. She retired in July, 2021. Being part of the Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre for over 30 years, she has taught Ballet, Jazz, and choreographed annual productions and competitions. After many years of training alongside theformer Director Muriel Foster, Elaine looks forward to continuing the legacy of the 90 year old training school along with Sammy Dyer's talented creative team to reach 100 years.
Produced by Vanessa Abron - [email protected] Edited by Tristan Bruns - [email protected] On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast Network Located Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
Call us @ 773.604.1899 Email us [email protected]
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Episode Notes
Starting A Non-Profit & Running A Non-Profit: A Conversation With Vershawn Sanders-Ward
Vershawn Sanders Ward, (she/her/hers) is the Founding Artistic Director and CEO of Red Clay Dance Company and is currently a candidate for Dunham Technique Certification. She holds an MFA in Dance from New York University and is the first recipient of BFA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago (Gates Millennium Scholar.). Sanders-Ward is a 2022 Dance/USA Artist Fellow, 2019 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Awardee, a 2019 Harvard Business School Club of Chicago Scholar, a 2017 Dance/USA Leadership Fellow, a 2013 3Arts awardee, and a 2009 Choreography Award from Harlem Stage NYC. In 2015, 2018 and 2020, NewCity Magazine selected Ward as one of the “Players 50, People Who Really Perform for Chicago” and in 2023 was inducted in the NewCity’s “Hall of Fame”.
Her choreography has been presented in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, The Yard at Martha’s Vineyard, and internationally in Toronto, Dakar and Kampala. Vershawn is currently on faculty at Loyola University Chicago in the Fine and Performing Arts Department and has received choreographic commissions from Columbia College Chicago, Northwestern University, Knox College, AS220, and the National Theatre in Uganda. Her upcoming site-inspired choreographic project, Rest.Rise.Move.Nourish.Heal which is_ set to premiere June 2023 _was selected for a 2021 National Dance Project Award from NEFA with additional support from the NEA.
As an arts advocate, she serves on the Board of Trustees for Dance/USA as well as the Board of Directors for the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago. Vershawn was selected to attend the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit for Emerging Global Leaders and has had the pleasure of gracing the cover of the Chicago Reader and DEMO, Columbia College Chicago’s Alumni Magazine.
Produced by Vanessa Abron - [email protected] Edited by Tristan Bruns - [email protected] On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast Network Located Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
Call us @ 773.604.1899 Email us [email protected]
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Black Magic & Christianity: A Conversation With Bianca Shaw
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Bianca Shaw is an American Hip-Hop Emcee, Singer, Drummer and Songwriter who began writing her first raps at 11-years old. Bianca was inspired by mother, Portia Shaw, to sing and empowered by Missy Elliot, Erykah Badu, and Beyonce’s authentic and powerful ability to sell music without compromising their artistic and financial control. Inside her music, she values every element of sound and feels you should not limit your creativity to societal standards when discussing genres.
Shaw aims to tell a story so vivid that listeners not only hear her words but envision and feel them as if they were their own. Her latest video, "Bipolar" premiered on Vibe, expressing the raw emotion of feeling unbalanced in a bad romance. In addition to Bianca’s first Album “Guns and Roses” she has released her latest EP "Exhale" exclusively premiered on Billboard. Some of her collaborations include Taylor Bennett, Twista, and Chance The Rapper. She is currently working on a future project with a variety of artists.
Through her exposure in performances across the country, new music and recent videos, her fan base has increased and she has gained the respect of other Hip Hop lovers and artists. Bianca Shaw is the on the rise to be a Reckoning Force and influence in the music world.
Produced by Vanessa Abron - [email protected] by Tristan Bruns - [email protected] by J. Hill - [email protected] On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast Network Located Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
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Episode Notes
CRT & DEI: A Conversation w/Tristan Bruns, Host Of Gasps From A Dying Art Form - Part 2
Everyone is talking about Critical Race Theory - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - The 1619 Project - Woke-ism. However, most people don't know what it is, what it means or how it works!
Produced by Vanessa Abron Edited by Tristan Bruns Recorded On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast Network Located Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
Call us @ 773.604.1899 Email us [email protected] go here
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Episode Notes
CRT & DEI: A Conversation w/Tristan Bruns, Host Of Gasps From A Dying Art Form - Part 1
Everyone is talking about Critical Race Theory - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - The 1619 Project - Woke-ism. However, most people don't know what it is, what it means or how it works!
