Bril Barrett

BRIL BARRETT is a creative tap dancer, whose mission is to preserve and promote tap dance as a percussive art form, foster respect and admiration for the history and creators of tap, and continuously create opportunities for the art form and its practitioners. Bril is the founder of M.A.D.D. (Making A Difference Dancing) Rhythms, Co-founder of M.A.D.D. Rhythms Canada, director of The Chicago Tap Summit and founder of The M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy. Performance opportunities include Riverdance, Tap Dance Kid, The St. Louis Tap Festival, The Calgary Tap Summit and many others. Bril has taught and/or performed in Canada, Germany, Finland, Turkey, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Albania, Amsterdam, and across the U.S. He has started many outreach programs in Chicago's public schools, Park districts and even a performing arts high school in Gary, Indiana.

Jumaane Taylor (assistant director), a Chicago native, has been tap dancing for 13 years. He began his training at the Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre, where he now teaches. He has had the esteemed opportunity to perform and study with Derick Grant, Idella Reed Davis, Jimmy Payne Jr., Jay Fagan, George Patterson III, Jason Samuels Smith, Sarah Savelli and Ted Levy. Jumaane made his professional debut with the group M.A.D.D Rhythms, where he now serves as Artistic Director. Founded by Bril Barrett and co-directed by Martin Dumas III. Jumaane has performed and taught nationally and internationally. Some of his credits include the Chicago Tap Summit, St. Louis Tap Festival, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, L.A. Tap Fest and numerous shows with ETA Creative Arts Foundation. He was featured in Dance Spirit Magazine as "One of the Top 20 Hoofers under 20" and in 2000 he won 1st place in The 1st Annual Chicago Tap Off. Jumaane currently finished up a six week run with the new show Imagine Tap, directed and choregraphed by Derick Grant. Jumaane is committed to spreading his respect and passion for tap dance.

Starinah Dixon

or better known as Star was born and raised in Chicago. She started dancing at a very young age. Brought up into a dancing family including her mom who studied african dance, which she later also studied, it was no doubt that she would have a love for dance. She is the younger sister of Bril Barrett who started MADD Rhythms where she is one of the original members of the six year running tap company. With M.A.D.D. Rhythms, she has performed all over the U.S. including The L.A. Tap Festival, The St. Louis Tap Festival, The Detroit Tap Festival, and Northern Illinois University. As well as performing, she also teaches and has been since the age of 16. Her teaching experience includes Alyo Children’s dance theater, Najwa, Chicago Park District, The Imani Dance Center, and the M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy. Besides M.A.D.D. Rhythms, she is currently dancing with a company called Matie Masie which does African, Hip- hop, and Jazz.

Ja'Bowen Dixon

Jaybowen Dixon a.k.a. Jaybo has been performing since the age of six. He began performing at student showcases and assembly’s throughout the year at his grade school in downtown Chicago. From there Jaybo began going to auditions and doing movies with his brother Bril, the combination of that, and the skills he had obtained from doing shows at school, is where Jaybo developed a love for the arts. At age 11 his mother enrolled him into Sundance studios, a local performing arts company. There he took his first African, Hip Hop, Carribean, and vocal classes. He continued to take classes there until he was 15. In late 2000, his brother Bril founded the group M.A.D.D. (making a difference dancing) Rhythms and recruited Jaybo and their younger sister Star to be in the group, that was Jaybo’s first real tap experience. Jaybo continues to dance and study with M.A.D.D.. Rhythms today. Now at age 22 Jaybo has appeared on Television[ local news, so you think you can dance, etc..] Film[save the last dance, shall we dance etc.], and multiple shows across both the city country. Jaybo has also been featured in Dance Spirit magazine, ads for Leo’s Dancewear. He also teaches at some of the most prestigious dance studios in the city of chicago.

Lee Howard is a 16 year old from Chicago,Illinois who attends the Whitney Young Magnet High School where he is an honor roll student. Six years ago, Lee began his study of tap dance at Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre with Idella Reed-Davis and Brill Barrett. Lee is currently a member of the M.A.D.D. Rhythms tap company where he has been a member for the past five years. Lee loves tap dancing because tap allows him to feel and express his creativity. Lee is also on staff at Studio One dance academy as a tap instructor. Lee’s performances credits include: M.A.D.D. Rhythms annual revues; Dance Chicago; Chicago’s Expo for Today’s Black Woman; ABC Channel 7 morning news; WGN morning news; City of Chicago Millennium Park Opening; Chicago African Festival; City of Chicago Daley Center performances; Chicago Human Rhythm Project Tap Festivals & shows; Chicago Museum for Contemporary Art Performance Series; Chicago International Salsa Congress; Bradley Tap Festival; St Louis Tap Festivals; New York City’s Tap City’s Tap Youth/Tap Future and Youth Showcase, L. A. Tap Festival and many more. Lee was awarded scholarships to attend the St Louis Tap Festival (04), New York’s Tap City (04,05) and Chicago Human Rhythm Project (02, 03, 04,05) to foster his study of tap dance. Lee was the Chicago Human Rhythm Project's 2004 Tap Off 1st place winner and second place soloist winner, 2005.