Chloe and Maud Arnold Talk the History of Tap
Any time Chloe and Maud Arnold—aka our favorite tapping sister duo—gift us with another Syncopated Ladies video, we get excited. Really excited. But today, they’ve given us something even better: stellar tapping, plus a discussion of the history of tap and why the art form still resonates. Their new video is part of TheRoot.com’s Dances of the Diaspora series, which explores dances that originated in or were influenced by African culture.
We know, we know—any time you hear the word “history,” you’re inclined to roll your eyes and zone out. But the Arnolds’ video is worth watching. You’ll learn that tap is a purely American genre. You’ll learn about its roots in slavery. You’ll learn that it was passed down improvisationally, from foot to foot. “Nothing was written…unlike ballet, there is no syllabus,” Maud says.
Check out the full interview below to learn more surprising facts, and for some fab footage of Chloe and Maud tapping a cappella—which we could watch them do for days on end.