Produced by Vanessa Abron Edited by Tristan Bruns Recorded On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast Network Located Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
Call us @ 773.604.1899 Email us [email protected]
Support The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-either-and-podcast-w-bril-
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Episode Notes
Local Legacies & National Treasures: A Candid Conversation w/ Some Of Chicago's Tap Legends - Mr. Taps aka Ayrie King III, Jimmy Payne Jr., Martin 'Tre' Dumas & Reginald “Reggio The Hoofer” McLaughlin - Part 2
Mr. Taps The King of Whimsical Dance As soon as he enters the room, Mr. Taps' engaging personality and fancy footwork entrances audiences. Ayrie King III, better known as "Mr. Taps," effortlessly glides across the floor as he demonstrates different styles of tap dancing, from Fred Astaire's innovative flair to Ann Miller's rapid-fire tapping. Mr. Taps charismatic, high-energy performance is wonderful entertainment for families and children. Not only is he entertaining to watch, but he strongly involves the audience, teaching them how to do some fancy footwork themselves. Mr. Taps has performed at schools, colleges, theaters and festivals throughout the U.S. Workshops and residencies are also available.
Jimmy Payne jr. is a tap dance teacher, choreographer, and performer from Chicago. He began his tap dance lessons at Jimmy Payne School of Dance. His teacher and father was legendary dancer, Jimmy Payne, who taught tap and Afro-Caribbean dance to thousands of dance enthusiasts and professionals for over seventy years. Jimmy Payne Jr. continues the tradition by performing and teaching in Chicago and abroad. Jimmy has performed at Chicago Jazz Festival, with Jazz legend Von Freeman, with Bill Russo and Chicago Jazz Ensemble, with jazz great Orbert Davis at the Arts Club in Chicago, with jazz singer Lawrence Walden, and with Bradley Williams 21st Century Jazz Review, whom he accompanied on a trip to India for a series of concerts. Performances also include shows at Spurlock Museum, Davis Elkins College, and Hope College where he performed “ Jimmy Payne’s Rhythm of Life”, a documentary and stage performance that celebrates the life of Jimmy Payne Sr. For this project Jimmy interviewed tap greats, Lavaugn Robinson, Dr. Prince Spencer, Ludi Jones, and eccentric dancer and entertainer Rudy Horne. Critics have described Jimmy as "a tap classicist with a composers mind," (Chicago Sun Times) "the real deal," (Maui Times) and the Chicago Tribune referred to him as "smoking virtuosity." Jimmy also won an award from Black Theater Alliance for best performance in concert. He currently teaches at Columbia College Chicago and Chicago Public Schools. Jimmy describes his style of tap as traditional tap rooted in rhythm and movement.
Martin "Tre" Dumas III is a tap dancer and choreographer from Chicago, IL. Tre received most of his early dance training and his first teaching experience at Tommy Sutton's Mayfair Academy of fine Arts on Chicago's south side. He's a graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in Mass Media Arts with a concentration in Speech and Theatre Arts. Since 1995 he's taught and performed regularly at various festivals including the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, the L.A. Tap Fest, the St. Louis Tap Festival, Maui Tap Experience, Detroit Tap Festival, Calgary Tap Summit, Chicago Tap Summit (which he co-founded), North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival, Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival and Columbus Taps among others. From 1998 through 2000, Tre was featured in the North American and European tours of "Riverdance". In 2001 Tre partnered with Bril Barrett to create M.A.D.D Rhythms, and the M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy From September 2001-February 2002, Tre lived in Stuttgart, Germany, creating an all ages tap program at the New York City Dance School, and performing at jazz and R&B clubs by night. In 2004 he performed Duke Ellington's classic, "David Danced" (originally danced by Dr. Bunny Briggs) with Bill Russo, Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble. In the summer of 2006, he portrayed a fiery tap dancing preacher in the vignette "Dance Like David" in director/choreographer Derick Grant's "Imagine Tap", and co-starred w/Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards in the critically acclaimed independent film "The Rise and Fall of Miss Thang". He was also seen on the only aired episode of Secret Talents of the Stars dancing with R&B songstress turned tap dancer, Mya. In 2007, Tre stepped down from his position as M.A.D.D. Rhythms co-artistic and technical director and also became a member of Jason Samuels Smith's ACGI. Shortly thereafter, he created Chicago's newest professional tap ensemble, Jus'LisTeN. Most recently, Tre accepted a position as an associate director with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. He's taught and performed extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Germany as well as other parts of Europe, and South America. In October 2011, Tre proudly debuted his first full production featuring Jus’LisTeN entitled, “Tap Like Water” as part of the annual Dance Chicago performance series. Aside from his beautiful daughter, Lauren, Tre’s greatest joy lies in dancing and sharing his love and knowledge of his art form with others and receiving the same as well.
