[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 55 (Thursday, April 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THIRD ANNUAL DC TAP FESTIVAL

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 2011

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in celebrating the third annual DC Tap 
Festival, taking place in Washington, DC from April 15-April 17, 2011. 
I also ask the House to recognize its founders, Chloe and Maud Arnold, 
both of whom are natives of the District of Columbia, for their 
contributions to our great city and to the art form, tap dance.
  The third annual DC Tap Festival will attract over four generations 
of tap dancers from around the world, and will heighten global respect 
and appreciation for a rich American art form, tap dance. The mission 
of the DC Tap Festival is to unite the global tap community, bringing 
people together from around the world to celebrate dance, while 
bridging the gap between the hip-hop and jazz generations through the 
classic, timeless art form of tap dance. The DC Tap Festival is a forum 
for the creative and artistic processes.
  We acknowledge the founders, sisters Chloe and Maud Arnold, for their 
commitment to this city. They have received international acclaim for 
tap dancing, after studying at two Washington-based dance companies, DC 
Dance Collective and Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and performing 
at highly acclaimed D.C. venues such as Dance Place and the Kennedy 
Center. The Arnold sisters have returned to their hometown, every year 
for the past three years, to celebrate tap dance and to encourage the 
next generation of tappers to pursue their dreams. This year, the DC 
Tap Festival welcomes groups from as far away as Taiwan, and will 
showcase a fabulous array of tap-dance techniques and styles in a 
variety of musical genres through workshops, jam sessions, cutting 
contests, and an all-star concert performance.
  Chloe and Maud Arnold were fortunate to grow up in D.C. during a time 
when funding for arts programs was available. They have trained with 
tap-dance legends such as Harold Nicholas of the Nicholas Brothers, 
Pegleg Bates, Buster Brown, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, and with 
dancer and arts patron extraordinaire Debbie Allen. Both sisters are 
graduates of Columbia University's Film School, and performers, 
choreographers, and teachers worldwide.
  In addition to being an art form, dance can be an aerobic activity 
that helps to improve heart health, strengthen muscles, increase 
flexibility, and burn calories. As I work to celebrate dance as an art 
form and to promote the health benefits of dancing, I will reintroduce 
a resolution to recognize July 31st as National Dance Day, both in the 
nation's capital and throughout the United States.
  On July 31, 2010, with a few thousand District residents and 
tourists, we gathered on the National Mall to watch, learn from and 
dance with Fluria Flamenco, Step Afrika, Beat Ya Feet Kings, Capitol 
Movement Project, DCypher, Banneker Ball Room Dancing Club, and many 
more. I was joined on the Mall by ``So You Think You Can Dance'' co-
creator, executive producer, and judge Nigel Lythgoe, by Dominique 
Dawes, the U.S. Olympic gymnast and a member of the President's Council 
on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, and by the Dizzy Feet Foundation to 
promote dance as an avenue for physical fitness and artistic 
expression. Our country has an adult and childhood overweight and 
obesity epidemic, and we need to promote physical activity among 
children and adults, especially dancing, the exercise that many of us 
most enjoy!
  I ask the House to join me in celebrating the third annual DC Tap 
Festival, taking place in Washington, DC from April 15-April 17, 2011, 
and to recognize Chloe and Maud Arnold's lifetime of passion for tap 
dancing and hard and productive work and service to the community.

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