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The sound of tap shoes is echoing once again in the nation’s capital as the D.C. Tap Fest kicked off its 17th year Monday, bringing dancers from around the world together for a week of performance, history and community.
The festival, cofounded by D.C. natives and sisters Chloe and Maud Arnold — acclaimed internationally as the Syncopated Ladies — has grown from a local showcase into a global gathering of artists. It features master classes for all levels, student showcases, jam sessions and an all-star concert that’s open to the public Friday night at the Westin City Center.
For Maud Arnold, the event is deeply tied to her roots.
“D.C. is such a haven for arts, and this is why we wanted to bring back the D.C. Tap Festival here to D.C. to become a capital for tap,” she said in an interview with WTOP.
“We’re very proud of that, and we’re proud to be from D.C., because that D.C. flavor adds so much to (us) as well.”
Arnold added that her connection to Washington — and to WTOP — goes back generations.
“I’m from D.C. — I grew up listening to WTOP on the radio in the car with my mom and my grandma,” she said.
The festival is designed to be inclusive, emphasizing shared experiences between dancers of all skill levels.
“There’s no competition. It really is about family and building this tap dance family that is taking place in D.C., but is a global tap dance family,” Arnold said.
“We have people coming from Brazil, from Europe, all over the United States, and it is so diverse.”
An online festival during the pandemic
That sense of community was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic. When in-person gatherings shut down, the Arnolds moved the festival online — and found an even wider reach.
“Even during the pandemic, we still did the online Tap Fest, and that was global. We had over 35,000 students from all over the world, from 53 countries,” Arnold said.
Beyond the excitement of classes and performances, the festival carries a serious mission: preserving the history of tap as a uniquely American art form.
“Carrying forward the tradition and the history of tap dance is vital. Tap dance history is Black history. It’s American history,” Arnold said.
Tap’s inclusiveness, she added, is part of what makes it powerful.
“It was created by African Americans, but it is such a welcoming art form,” she said. “You don’t have to be skinny, you don’t have to look a certain way. Gregory Hines used to say, ‘If you have a pair of tap shoes, you’re part of the family.'”
The late great Gregory Hines was a Tony Award-winning actor, professional tap dancer and the creator of National Tap Dance Day.
Tap is connection
For Arnold, tap is more than movement or music — it’s a form of communication and connection.
“It’s a dance for freedom. It’s a dance of community and communication,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s joy, and I think the world needs more of that.”
The D.C. Tap Fest is part of a larger network of events the Arnold sisters produce, including the Hollywood Tap Festival in Los Angeles with mentor Debbie Allen.
But for the Arnolds, the hometown festival remains special. While growing up in the District, both attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and trained with local instructors such as the late Toni Lombre, who opened doors for many young Black dancers in D.C.
Allen, a longtime supporter and mentor, continues to influence their work. Arnold said Allen’s advice resonates as they push to keep tap alive for new generations: “Keep doing the work, focus and keep it positive, uplifting and community-based.”
With dancers spanning continents and generations, the sisters are proud to see D.C. at the center of it all.
“D.C. — stand up for D.C.,” Arnold said. “This is our city. The arts are a huge heartbeat and lifeline for our city, and we just have to continue to fight for what’s right — for equality, equity, the arts and diversity.”
The D.C. Tap Fest runs through Monday. More information, including tickets for the all star concert, is available online.
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