Tap Artists
Bril Barrett, 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellow, 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, 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, a performing arts high school in Gary, Indiana and several After School Matters programs on the city’s Westside and Southside.
Learn more about Bril HERE
Reginald McLaughlin, 2021 NEA National Heritage Fellow, affectionately known as 'Reggio The Hoofer' has traveled around the world to preserve and perform authentic, traditional tap dance.
Reggio got his start dancing in Chicago's streets and subways, where he brought smiles to commuters' faces while developing his unique style of footloose, fancy-free hoofing.
Working with Urban Gateways, an educational institution for the performing arts, as a dancer and educator, Reggio combined art with learning to bring upbeat and informative presentations into schools, museums and libraries. As he delved deeper into tap's history, Reggio met and formed a dance partnership with fellow Chicagoan Ernest 'Brownie' Brown, the vaudeville and Cotton Club legend. Reggio's lively educational programs embody the tradition of tap with sparkling performances and rich stories about its roots.
While he studies and performs nationally and internationally, Reggio is based in Chicago, where he works with the Old Town School of Folk Music, The Chicago Department on Aging and Global Roots Out-Reach - which serves children in low-income schools.
Stafford C. Berry, Jr., MFA, is an accomplished artist, educator, activist, and scholar of African-rooted dance, theatre, and aesthetics with an extensive background in arts and education. He has studied performing arts in the US and in Guinea West Africa, and he has toured nationally in the US, and internationally to London, England, and the Caribbean. He is a certified teacher of the Umfundalai Contemporary African Dance Technique and a licensed Zumba® Instructor. Mr. Berry was Associate Artistic Director of Baba Chuck Davis' internationally acclaimed African American Dance Ensemble (AADE) for 14 years; Assistant to the Choreographer of Kariamu & Company: Traditions in Philadelphia for 5 years; and former Faculty at the American Dance Festival for 5 years. He served on National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), North Carolina and Durham Arts Council dance panels, and he served on Boards for the North Carolina Dance Alliance and Ohio Dance. In addition, he’s taught at several institutions in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
Lyn Cramer is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and has created shows for Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and Casa Mañana. A teacher and choreographer for three decades, Lyn is a Weitzenhoffer Endowed Professor specializing in tap, jazz and theatre dance styles. She was named the 2005 Irene and Julian J. Rothbaum Presidential Professor of Excellence in the Arts by the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. Lyn received her Master’s degree from the University of Texas in Directing. She has released ten instructional videos in tap for Cathy Roe Productions and her brand new book, "Creating Musical Theatre" includes great conversations with Broadway’s hottest Directors and Choreographers. In 2004, Lyn was honored with the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters Artistic Achievement Award.
Keyna Allen grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, dancing for 15 years under the direction of Bee Pinotti at Camria Ballet Academy. She continued studying dance at Oklahoma City University (OCU), where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Dance Performance in 2016. While at OCU, Keyna performed with the OCU Pep Dancers, as well as in several productions, including Time of Our Lives, Applause, One Night Only; and the American Spirit Dance Company’s Home for the Holidays, On Broadway, and Hot Shoe Shuffle. Since graduating, Keyna has been working professionally both teaching and performing. She spent two years teaching ballet and tap full time at Classen School of Advanced Studies Middle School. She has performed with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in their productions of West Side Story (Graziella), Mamma Mia!, Singin' in the Rain, and Carousel; with Music Theatre Wichita in their productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie (Alice) and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Martha); with Larrwell Productions in Dallas, TX; and for the OKC Philharmonic Christmas Show. Keyna is ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum, though tap dance will always be her first love. She is in her eighth year on faculty at Dance Unlimited, where she teaches all levels of ballet and tap.
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Cassandra Van Houten, an Associate Professor of Dance at Oklahoma City University, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Oklahoma City University. Van Houten is originally from St. Louis, Mo., and has studied dance extensively in the areas of tap, jazz, ballet and musical theatre.
She trained with the late Professor Robert L. Reed, Dance Productions Unlimited and with the St. Louis Ballet Academy. In order to further her training, she has attended many workshops, including the St. Louis Tap Festival, Break the Floor, RIFF and many more. Van Houten’s performance career includes dancing in many seasons for Atlanta Lyric Theater, Factor 110 and Gainesville Theatre Alliance. She has choreographed and taught for Brenau University, Gainesville Ballet Company, Gainesville Theatre Alliance, Dance Masters of America, Southeast Missouri State University and Atlanta Lyric Theatre. Van Houten is in demand as a guest teacher, choreographer, judge and dance adjudicator. At Oklahoma City University, she serves as the Rhythm Tap Style Coordinator, teaches all styles of tap and jazz, Tap Pedagogy, and choreographs for Star Dance Company. Van Houten continues to spread her knowledge of dance through history and classes.
Shadoe Brandt is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Oklahoma City University, teaching all levels of Tap, Basic and Beyond Basic Jazz, and Musicals for Dancers. He holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance Performance with a Tap emphasis from Oklahoma City University, with a minor in History. Shadoe hails originally from Pittsburgh, PA and has studied dance extensively in the areas of tap, jazz, ballet, and musical theatre. Shadoe continues developing his education by frequently attending tap festivals such as CHRP’s Rhythm World, Motor City Tap Fest, St. Louis Tap Fest, and Steel City Tapfest. Shadoe’s Performance credits include Principal roles in the Equity National Tours of Annie Get Your Gun, Suessical, The King and I, Dr. Dolittle, On Golden Pond, and performes at Madison Square Garden in A Christmas Carol. Shadoe has had the pleasure of doing various voice over and TV works and has performed with the American Spirit Dance Company, as well as alongside tap masters such as Bril Barret, Avi Miller & Ofer Ben, and Cathie Nicholas. Shadoe has choreographed for the American Spirit Dance Company, various studios, Butler MTG, OKC Tapfest, Red Dirt Tap Festival, and Seton Hill University. Shadoe is a member of Actors Equity Association.
