Introducing M.A.D.D. Rhythm’s Rising Choreographer Andrew Carr
Quintessential to Chicago tap lore is Jumaane Taylor’s Supreme Love, a tour de force that pushes the best of the best to the limit. When Andrew Carr was in the original 2015 cast, he was only 11. Always ahead of the curve, Carr has been choreographing since he was 15 and went viral earlier this year with his video Universe 4 Two, featuring M.A.D.D. Rhythms company members. Carr’s insatiable attention to detail and instinctive musicality have pushed his seasoned, unparalleled excellence over the line.
Company: M.A.D.D. Rhythms
Age: 19
Hometown: Chicago
Training: Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts, M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy, After School Matters, The School at Jacob’s Pillow
A quick study: Carr started dancing at age 4. He credits tennis and piano training as contributors to his rapid progression through M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ programs. He was a senior company member before graduating from high school. “One thing I’ve learned is to identify fire,” says artistic director Bril Barrett. “I knew Andrew had it.”
Coed life: Currently a student at DePaul University, Carr meticulously manages his schedule. Everything—from his choice of school to class load and major—are in service of the dance. “With a marketing degree, I felt like that would allow me to advocate for myself in a professional way and enter into different spaces I might not have unlocked just yet in my career,” says Carr. “Even with my minor in sociology, it’s understanding and navigating these spaces I’m infiltrating with my tap dancing and my artistry.”
A musician first: Carr is choreographing his first full-length concert for the 2024 Chicago Tap Summit in October. To Love You All Ways will explore tap as a love language, with infatuation, familial love, love of the dance, and self-love as a few of the dialects. While the theme is his barometer, the music—a mix of live jazz, R&B, and a cappella rhythms—is his guide. “Whatever the music says, I try to make choreography that preserves what the author intended. Choreography and improvisation affirm each other. In order to choreograph, you have to be improvising on your own.”
Out of office: Carr loves action movies and comics, intentionally scheduling time away from school and dance to hang out with his friends. “There’s this shed me and my friends have—it’s like a garage with a couch and a bunch of tap boards,” he says. “We’ll hang out and dance, play cards, and just spend time with each other. Quality time is something I value.”
