Apply Now: Auditions Close May 18, 2025
The Tap Scholar Program offers scholarships to students based on their financial need, talent, skill, attitude, and artistic merit. Award decisions are based on a combination of criteria including skill, talent, potential and financial need with the intention of creating a diverse mix of young dancers dedicated to furthering their tap and percussive dance education. The program runs alongside Rhythm World, July 11–20, 2025, and includes master classes, courses, a Choreographic Residency, a Production Residency, and concert admission.
As a Tap Scholar, you’ll have the chance to study with some of the best tap and percussive dance masters, meet fellow dancers from around the globe, and give back to the community by supporting faculty and festival staff.
Join a Legacy of Tap Dance Legends
Welcome to the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Tap Scholar Program!
Founded in 1995 to honor the life of CHRP co-founder, Kelly "Ikaika" Michaels, the Rhythm World Tap Scholar Award program has provided summer, immersion experiences to more than 300 talented, deserving young dancers from around Chicago, the United States and the globe.
In celebration of our 35th Anniversary, we will offer up to $35,000 in scholarships through video auditions. These awards will be available to dancers in the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Germany, and beyond. Since its inception in 1995, the Tap Scholar Program has granted over $350,000 in tuition waivers, helping talented young dancers pursue their dreams. The Tap Scholar program has helped to nurture many of today's leading voices and the development of an international community.
Tap Scholar Alumni
(partial list, we're still digging through our records! If you know someone who should be included . . . including yourself! Please let us know.)
2005
Kourtney Bowens (2006, 2008)
Kevin Brewer
Michelle Broecker (2005, 2006)
Aleutian Calaby (2005, 2008)
Starinah Dixon (2005, 2006)
Taylor Ester (2005, 2008)
Justin Garbarz
Brandon Hatcher
Rachel Hendershott
Adam Hess
Kristin Hillegondes
Lee Howard
Kayleigh Irwin
Donnetta Jackson (2005, 2006)
Kyle Jones
Andre Jungermann
Sean Kaminski (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Isla Katz (2005, 2008, 2009)
Sonja Kranzfelder
Angelica Leigh
Kaylah Mathis (2005, 2006, 2007)
Taylor McCulloch
Deanne Rowe
Michelle Rubio (2005, 2006)
Nico Rubio (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Kenneth Russell (2005, 2006)
Sonia Russell (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Samantha Scipio (2005, 2008)
Jumaane Taylor
Brittney Thompson
Kelsey Wermager
Maria Ziegler
2010
Collin Alexander
Isabella Diaz
Grace Eib
Desiree Lantz
Jazlyn Lauster
Alexandra Stephens
Emerson Stephens
Gwendolyn Stephens
Isabella Stephens
Sydney Tate (2010, 2015, 2016)
Megan Wind
2018
Caleb Jackson (2018, 2019, 2020)
Aryonna Grier (2018, 2019)
Enrica Uhlen
Ja Kayla Harris (2018, 2019)
Kennedy Coleman
Zayvion Rubio (2018, 2019)
2024
Francine Adriano
Stewart Aspen
Oakley Boer
Trinity Bryant
Seiji Daibo
Arabella DeLuca
Megan Michael
Tommaso Parazzoli
Katherine Prescott
Makayla Ryan
Bella Silva
Emma Van Lieshaut
Aili Yasutake
2006
Katie Brennan
Dylan Buchweitz (2006, 2007, 2009)
Nora Clark
Ashley Dawson
Melissa Economou
Brittany Gandy
Brianna Horton
Victoria Jones
Shannon Kaminski (2006, 2007)
Caitlin Kozack (2006, 2007)
Jessica Kozack (2006, 2007)
Jeremy Miton
Melissa Nelson
Naomi Palacios
Shana Sigmund
Brianna Simon
Faye Tabor
Kaylee Vernetti
Gabriella Wiltz (2006, 2007)
2013
Time Brickey
Francesca Carfagnini
Anthony Clampit
Ljiljana Clampit
Amanda Erickson
Donyella Kittrell-Jackson
Madison Martin
Alex Stephens
EJ Stephens
Allie Strehle
Cory Wilfong
2019
Maliah Keaton
2007
Ian Berg (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Legna Castro
Erica Decker
Kimmie Engle
Mikaela Evans
Justin Garth
Audrey Kopecky
Taylor Lattimore (2007, 2013)
Maggie Love
Jacob Newberry (2007, 2008)
Anais Reyes
Jacqueline Spreadbury
2015
Kharaan Abraham
Tyler Booker (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Brianna Carmichael
Elizabeth Carroll
Gabriel Cortez
Tanzania Covington (2015, 2018)
Molly Favreau
Frances Fay
Sarah Huskey
Roxanne King
Taiga Nagai
Vivian Shimizu
Alexis Stevenson
Molly Sute
2020
Yuki Kubota
Goki Miyata
Jillian Petruccelli
2008
Joey Colombus
Alexis Colton
Bruce DeMorrow
Bridget Gayer (2008, 2009)
LeAnn Jandrist (2008, 2009)
Tiffany Negron (2008, 2009)
Annamaria Roberto
Emma Roberto
Josephine Schneider (2008, 2009)
Kayla Scipio
2016
Ivy Anderson (2016, 2017, 2018)
Audrey Bartley
Noah Brewington
Jasmyn Bush
Jordyn Bush
Andrew Carr (2016, 2017, 2019)
Skyy Echoles
Kelsey Fields
Alexandrya Fryson (2016, 2017, 2018)
Haley Grier
Reese Hafner
Haley Hampton
Savannah Martin
Kristin Meyer
Emily Monsrud
Clark Rulon (2016, 2017)
Emily Voogd
Antonio Welsch
Isabella Welsch
2022
Carissa Liu
Morrison Luban
Moriah Mitchell
Gigi Luban
Emma Bolton
Ashlyn Bolton
Cole LaFont
2009
Margaret Armstrong
Shadoe Brandt (2009, 2010)
Sarah Bruno
Kyle Davis
Jacquelyn DeThomas
Taylor Edwards
Kristin Gayer
Sarah Grames
Sophie Grames
Jylen Grayson
Charles McGregory
Brittany Negron
2017
Sofia Alonso
Nathan Graff
Antonio Houston
Aoshi Ichimura
Moa Imai
Alex Miller
Mia Murphy
Miu Nakagawa
Melanie Smeltzer (2017, 2018)
Kazuma Tanizawa
2023
Leah Chamaty
Breaden Cota
Angela DuBose (2023, 2024)
Takuto Hashimoto
Anisa Johnson
Anika Kachmarek
Jillian Kurby (2023, 2024)
Kaia Mavradas
TAIGA NAGAI
Khyri Porter
Eliza Russell
Toru Sakuragi
Tess Seibert
Lily Shields
Maria Vitória Santos