Reginald "Reggio the Hoofer” McLaughlin is the Windy City’s most revered master of tap dancing. For more than 50 years, he has brought his inspired distinctive “hoofing” to the nation’s stages—classrooms, senior centers, streets, and festivals —earning a respected place as a passionate performer and teacher who has kept this dance tradition alive. Born in 1953 on Chicago’s South Side, McLaughlin developed a fondness for tap dancing while watching a performance in second grade. After a stint in his teens as a professional R&B musician, McLaughlin met Jimmy Payne, Sr., a prominent Chicago tap dancer, who took the young artist under his wing, providing him with a solid foundation and the motivation to lace up his dancing shoes full-time. With few professional opportunities and little knowledge of the dance scene, McLaughlin began his career underground, dancing in the subways to earn money to eat. Fortunately, a revival of tap paralleled his burgeoning career and doors soon opened. He joined the roster of Urban Gateways, a nonprofit dedicated to providing arts experiences for Chicago’s underserved youth, and presented programs at schools, libraries, museums, and park facilities that combined performance, historical commentary, and demonstration. With a professional track record, McLaughlin left the subway behind, securing bookings as part of dance team programs and as a workshop leader across the city. In 1994, he met Ernest “Brownie” Brown, half of the vaudeville duo Cook and Brown that had performed on Broadway and with Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Brown also co-founded the legendary dance ensemble the Copasetics in 1949. Determined to keep tradition alive, Brown joined forces with McLaughlin in a duo that tapped together for nearly two decades. Not surprisingly, McLaughlin caught the attention of the Old Town School of Folk Music early on, and they quickly offered him a position as tap instructor. Today, nearly 30 years later, he maintains a vigorous teaching schedule, determined to pass on the tradition to another generation. Recently, McLaughlin worked closely with ragtime pianist Reginald Robinson and the Carolina Chocolate Drops on the musical production Keep A Song in Your Soul: The Black Roots of Vaudeville, which was supported by the Arts Endowment. He also produced two dance instructional videos, appeared in five documentaries, and is currently working on a one-man show. McLaughlin’s efforts earned him a plethora of awards, including the Flo-Bert Award, given for achievement in the art of tap dancing, and grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. He also garnered funding from the Rockefeller Foundation’s MAP Fund and the Joyce Foundation. In 2015, the Old Town School of Folk Music honored “Reggio the Hoofer” with their Distinguished Teaching Artist Award, and in 2021 named a dance studio after him.
Produced by Vanessa Abron Edited by Tristan Bruns Recorded On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast Network Located Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
Call us @ 773.604.1899 Email us [email protected]
Support The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-either-and-podcast-w-bril-
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Episode Notes
Local Legacies & National Treasures: A Candid Conversation w/ Some Of Chicago's Tap Legends - Mr. Taps aka Ayrie King III, Jimmy Payne Jr., Martin 'Tre' Dumas & Reginald “Reggio The Hoofer” McLaughlin
Mr. TapsThe King of Whimsical DanceAs soon as he enters the room, Mr. Taps' engaging personality and fancy footwork entrances audiences. Ayrie King III, better known as "Mr. Taps," effortlessly glides across the floor as he demonstrates different styles of tap dancing, from Fred Astaire's innovative flair to Ann Miller's rapid-fire tapping.Mr. Taps charismatic, high-energy performance is wonderful entertainment for families and children. Not only is he entertaining to watch, but he strongly involves the audience, teaching them how to do some fancy footwork themselves. Mr. Taps has performed at schools, colleges, theaters and festivals throughout the U.S. Workshops and residencies are also available.
