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The Tap Scholar Award Virtual Audition

Apply today and take the next step in your dance journey! Applications Due May 18, 2025.

“If it wasn’t for the scholarship, I would not have been able to attend last year. I was one of the youngest in my classes. I had to really challenge myself, and I’m happy to say I held my own. I enjoyed performing at the Jazz Club and the JUBA! Festival. I even participated in the cutting contest, which was out of my comfort zone, but it was fun and I’d do it again.”

Aryonna C. Grier

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. 

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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

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