11 Aug 2023

Maud Arnold on amplifying tap dance

From Nine To Noon, 10:07 am on 11 August 2023
Maud Arnold left. Right, Maud and her sister Chloe during the final of the DC Tap Fest.

Photo: Syncopated Ladies, AFP

Maud Arnold is one half of a sisterly duo who have been revolutionising the world of tap dance.

She and older sister Chloe started dancing at an early age in Washington DC - learning a bit of everything - ballet, jazz and tap.

But it was tap that really fired them up, with both having the opportunity to train with tap legends -  Maud won a scholarship to the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. 

The pair founded an all-women dance band called Syncopated Ladies  - a high energy celebration of female empowerment  - which won the first dance crew battle on So You Think You Can Dance and has attracted world-wide fans and followers - including Beyonce.

Their charity, the Chloe and Maud Foundation helps give underprivileged kids access to dance through events like the annual DC Tap Fest - the biggest tap festival in the world.

New Zealanders can see Maud's work in a new movie out as part of the New Zealand International Film Festival, Theater Camp, about eccentric staff at a rundown theatre-focused summer camp.

Maud joins Susie to talk about her role in choreographing the film and her love of working with young dancers.

 

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