Convention Faculty

Maud Arnold

Known as one of “Tap's Leading Ladies”, co-director and producer of the critically acclaimed DC Tap Festival, and cover girl for Dance Spirit magazine's Tap issue, Maud Arnold is a member of the female tap band, the Syncopated Ladies, widely known for viral videos that have accumulated over seventy million views. Syncopated Ladies won Season 11 of FOX's So You Think You Can Dance: Dance Crew Battle. Mentored and trained by Debbie Allen, Maud has taught at Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. Maud's Television Credits Include: Black Lady Sketch Show, BET Experience: 106 and Park, The Late Late Show With James Corden, HBO's Boardwalk Empire, and Switched at Birth, Secret Talents of the Stars as a featured dancer with Mya, The Today Show. Maud can be seen in national commercials and print ads for Toyota, GAP and CANTU and has worked with Beyoncé on several commercials and music videos. Maud exudes her passion for tap dancing with her high energy, fun and action-packed dancing.

DJ Smart

DJ Smart has been described as innovative, quintessential and arguably one of the most versatile and gifted performers of his generation.He is a graduate with honors from the University of the Arts where he received his BFA in Ballet Performance.He has made countless guest appearances granting him the opportunity to perform, teach and choreograph all over the USA and in over thirty countries internationally. His credits include: Jessie J, The Jacksons, Twenty-One Pilots, Cher, Becky G, Disney's Best Friends Whenever, Dancing With the Stars, Latin American Music Awards, America's Got Talent, Billboard Awards, Momix Dance Company, Oklahoma!, Koresh Dance Company and more. Most notably, he was a special guest performer on the hit TV series So You Think You Can Dance and So You Think You Can Dance Ukraine. DJ is frequently involved in charity work, mentoring youth and activism for human rights. He continues to travel the world sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience as a performer, teacher, choreographer and ambassador for the arts.

Matt Smith

Matthew's love for dance performance, choreography, and teaching began at the age of three, where his passion for artistic movement first began. He graduated from Houston's High School of the Performing and Visual Arts, where he was exposed to a variety of dance disciplines. Matthew then began to assist top industry choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Braham Logan Crane, Lisette Bustamante, and Stephen “Twitch” Boss. He has appeared in music video projects with artists such as Macklemore, Sia, Beyoncé, and Jesse & Joy. Matthew has worked with Andrew Winghart on concept visuals including Pneuma and Blue Wave. His movie credits include Stargirl on Disney+, choreographed by Mandy Moore. Additionally, he has traveled the world dancing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He has also worked as a choreographer's assistant alongside Mel Charlot on So You Think You Can Dance. Matthew's teaching philosophy is based on creating a welcoming and diverse environment that encourages students to be their most authentic self. He emboldens you to identify your artistic voice while also ensuring that you understand dance movements are a visual representation of the music you hear and feel.

Rasta Thomas

Rasta Thomas is a former guest principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Founder of Bad Boys of Dance and the Senior Artistic Advisor for Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles, CA.

Azuki Umeda

Azuki Umeda, born in Tokyo, Japan, raised in San Jose, CA, is a 1st generation Japanese artist. She received her BFA in Dance and BA in Integrated Educational Studies at Chapman University and received the Nancy Dickson-Lewis award for Outstanding choreography. She graduated from California State University Long Beach to receive her MFA in Dance. During her time, she received a Graduate Fellowship for her thesis work, “how i became kinder & kinder,” as well as the Distinguished Achievement in Creative Activity award for the work. Azuki has performed with artists such as Twenty-One Pilots and FINNEAS; she has worked with choreographers such as Keone & Mari Madrid, JoJo Gomez, Monika Felice Smith, and Tessandra Chavez. She has presented work at prestigious dance festivals, such as Capezio ACE Awards, World of Dance, and was recently named one of the Ann & Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellows at Jacob's Pillow 2023 Program. She is featured in STEEZY's “3 choreographers 1 song” series on YouTube. She currently teaches at her alma mater, Chapman University, emphasizing composition and jazz, Avanti Dance Company as a College Advisor, and teaches biweekly at OffStage by GRV. In addition, she travels across the country of US, as well as parts of Mexico to share her knowledge of dance through a style of Contemporary Fusion.