Ira McCurry has had a passion for performing since she started taking dance lessons at the age of three. Her training began in her hometown of Kansas City at Byrd’s Dance & Gymnastics until moving her training to The Pulse Performing Arts Center. She was a competition dancer for ten years and loved every moment of it! While dancing at The Pulse, she realized she wanted to pursue dance as a career. This resolution led her to apply and audition for Oklahoma City University’s American Dance and Entertainment school.
During her college career, she performed in multiple student choreography shows and community theater shows. She was a member of the Pep Dance Team and was Co-Director her senior year. After four years, she graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in American Dance Pedagogy. Following graduation, she began her teaching career as a Dance Director for Oklahoma City Public School District, was a teacher and choreographer at All That Dance, and became a Company member of RACE Dance Collective. She is now operating Sunflower Dance Academy in Moore.
Honor McFarland-Smith has “been blessed” to be a dancer for over 20 years. Starting at the age of 3, she began her studies at Inner City Dance Institute in 1993. There she studied, tap, ballet, pointe, (including an opportunity to work with Yvonne Chouteau, one of the “Five Moons” of Oklahoma), modern, jazz, hip-hop, flamenco, and African. Throughout the years, she has studied with Maggie Mitchell at Modern Dance Arts in Norman OK, and Alexa Fioroni at The Ballet Conservatory, that gave her the privilege of working with Wei Wu and Marcello Angelini of Tulsa Ballet, in Oklahoma City, OK. She has also taken Summer Intensives at Furmen-Grey Isenhour with Jody Isenhour in Midwest City, OK, and Academy of Dance Arts with Desiree Roan in Yukon, OK.
Honor has performed in the 4th, 5th, 6th , and 8th annual shows for the Oklahoma Contemporary Dance Festival that takes place during the summer season. Those shows featured choreography by Heather Burns (Afro-Cuban), Michelle Dexter and Kayla Jenkins of PerpetualMotion/Modern Dance (Contemporary), Rachel Bruce-Johnson of Bell House Arts (Modern), Hui Cha Poos of R.A.C.E Dance (Jazz), and Cody Dean of Dean’s School of Dance(Contemporary).
Honor is now a Tap and Jazz instructor and chorographer at Metropolitan School of Dance, formally known as Inner City Dance, where her love and passion for dance took off years ago.
Nikael Chiles is a Hip Hop dancer /choreographer that has been dancing since she was three years old. She is an enthusiastic dancer proudly offering over 8 years' experience performing in festivals, music videos and films. Energetic professional trained in Hip-Hop and entry level contemporary. She is mainly self taught, but has trained with Encore Dance studio and attended the Spring and Summer intensive hosted by Abstrakt Minds in Tulsa, OK. When she turned 18 she decided she wanted to pursue dance as a full time career. After several years of office jobs and self employment in dance, she decided to audition for the Oklahoma City Thunder O'City Crew at the age of 25. As of August 2022 she has now entered her second season as a veteran dancer on the NBA Thunder O'City Crew. In addition to the Thunder she is now in her second term as the Level 2 and 3 Hip Hop instructor for Metropolitan School Of Dance.
Megan Roberts, BPA, PT, D.Sc. is a graduate of the Oklahoma City University Dance program. Her music theater performances include Sugar, Bye-bye Birdie, Showboat, Oklahoma, and Texas. She added Irish step dance to her repertoire in 2004 and has taught, choreographed, performed, and competed in Oklahoma and
surrounding states. She was the Assistant Director of the Hill Irish Dance school for many years. Megan is also a physical therapist, and is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Cheryl Homen went to Applause Dance Studio, which was then located on South Western in Oklahoma City. There she trained with Pat Oplotnik, Oklahoma’s local tap artist extraordinaire. She enjoys entertaining and along with her dancing, she takes pleasure in acting, singing, and playing the drums. She played the drums for Dark 30, was an extra in the film Rudderless, and performed in Carpenter Square Theater's A Chorus Line; the Jewel Box Theater's West Side Story, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; and the Pollard Theater's Mystery of Drood. She earned her advertising degree and her Master's in English, creative writing from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is currently teaching dance in the Oklahoma City Public School System.
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.
Alissa Cartwright is a graduate of Oklahoma City University with a Bachelors of Science in Dance and Arts Management. Although she is highly trained in many styles of dance, tap has always been her first love. She trained with notable people such as Professor Robert L. Reed, Patricia “Fast Pat” Oplotnik, Brian J. Marcum, and Diana Brooks. Her heart has always lied in teaching and she has built numerous tap programs from the ground up. Her students have gone on to win many awards and accolades, but her greatest accomplishment and joy is to instill in them a love of learning and a love of tap. Her classes are noted for their fun and uplifting atmosphere where everyone feels seen and valued. She has been a convention teacher for Dance Masters of America and is a judge for Synergy Dance Competition. Alissa is so excited to share her love of tap with the students at OKC Tap Fest!