Tre Dumas III
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.