Jimmy Payne jr.is a tap dance teacher, choreographer, and performer from Chicago. He began his tap dancelessons at Jimmy Payne School of Dance. His teacher and father was legendary dancer, Jimmy Payne, who taughttap and Afro-Caribbean dance to thousands of dance enthusiasts and professionals for over seventy years. JimmyPayne Jr. continues the tradition by performing and teaching in Chicago and abroad. Jimmy has performed atChicago Jazz Festival, with Jazz legend Von Freeman, with Bill Russo and Chicago Jazz Ensemble, with jazzgreat Orbert Davis at the Arts Club in Chicago, with jazz singer Lawrence Walden, and with Bradley Williams 21stCentury Jazz Review, whom he accompanied on a trip to India for a series of concerts. Performances also includeshows at Spurlock Museum, Davis Elkins College, and Hope College where he performed “ Jimmy Payne’s Rhythm ofLife”, a documentary and stage performance that celebrates the life of Jimmy Payne Sr. For this project Jimmyinterviewed tap greats, Lavaugn Robinson, Dr. Prince Spencer, Ludi Jones, and eccentric dancer and entertainerRudy Horne. Critics have described Jimmy as "a tap classicist with a composers mind," (Chicago Sun Times) "thereal deal," (Maui Times) and the Chicago Tribune referred to him as "smoking virtuosity." Jimmy also won anaward from Black Theater Alliance for best performance in concert. He currently teaches at Columbia CollegeChicago and Chicago Public Schools. Jimmy describes his style of tap as traditional tap rooted in rhythm andmovement.
Martin "Tre" Dumas III is a tap dancer and choreographer from Chicago, IL. Tre received most of his early dance training and his first teaching experience at Tommy Sutton's Mayfair Academy of fine Arts on Chicago's south side. He's a graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in Mass Media Arts with a concentration in Speech and Theatre Arts.Since 1995 he's taught and performed regularly at various festivals including the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, the L.A. Tap Fest, the St. Louis Tap Festival, Maui Tap Experience, Detroit Tap Festival, Calgary Tap Summit, Chicago Tap Summit (which he co-founded), North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival, Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival and Columbus Taps among others.From 1998 through 2000, Tre was featured in the North American and European tours of "Riverdance". In 2001 Tre partnered with Bril Barrett to create M.A.D.D Rhythms, and the M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy From September 2001-February 2002, Tre lived in Stuttgart, Germany, creating an all ages tap program at the New York City Dance School, and performing at jazz and R&B clubs by night. In 2004 he performed Duke Ellington's classic, "David Danced" (originally danced by Dr. Bunny Briggs) with Bill Russo, Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble. In the summer of 2006, he portrayed a fiery tap dancing preacher in the vignette "Dance Like David" in director/choreographer Derick Grant's "Imagine Tap", and co-starred w/Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards in the critically acclaimed independent film "The Rise and Fall of Miss Thang". He was also seen on the only aired episode of Secret Talents of the Stars dancing with R&B songstress turned tap dancer, Mya.In 2007, Tre stepped down from his position as M.A.D.D. Rhythms co-artistic and technical director and also became a member of Jason Samuels Smith's ACGI. Shortly thereafter, he created Chicago's newest professional tap ensemble, Jus'LisTeN. Most recently, Tre accepted a position as an associate director with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. He's taught and performed extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Germany as well as other parts of Europe, and South America. In October 2011, Tre proudly debuted his first full production featuring Jus’LisTeN entitled, “Tap Like Water” as part of the annual Dance Chicago performance series.Aside from his beautiful daughter, Lauren, Tre’s greatest joy lies in dancing and sharing his love and knowledge of his art form with others and receiving the same as well.
