On a warm Tuesday evening in early July, half a dozen young tap dancers congregated on the upper floor of the Harold Washington Cultural Center in Bronzeville at Making A Difference Dancing Rhythms, Chicago’s very own nonprofit tap dancing institution.
The white walls of the tap dance organization, also known as M.A.D.D. Rhythms, were sporadically decorated with nostalgic memorabilia: retro tap dance posters, previous M.A.D.D. Rhythms event announcements, and smooth placards of previous media coverage.
Inside one of the studios, the young tap dancers stood in a circle, watching each other tap and giving suggestions on how to improve their differing styles. The smooth groove of “On & On” by Erykah Badu bounced off the walls as they took turns tapping on the light wooden floor to the beat, the improvisational click-clack of their tap shoes adding another percussive element and feel to the song.
In the back of the studio near the doorway stood Bril Barrett, co-founder of M.A.D.D. Rhythms and a native West Sider, observing the moves with a large smile across his face, throwing out jokes and words of encouragement to the dancers.
“We’ve developed a reputation for excellence, which is all I ever wanted,” he said. “We’ve never been the most popular tap company in the world, but what we have been is consistent, and a consistent standard of excellence.”
M.A.D.D. Rhythms provides low-cost arts education and leadership opportunities for young people, connecting them with elders and other professionals in the field. This year, the tap dance institution is celebrating its 25th anniversary through upcoming events while continuing efforts of fostering community, mentorship, and connection on the South Side.
Since its founding, M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ performance company has appeared both nationally and internationally across diverse stages. In Chicago, M.A.D.D. Rhythms has performed at the Harris Theater, Millennium Park, Navy Pier Live, and the 3Arts Awards. Internationally, the company has made appearances at Sweden’s Stockholm Tap Festival, The Stars of Dance Chicago in Istanbul, Turkey, and the Poznań Jazz Festival in Poland.
The tap dance school is supported by institutions including the International Association of Blacks in Dance, Illinois Arts Council, Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, according to its website.
The inception of M.A.D.D. Rhythms came from Barrett coming home to Chicago from his tap dance tours and having to “start over.” He said he would have to reach out to local dance schools to find work after returning home, all to no avail.
From there, Barrett had the idea to create an institution for the art form he loves and cherishes. He wanted to create an organization that would expose young men in the community to tap dance.
“Tap dance can literally change your physical location in the world. It can evolve you in so many ways into so many different things,” he said. “I wanted to be famous, but I think that the universe—the creator, God—had a different idea for me.”
Another large part of M.A.D.D. Rhythms programming, according to Barrett, has to do with keeping kids in the community away from negative influences, and instead exposing them to an alternative route.
“Violence prevention started to really come into play into me working with these young boys,” he said, “and they were getting better and better and better.”
As M.A.D.D. Rhythms rings in 25 years of operations, Barrett is looking forward to everything it will be doing this year—and the future of the institution.
One of the nonprofit’s youth programs that focuses on jobs for kids and young adults in the community will be returning, according to Barrett. The program will target youth ages 14 through 24, so both high schoolers and college students will be eligible.
Barrett said M.A.D.D. Rhythms will also be performing at many local festivals this year, including the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and the Englewood Jazz Festival. To Barrett, these are bucket list performances he is excited to check off.
In the first weekend of October, M.A.D.D. Rhythms will be rounding out its anniversary celebration with the Chicago Tap Summit at the Harold Washington Cultural Center. The weekend event will feature food, merchandise, activities, master classes, and the premiere of Beyond a Shuffle, a documentary about Barrett and his work through M.A.D.D. Rhythms.
“This 25th anniversary is like a focal point of things coming together; it’s like a 360 moment,” he said.
Barrett’s excitement for M.A.D.D. Rhythms reaches further than just programming this year, however. He said he is looking forward to what the next 25 years of the institution will look like, and he hopes the next person to take over the company will be one of his protégés.
“The next 25 years is now about taking the legacy that we’ve cemented, and really scaling it up to a point that it’s a catalyst for itself to keep going and keep creating change,” he said. “I want this to go forever; I want this organization to outlive me by leaps and bounds.”
Matt Brady is a freelance journalist from the Chicago area. He has written for The Daily Herald, the Evanston Roundtable, South Side Weekly, The Fulcrum and Illinois Latino News. He is also the cofounder of Brain Graffiti Zine, a physical music zine all about Chicago DIY music.