RIFF DALLAS 2025 INTERNS

ASHTON CARTER

Ashton Carter is originally from Dallas, Texas and has trained in a multitude of dance forms. Throughout her upbringing, Ashton had many positive teacher figures who have helped her to become the person she is today, some of which include, Malana Murphy, Katelyn Harris, Sarah Reich, and Derick K. Grant. In 2021, Ashton became an alumnus of The School at Jacob’s Pillow Tap Performance Ensemble. While in Chicago, Ashton began working with the professional tap company M.A.D.D. Rhythms under the direction of Bril Barrett and Starinah Dixon. Along with this, she pursued a degree in integrated marketing communications at Roosevelt University. In her time there, Ashton was involved in a multitude of performances including, Summer Dance Celebration at Millennium Park, Feeling Good: A M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tribute to Nina Simone, NBC’s Chicago Today, A MADD Mixtape, and many more! She was also regularly seen dancing with jazz musicians at jams all over the city. Now, Ashton has just released her first solo project, Ella at Zardi’s Portrait Series, in collaboration with Yellow Shed Productions. She is now living and becoming a familiar face in the Boston tap scene, getting involved in as many artistic endeavors as she can!

AUDREY CHAPIN

Audrey Chapin is an 18-year-old tap dancer originally from Dallas, Texas. While in high school, she was a teaching assistant to Malana Murphy at Next Step Dance for three years. Audrey trains regularly with Jeremy Arnold and Elizabeth Burke and participates in Derick Grant’s Improvisation Labs. She has worked under the guidance of Sarah Reich as a student and intern for her Tap Music Project Intensives. Audrey now attends Fordham University to major in History and is continuing her tap dance education in New York City.

CASE PRIME

Case Prime is a tap dancer originally from Lake George, NY. In his teens he was an eager student in the American Tap Dance Foundation’s youth ensemble and studied weekly with Tina Fretto. In 2018, Case moved to Chicago, starting his dance career as an apprentice with Chicago Tap Theatre, directed by Mark Yonally. Also, upon his arrival in Chicago, Case got in class with Starinah Dixon and Bril Barrett at the M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy. He soon started his apprenticeship with M.A.D.D. and has been a company member since 2021. He is also grateful to be an alumnus of the 2021 Tap Program at the School at Jacob’s Pillow. Case has been teaching tap dance at numerous dance studios around the Chicago area since 2020, and has had the opportunity to teach at the esteemed tap festivals RIFF Dallas and the Chicago Tap Summit. Recently, Case introduced his own creative project, YellowShed, to the internet, sharing some of what he and his friends have been up to in his alleyway studio. Now, Case has moved back to the east coast, excitedly joining the NYC tap community.

DYLAN SZUCH

Dylan Szuch (He/They) is a 19-year-old-tap dancer and musician originally from Wilmington, NC. He has been tap dancing for 10 years. They invest their tap dance energy in training under the mentorship of Brenda Bufalino, performing, and studying music at Berklee college of music in Boston, MA as a Tap Dance percussionist. From 2018 to 2023, under the artistic direction of Gene Medler and Nicholas Van Young, he was a member of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble. In 2022, they were named a finalist in dance by the National YoungArts program and were featured in an issue of Dance Spirit Magazine in the cover story “Generation Tap: Meet 9 rising tap dance stars.” He is also an alumni of the Jacob’s Pillow School program. More recently he has been staying busy writing music based on the rhythms of tap dance, exploring tap dance as a form of healing and music therapy, and performing in shows at Berklee. They are most proud of their time performing with Dorrance Dance at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and at the Stockholm Tap Festival. He is deeply inspired by storytelling and he hopes to explore the beauty of narrative story telling, expressing impressions of nature, and human connection in his art.