Tap Artists
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, 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, 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.
Theresa Howard is an accomplished professional dancer and dance educator, proficient in African dance, classical ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap, and belly dance techniques. Ms.Howard has performed and been a guest performer with many prominent dance ensembles for over 40 years. These included: Chuck Davis African-American Dance Ensemble, Joan Miller and the Chamber Arts Players, Eleo Pomare, Rod Rogers Dance Company, Giwayen Mata, Barefoot Ballet, Manga African Dance Ensemble, Alvin Ailey's "Revelations" at Herbert H. Lehman College, and has performed in several of Ballethnic Dance Company’s signature dances: Urban Nutcracker, Leopard Tale, Flying West, and Jazzy Sleeping Beauty. Ms. Howard performed in several DanceAfrica events, the 1996 Summer Olympics and Para Olympics, and has danced in several music videos, and performed as an extra in the movie "Remember The Titans." Ms. Howard was the choreographer for several plays, including the award winning play “Ruined” which was performed at Kennesaw State University. She has performed for dignitaries such as Andrew Young, Desmond Tutu, The King and Secretary of Travel for Oshogbo State, Nigeria, four-time defensive player of the year Dikembe Mutumbo, Fulton County Commissioners, and mayors for the City of Atlanta, East Point and College Park, Georgia.
Ms. Howard is a part-time Assistant Professor of Dance at Kennesaw State University and has conducted dance classes and workshops at Gwinnett Technical College, Emory University, Georgia Tech University, Swarthmore College, Pace Academy, The Lovett School, Trinity School, Gate City Elementary School and has choreographed Coronation Events for Clark College. Ms. Howard has been a guest artist and dance educator for artist in residency programs throughout the United States. She also instructs African dance classes at Ballethnic Academy of Dance, Lilburn School of Dance, Fulton County Aviation Cultural Community Center, and Dance Canvas Summer Intensives.
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.
Tiffany Warford is an Associate Professor of Dance and holds a Bachelor of Science in Dance Management degree from Oklahoma City University. She holds an extensive career in all facets of the dance industry. Her performance career includes dancing in the critically acclaimed and world-renowned Siegfried and Roy show at the Mirage in Las Vegas. While living in Las Vegas, Ms. Warford performed and choreographed numerous convention productions and shows including the Redkin Hair Show, the Paul Mitchell Show, and the Ribbon for Life Annual Benefit Concert. Ms. Warford is in demand as a guest teacher, choreographer, and dance adjudicator. She has taught ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, and hip-hop at studios and conventions throughout the United States. She has received numerous awards and honors for her choreography which has been performed as far away as Asia. Recently, she was honored with the Destined 2 Dance Award for Most Impressive in Jazz Instruction. At Oklahoma City University, she serves as Basic and Beyond Basic Movement Tap Style Coordinator, teaches all levels of Tap and Jazz, Dance Health, and Dance Studio Management. In addition, Professor Warford choreographs for the American Spirit Dance Company and serves as the Director of the Community Dance Center.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
