Join us for an amazing afternoon of rhythm and dance with the Chicago Tap Allstars at their Winter Wonderland event! Get ready to be blown away by the mind-blowing talent of Chicago's tap dance community, featuring M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Chicago Tap Theatre, brand new collaborations between Chicago's premiere tap choreographers, and performances by the youth following in their footsteps! The event will be held at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, a perfect venue for this unforgettable matinee, with tap dance history available to explore on display in the lobby. Don't miss out on the chance to experience the magic of tap dancing in person. Grab your friends and family, and let's make some wonderful memories together!

Special thanks to the Harold Washington Cultural Center and The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for their support of CTA's programming. Thanks to Sip & Savor and Bittersweet Pastry for providing sweets for our VIP reception.

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.