Babs Yohai is executive director of THE BEAT. Born in New York, Babs first started tap dancing with her mentor and close friend Eddie Brown in San Francisco in the 1970s, after which they opened a school in Los Angeles. In 1983 Babs brought rhythm tap to Italy, giving workshops throughout the country, teaching in Florence for seven years, and performing in the show Taco Bello. She danced at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia.
Babs returned to the U.S. in 1990 to spend time with Eddie before he died. During that time, she organized a tribute to Eddie at the Morgan-Wixon Theater in Los Angeles and performed with such greats as Dianne Walker, the Nicholas Brothers, members of the Jazz Tap Ensemble, Wayne Doba, Linda Sohl-Donnel, Steps Ahead, and many more. Babs has danced for Gregory Hines, Fred Astaire, Rod Stewart and shared the stage with many stars.
Babs was the driving force behind THE EDDIE BROWN CENTER FOR THE ARTS. Before she brought THE BEAT into swing, Babs taught classes for Studio J, which closed its doors in December 1998. The school reopened as THE BEAT, with a fresh new vision to preserve the memory and dancing spirit of Eddie Brown.