Students will learn tap technique, historical repertoire, fundamentals of tap, jazz, and musical theater tap. They will also engage in Brown Bag (Bring Your Own Lunch) Q&A Sessions with our guest artists each day.

 

Please pack a water bottle, lunch for brown bag sessions, sweatpants, shorts, tank top, socks and sneakers. 

 

Daily Rate - $120

4 Day Rate - $350/$300 if registered and paid by 8/1

 

Click Here To Register For Summer Intensive

 

Once you have registered, an invoice will be sent to you via Square (AYCO LLC) within 24 hours.

 

Please email info@nwtapconnection.org  if you have any questions. Below you will also find the bios of our guest artists.

 

Bril Barrett

BRIL BARRETT is a dedicated tap dancer, whose mission is to preserve and promote tap dance as a percussive art form, foster respect and admiration for the history and culture of tap, and continuously create opportunities for the art form and its practitioners.

Bril Barrett is the founder of M.A.D.D. (Making A Difference Dancing) Rhythms, director of The Chicago Tap Summit and founder of The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy. His Performance opportunities include Riverdance, Tap Dance Kid, Derrick Grant, Aaron Tolson’s Imagine Tap, The Kennedy Center, Jumaane Taylor’s Supreme Love, the Democratic National Convention and many others.

Television appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Steve Harvey Show, Jenny Jones Show, NBC’s Someone You Should know and ABC’s Windy City Live. Bril has taught and/or performed in Prague, Canada, Germany, Finland, Turkey, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Albania, Amsterdam, Brazil, the Bahamas, the U.K. and across the United States.

He was named A Chicagoan of the Year and has his very own Ted Talk. Bril Barrett has started many outreach programs in Chicago’s public schools, Park districts and even a performing arts high school in Gary, Indiana. He ran an After School Matters Youth Tap Program for more than 10 years and has provided after school and summer jobs for more than 300 youth from underserved communities.

As a Taptivist, Bril has spent many years creating an alternative to the school to prison pipeline that exists for many black and brown youth. A child can go from novice to professional without ever leaving our headquarters inside the historic Harold Washington Cultural Center in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

 

Starinah “Star” Dixon

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 MADD Rhythms own Chicago Tap Summit.

She’s performed internationally in Poland, Japan, and Brazil to name a few. 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. Star is currently on staff at numerous dance studios in and around Chicago.

 

Jason Holley

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Jason Holley has worked in the Entertainment Industry for over two decades. Best known as one of the leading Tap dancers of his generation, he has appeared on Broadway, TV, Film, and stages worldwide.  

Mentored by Debbie Allen, Jason has performed in several productions under her direction including Brothers Of The Knight, Pepito's Story, Dreams, and Dancing In The Wings. He also performed as a featured ensemble member in the Miami regional production of A Wonderful World, a musical chronicling the life of Louis Armstrong. 

Jason made his Broadway debut in Shuffle Along starring Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Billy Porter. He was also a dancer and choreographer for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks and Tokyo Disney.

Jason’s Television credits include: The Late Late Show with James Corden, All Rise, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Disney+ Encore!, World of Dance and the 1996 Kennedy Center Honors, honoring Shirley Temple. 

Jason recently served as associate choreographer on the new comedy film, Theatre Camp starring Molly Gordon, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin and can be seen in the hit musical film, Sprited starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer.