About Us
Max and Sam Heimowitz are 19-year-old identical twin tap dancers from Washington, D.C.
They are currently first-year students at Yale University.
If you want to learn more about us, you’re in the right place.
Max ⭧
Who’s Who?
⭦ Sam
At 4-years-old, Sam took his first tap class. A year later, Max joined him. Since then, they have been students of Knock On Wood Tap Studio. In 2016, Sam joined the faculty of KOW, and as of 2018, both Max and Sam are members of the studio’s faculty.
In November of 2013, Max and Sam were cast in Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life at Arena Stage in D.C. During the show, Maurice would be chased off stage by the skills of John and Leo Manzari (the Manzari Brothers), only to be saved by the newly minted Heimowitz Brothers, who performed choreography by Baakari Wilder, and then engaged in an improvisation battle with the other brothers.
"The Heimowitz Brothers. I like the sound of that."
- Maurice Hines
Both Max and Sam are founding and eight-year members of the DC-based youth tap ensemble, Capitol Tap. Under the tutelage of Lisa Swenton-Eppard and Broadway alum Baakari Wilder, they have honed their musicality, technique, professionalism, and teaching abilities, and have learned to dance with live musicians. Additionally, Capitol Tap has provided them with numerous performance opportunities in the D.C. metro area and up-and-down the east coast.
In February of 2016, they were given the opportunity to debut their own choreography, “Charlestwins” in New York City during the American Tap Dance Foundation’s (ATDF) Rockin’ in Rhythm. In June of 2018, they set their first piece of choreography on Capitol Tap, titled “Wack,” at Capitol Tap’s second show at D.C.’s Dance Place.
In the summer of 2016, Max and Sam were chosen to learn a piece of the American Tap Dance Orchestra’s repertoire under Brenda Bufalino, “Haitian Fight Song,” at the Beantown Tap Festival. They were honored to learn this piece and share the stage with Ms. Bufalino.
Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life at Arena Stage
(L to R: Max, John Manzari, Maurice Hines, Leo Manzari, Sam)
Photo: Teresa Wood
In December of 2017, at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Knock on Wood Tap Studio presented a show in tribute to Fred Astaire. The Heimowitz Brothers choreographed and debuted a duet in honor of Astaire titled “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.” This piece was later performed in New York City at Symphony Space in July of 2018 at Tony Waag’s 18th annual Tap City Tap Festival.
During their sophomore year of high school, both brothers competed in the DC-CAPital Stars Talent Competition, a district-wide competition for high school students. The pool of competitors was first narrowed down to 40 semifinalists, whose essay submissions and videos were put online for the public to vote. Then, that pool was narrowed down to ten finalists who competed in the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center in March of 2017. The finalists are judged by a panel of four celebrities and the audience to determine the top three scholarship recipients. Both brothers were finalists.
The following year, in March of 2018, Sam was named a finalist again, and was given the opportunity to dance in front of Savion Glover. He received very high praise for his solo performance. Max also performed as a semi-finalist in the opening of the show.
Since 2016, Max and Sam have taught a free tap class to preschoolers at CentroNia in Maryland. Additionally, they have performed at nursing homes, assisted living centers, religious institutions, schools, festivals, and a variety of other venues.
During the summer of 2017, Max was honored to be selected as a student for the tap program at the School of Jacob’s Pillow, directed by Michelle Dorrance and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards. Twenty-five students are selected from around the world to study at this prestigious dance school.
The Heimowitz Brothers have also attended many different tap festivals, including the D.C. TapFest, Tap City (NYC), Beantown TapFest (Boston), and Jersey TapFest (NJ), learning from some of the most accomplished and best tap dancers in the world.
The brothers have collaborated with jazz and hip-hop dancers to choreograph a piece performed at the Arts Club of Washington; they have choreographed various other duets performed at their school; and have served as dance captains for some of Capitol Tap’s largest and most involved gigs.
During the 2018-19 academic year, Max and Sam were seniors in high school at the School Without Walls in Foggy Bottom. At the same time, they completed their Associate of Arts degree at the George Washington University as part of the George Washington Early College Program, a selective program where up to fifteen students attend the university as full-time students. They were members of their school’s National Honor Society chapter, founding members of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, and Max was a member of the Société Honoraire de Français. Max holds the DCPS Seal of Biliteracy in French and English and a Certificate in French from GWU, and Sam holds the Seal with Distinction in Chinese and English. Sam has also received the DCPS Global Scholar’s Certificate.
Max and Sam are now first-years at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. They are a part of Yale’s first, best, and only tap dancing group, “Taps.” In addition to Taps, Max is a Community Health Educator. He teaches a health education curriculum to New Haven high school students. Sam is also a member of Steppin’ Out, Yale’s step team, and a member of CityStep, an organization through which he has taught dance to local refugee children.
Photo Credits: Jim Evans, Amanda Gentile, Hyon Smith