About Stone Soup Rhythms
Stone Soup Rhythms (SSR), the resident ensemble of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, is a collective of emerging and established tap dance artists who bend time and space to make new work. The name Stone Soup Rhythms refers to a European fable in which a wayfaring stranger brings a small village together to create a communal feast by enticing each member to add a unique ingredient.
Led by CHRP’s Artistic Director Jumaane Taylor, the company has a large and eclectic repertoire including works by Borak, MacArthur Genius Michelle Dorrance, Emmy Award winner Ted Louis Levy, CHRP Founder and Director Lane Alexander, sand master Guillem Alonso, Step Afrika! Jakari JcKo Sherman and others. SSR connects the ancient and sacred roots of percussive dance to the urban vibe of personal expression and innovation to create a feast of sound and movement.
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Stone Soup Rhythms Performers
Stone Soup Ensemble
Photo credit to William Frederking
Jumaane Taylor
CHRP Artistic Director, Jumaane Taylor, a Chicago native, has been tap dancing since the age of 7 at the Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre. He has had the opportunity to train with Geraldine Williams, Idella Reed Davis, Runako Jahi, Bril Barrett, Jimmy Payne Jr., and George Patterson III.
In 2015, Jumaane created Supreme Love. A tap dance production honoring John Coltrane’s 'A Love Supreme' and the art of tap, premiering at jazz music and dance festivals including Jacob's Pillow in 2017. In 2018 he established Heel and Toe Productions, presenting The Jazz Hoofing Quartet. A solo dance performance using improvisation, to continue the progressive exploration of live music with tap. 2020 delivered Ugly Flavors, covering Ornette Coleman's 'The Shape of Jazz To Come' then Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring'. Choreographing a new layer of rhythmical composition for the two legendary works, as the tap dancers celebrate their relationship to the earth.
Keyana Latimer
Keyana Latimer is an African American actress, singer and dancer. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Keyana began her dance training at The Academy of Dance Arts. At the age of nine, she started choreographing dances for young teen girls in Chicago’s North Lawndale community. She made her professional debut in 2009, as a Junior Luvabulls and Bulls Kidz for Chicago’s NBA team. She later was selected to be dancer for the memorable band Pink Floyd. In her early adolescent years, she devoted much of her time and talent while in middle and high school. She became head choreographer for many school plays and musicals. She was also a writer and composer for the musical, Train performed at Trinity High-school.
In 2020, she pursued her professional acting career landing a principal role on Fox’s television show, “Empire” and “The Chi” on showtime. She later premiered as a principal dancer in Ugly Flavors. A livestream work sample performance piece created by tap dancer Jumaane Taylor, and premiered at The Dance Center of Columbia College. Keyana’s ultimate goal is to empower underserved youth in Chicago through the education of the performing arts.
Kenneth Russell
As a native Chicagoan, Kenneth Russell (Djedi) was the second child to be born out of 3 siblings and has been involved the in performing arts since he was 8 years old. He started out in tumbling class at Mayfair Academy, but after 2 years of repetitive routines, his enthusiasm faded, so his mother introduced him to tap dance. After all, his mother, brother, and sister were all taking up tap, so he finally gave it a shot. After his first performance, Kenn fell in love with the art form and sought after it more as years passed. He has taken master tap dance classes from some of the greatest tap dancers in the world (Jason Samuels Smith, Bril Barrett, Martin “Tre” Dumas III, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Dianne "Lady Di" Walker, Derrick Grant, Reggio McLaughlin and the late great Ernest “Brownie” Brown to name a few). Now more than 20 years in his craft, he's teaching children to pursue their dreams, while he leads by example with his own style in the art form of tap dance. Amongst other rhythmic dance genres that were picked up along the way, Djedi has been using tap dance as an outlet for healing.
Guest Artists
Photo J Alice Jackson Photography
Time Brickey
Time Brickey is a tap dancer, musician, and generally entertaining guy from Chicago. He is a member of M.A.D.D. Rhythms and a collaborator with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Stone Soup Rhythms and has performed in Dance for Life Chicago, the Stomping Grounds Festival, JUBA!, and as a soloist at the Billy Strayhorn Centennial, where he was described by the Chicago Tribune as a “Literal Loose Cannon.”
Time was featured tap dancing on 91.1 Vocalo with DJ Ayana Contreras for Reclaimed Soul in The Parks, and in the critically acclaimed production of 42nd St. at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook. Time can also be spotted in the wild world of puppetry, performing with Cabinet of Curiosity Productions.
Call him sometime, why not? He’s nice.
Photo J Alice Jackson Photography
Megan Davis
Megan Davis started dancing in Austin, TX studying with Tri-Tone, under the direction of Tasha Lawson, and Tapestry Dance Company, under the direction of Acia Gray. She later moved to Chicago in 2013 to pursue her STEM and dance career.
In 2016 she obtained her Bachelors of Science in pure math and subsequently in 2017 she earned her Masters of Science in pure mathematics. While studying, she was privileged to dance and perform with MADD Rhythms, under the direction of Bril Barrett, Tapman Productions, under the direction of Tristan Bruns, and Stone Soup Rhythms, which is under the direction of Lane Alexander and artistic direction by artist in residence Daniel Borak.
Most recently, she performed with Rhythm ISS…, under the direction of Sarah Savelli, Idella Reed-Davis, and Sharon Rushing in their show “Rhythm ISS… Returns!”, MADD Rhythms show “Feeling Good, a MADD Rhythms tribute to Nina Simone”, and at the opening tap jam for Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Rhythm World Tap and Percussive Arts Festival at the Jazz Showcase. She premiered her choreography in Chicago at Stage 773 in the show “Persist: Tap Dance Made by Women” through Audible Odyssey’s artist in resonance program and at Navy Pier through the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Rhythm World Tap and Percussive Arts Festival.