|
| |
 Martin “Tre’”
Dumas III is a tap dancer and choreographer hailing from Chicago,
IL. Mr. Dumas received most of his early dance (tap & jazz) training and his
first teaching experience (at age 16) at Tommy Sutton’s Mayfair Academy of fine
Arts on Chicago’s south side. He graduated from (HBC) Clark Atlanta University
with a B.A. in Mass Media Arts with a concentration in Speech and Theatre Arts.
In 1995 he had his first tap festival teaching experience at the Chicago Human
Rhythm Project as a representative of Mayfair and Mr. Sutton’s tap legacy. This
led to Mr. Dumas being offered and accepting an opportunity to reprise the role
of Daddy Bates in a national touring revival of Broadway's The Tap Dance Kid
where he first encountered Bril Barrett. Later on, together as two thirds of
Steppin’ Out, they performed and taught at the St. Louis Tap Festival, Detroit
Tap Festival, and (performed at) The Democratic National Convention among many
other performance opportunities. Mr. Dumas was featured in the North American,
and European tours of Riverdance for three years. Mr. Dumas rejoined Bril
Barrett in January 2001, helping him develop his vision (of a lasting
institution to train and create work for tap dancers in Chicago) into the
internationally renowned company, M.A.D.D Rhythms. He also co-founded the
M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy (in residence at the South Shore Cultural Center in
Chicago) later that year. From September 2001-February 2002 Mr. Dumas lived in
Stuutgart Germany during which time he conceived and implemented a complete teen
through senior citizen tap program teaching five days a week at the New York
City Dance School and performing and sitting in with live musicians at several
Stuutgart jazz and R&B clubs by night. Together over the past six years, Bril &
Tre’ have trained a formidable crew of young dancers who are all individually
beginning to make their own marks in “the dance.” They also built a thriving
young (tap specific) dance school at a beautiful facility in inner city Chicago.
In 2005, Mr. Dumas (along with Bril Barrett and Lisa LaTouche) co-founded The
Chicago Tap Summit. Recently, Mr. Dumas has stepped down from his position as
M.A.D.D. Rhythms co-artistic and technical director. In the summer of 2006, He
was a featured soloist portraying a fiery tap dancing preacher in David Danced
in director/choreographer Derick Grant’s tap musical extravaganza, Imagine Tap.
Most recently, he was honored to become the newest “extended member” of Jason
Samuel’s Smith’s ACGI performing in London at Sadler’s Wells. Mr. Dumas has
taught and performed extensively throughout the continental U.S., Canada and
Germany as well as other parts of Europe, and South America. Aside from his
beautiful daughter, Lauren, his greatest joy lies in dancing and sharing his
love and knowledge of “the art-form” with others and receiving the same from his
elders.
|
