Chicago Human Rhythm Project Will Present National Tap Dance Day Show Honoring Bojangles, Miles Davis & Coltrane

Chicago Human Rhythm Project (CHRP) will bring its acclaimed Stomping Grounds series to a unique close this National Tap Dance Day with an evening of American percussive dance at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. The 5pm, May 31st performance celebrates the rich legacy of tap while paying tribute to jazz icons Miles Davis and John Coltrane, as well as honoring the 148th birthday of legendary dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

The program opens with noted Chicago hoofer, Jessica Chapuis Bronson and Chicago newcomer Jeremy Arnold with very special guest Anthony Morigerato, "speaking rhythmically" through solo performances set to the iconic compositions of Miles Davis. Their masterful footwork translates Davis's musicality into a compelling visual and auditory experience. CHRP Founding Director, Lane Alexander, will premiere a new work with additional appearances by youth and adults from CHRP's arts education program, We ALL Got Rhythm.

The concert culminates with a stirring second-half performance dedicated to John Coltrane's A Love Supreme interpreted in a masterwork choreographed in 2015 by Artistic Director Jumaane Taylor, Supreme Love, performed by CHRP's resident company, Stone Soup Rhythms. This celebrated choreography will be accompanied by an ensemble of Chicago's finest musicians: Amr Marcin Fahmy on piano, Dakarai Barclay on trumpet, Brent Griffin Jr. on alto saxophone, Marlene Rosenberg on bass, and Isaiah Spencer on drums.

"In crafting this program, we wanted to create more than just a concert...we wanted to create a homecoming," explains Taylor. "National Tap Dance Day has become a global celebration, but by weaving together tributes to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, we are celebrating one lineage that lives within our Chicago community. This program is designed as a gathering where the audience can feel the passing of rhythm from one generation to the next."

The event marks the final installment of CHRP's 2026 Stomping Grounds series which opened at the Logan Center March 22 and will also be presented as a part of the Brookfield Zoo's "Glow Wild" festival April 26. For almost four decades, Chicago Human Rhythm Project has been a leading convener of and contributor to Chicago's tap dance culture and community, sustained by the support of artists, patrons, and lovers of American percussive dance.

"We invite everyone to feel the joy of rhythm and to keep this tradition alive and thriving," said Founding Director Lane Alexander. "One of the most important aspects of National Tap Dance Day is to include everyone from young people just beginning their rhythmic journey to people who have devoted their lives to the art form as well as people of all ages who continue to enrich their lives through tap dance."
The performance promises an unforgettable evening of artistry celebrating the past, present, and future of American percussive dance.

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