Reginald "Reggio the Hoofer” McLaughlin is the Windy City’s most revered master of tap dancing. For more than 50 years, he has brought his inspired distinctive “hoofing” to the nation’s stages—classrooms, senior centers, streets, and festivals —earning a respected place as a passionate performer and teacher who has kept this dance tradition alive.Born in 1953 on Chicago’s South Side, McLaughlin developed a fondness for tap dancing while watching a performance in second grade. After a stint in his teens as a professional R&B musician, McLaughlin met Jimmy Payne, Sr., a prominent Chicago tap dancer, who took the young artist under his wing, providing him with a solid foundation and the motivation to lace up his dancing shoes full-time.With few professional opportunities and little knowledge of the dance scene, McLaughlin began his career underground, dancing in the subways to earn money to eat. Fortunately, a revival of tap paralleled his burgeoning career and doors soon opened. He joined the roster of Urban Gateways, a nonprofit dedicated to providing arts experiences for Chicago’s underserved youth, and presented programs at schools, libraries, museums, and park facilities that combined performance, historical commentary, and demonstration. With a professional track record, McLaughlin left the subway behind, securing bookings as part of dance team programs and as a workshop leader across the city.In 1994, he met Ernest “Brownie” Brown, half of the vaudeville duo Cook and Brown that had performed on Broadway and with Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Brown also co-founded the legendary dance ensemble the Copasetics in 1949. Determined to keep tradition alive, Brown joined forces with McLaughlin in a duo that tapped together for nearly two decades. Not surprisingly, McLaughlin caught the attention of the Old Town School of Folk Music early on, and they quickly offered him a position as tap instructor. Today, nearly 30 years later, he maintains a vigorous teaching schedule, determined to pass on the tradition to another generation. Recently, McLaughlin worked closely with ragtime pianist Reginald Robinson and the Carolina Chocolate Drops on the musical production Keep A Song in Your Soul: The Black Roots of Vaudeville, which was supported by the Arts Endowment. He also produced two dance instructional videos, appeared in five documentaries, and is currently working on a one-man show.McLaughlin’s efforts earned him a plethora of awards, including the Flo-Bert Award, given for achievement in the art of tap dancing, and grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. He also garnered funding from the Rockefeller Foundation’s MAP Fund and the Joyce Foundation. In 2015, the Old Town School of Folk Music honored “Reggio the Hoofer” with their Distinguished Teaching Artist Award, and in 2021 named a dance studio after him.
Produced by Vanessa AbronEdited by Tristan BrunsRecorded On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast NetworkLocated Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
Call us @ 773.604.1899Email us [email protected]
Support The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-either-and-podcast-w-bril-
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Bril Barrett launches the second season of “The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett” with this candid reflection of 2022 and exciting introduction of 2023!
produced by Vanessa AbronEdited by Tristan BrunsRecorded On Location at The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Podcast NetworkLocated Inside The Harold Washington Cultural Center
https://www.maddrhythms.com/m-a-d-d-rhythms-podcast-network
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Episode Notes
People are always asking me about the Chicago style of tap. They also ask me about the ideology behind M.A.D.D. Rhythms' style of tap. In this episode, I get into all of it and more!
Support The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-either-and-podcast-w-bril-
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Episode Notes
I know this has been talked about to no end. Everybody and their Mama has talked, debated and even deconstructed "The Slap" seen around the world, but very few people have approached it from the "Either/And" point of view. Give it a listen and let me know what you think. Am I the only one?
Support The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-either-and-podcast-w-bril-
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Episode Notes
The two very different situations with Jussie Smollett and Kanye' West presented me with the opportunity to really share my thoughts about fighting for justice while having compassion. I am a firm believer that you can demand accountability while showing empathy for other human beings.
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Episode Notes
2020 was a turbulent year for the world! It was also, extremely turbulent for Chicago's tapdance community. In this interview with Mark Yonally, we talk about how that moment inspired us to work together and build something equitable.
“We came together in the spirit of unity, transparency and accountability! We are being the change we want to see,” said M.A.D.D. Rhythms Artistic Director Bril Barrett. “Chicago’s tap community has been fractured for a long time and it feels so good to be shuffling towards a solution!”
“It is such a distinct pleasure to work with Bril and M.A.D.D. Rhythms to create this incredibly necessary celebration of the Chicago tap dance community and be a part of something that is in the service of sharing our common language, healing our community and hitting the wood!,” added Chicago Tap Theatre Artistic Director Mark Yonally.
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Episode Notes
I was utterly shocked at the sheer number of men voicing extremely interesting views on women and relationships. This is my real time reactions to some of those viewpoints!
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Episode Notes
I just wanted to take the time to acknowledge, praise and express genuine appreciation for many of the powerful women who have shaped my life, my career and my legacy! I would not exist, literally and figuratively without these women!
Support The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-either-and-podcast-w-bril-
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Episode Notes
Black history is American history and February is the month we celebrate it! Let's look at some Black history and how it connects to Tap history and my history directly!
CORRECTIONSSeveral times I reference slaves being 3/4 of a human and it should have been 3/5. Only 12 presidents were slave owners, not 16.
Support The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-either-and-podcast-w-bril-
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
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Episode Notes
I just want you to know who I am, where I'm from and why I decided to start a podcast. I have been a tapdancer my entire life and most people know this about me. What most people don't know about me, is that I have an intense motivation to make this world better and that starts with digging deep into systemic racism and plotting a course for solutions! Either/And is my approach to that journey.
Support The Either/And Podcast w/ Bril Barrett by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-either-and-podcast-w-bril-
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
