A native of Boston, Derick K. Grant has been tapping for 27 years. He was an original company member and dance captain for Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk at both The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival and on Broadway. Derick recreated Savion Glover's choreography and starred in the role of 'da beat for the first national tour.

Derick began his training at the age of two at The Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts, and by the time he was eight years old, he has learned the "hoofin" style of tap from the master tap dancer Diane Walker. Derick furthered his training in Los Angeles at Universal Dance Design Studio under the tutelage of Paul Kennedy. Derick spent three years with the Jazz Tap Ensemble touring the world.

He is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Upcoming Young Artists as well as The Helen Hayes Award (Washington D.C.) for Outstanding Featured Actor for his role in Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk. Derick was featured at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts African Odyssey program, part of the Expresiones Latinas Festival. He collaborated on a piece that incorporated tap and capoeira with renowned Brazilian artist Nego Gato, which opened the festivities for singer Daniella Mercury. He also choreographed and performed in a piece on the history of tap that launched the Black History Month 2001 celebration at Aaron Davis Hall. Recent compositions were featured in The Queens Symphony Opera's Duke Ellington Concert in Ann Arbor's Arts Festival.

Derick's own creation A Night Out: Tap! toured the country for three months. Recent choreography and performance with Jazz Tap Ensemble at the Joyce Theater in NYC the New York Times said "Mr. Grant let gusts of rhythm propel him with remarkable velocity!"
In the summer of 2006, he choreographed and directed Imagine Tap!, which had a four-week run at Chicago's Harris Theater with a cast including several of the best tap dancers of his generation.

Most recently, Derick was added to the So You Think You Can Dance staff as a featured choreographer for tap dancers.

"There is a global community now, you know, I have Japanese brothers and Brazilian brothers, we've really just torn down all the walls... we've been told what tap dance is for so long, we've been held in these labels and boxes, but we're tired of that. Those boxes have never defined me... my generation is at the point where we are old enough to do something about it"

Derick K. Grant (posted by Jacob's Pillow)

The Scroll 

4 hours, 4 languages, 1 love.
One morning at the Taipei Tap Together Tap Festival, Chloe Arnold, Derick Grant, and Jason Samuels Smith teamed up with Dance Works and guest artist Yukiko Smilie to shoot a short film. - THE SCROLL. A work of love!

An American, Taiwanese, Japanese Collaboration - Tap Dancers Unite

Filmed at the Taipei Tap Together Tap Festival presented by Dance Works http://www.danceworks.com.tw/
Created by Chloe Arnold, Derick Grant, Jason Samuels Smith
Directed by Chloe Arnold