Thomas Maupin | Net Worth, Education, Family, and Career

Thomas Maupin is recognized worldwide for his buck dancing, a form of folk dance in which the dancer uses high steps from the floor and dances on their toes with a relatively immobile torso.

Maupin has been ruling the world of buck dancing for more than thirty years and is best known for his magical scissor steps and smooth crisscrossing.

After spending years competing in buck dancing competitions, the Tennessee native is now passing his skills to the next generation.

He has stopped dancing to compete and has started dancing to teach his successor the art of buck dancing.

Quick Summary

Popular NameThomas Maupin
Real NameThomas Maupin
Date of birthNovember 17, 1938
Age85 years old
Place of birthEagleville, Tennessee, USA
FatherUnknown
MotherUnknown
SiblingsEight
StatusMarried
SpouseNancy Maupin
ChildrenTwo
DaughtersNot disclosed
GrandchildrenFour
Great-grandchildrenFour
OccupationProfessional buck dancer
Net worthUnknown
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityWhite Caucasian
ReligionChristianity
ZodiacScorpio
HeightUnknown
WeightUnknown
MeasurementUnknown
Hair colorBrown
Eye colorBrown
ComplexionFair
FacebookThomas Maupin and Daniel Rothwell

Thomas Maupin’s Net Worth and Earnings

The 85 years old buck dancer has been competing in many competitions for more than thirty years and has been winning the title along with the prize money.

Besides this prize money, he also worked at an aircraft factory. To this day, he is also working a regular job.

So, despite not knowing the exact number, it is safe to assume that he is earning enough to look after his livelihood.

Family and Childhood

Thomas was born in the rural parts of the Eagleville area of Tennessee. 

He grew up in a family with a dancing background. Both sides of his family had dancers, so he and his eight siblings grew up watching people dance.

As a child, Thomas lived together with his parents and his paternal grandmother. While growing up, he always saw his grandmother dancing to the radio whenever there was music.

To this day, he can still remember the sound of the thud that his grandmother made with her heel on the wooden floor whenever she used to dance.

It was also because of his grandmother that he began dancing. As a kid and young adult, he used to dance in the domestic and community squares.

However, he left Buck dancing after getting married and having kids. Once he became a family man, he kept his family before his passion and worked in an aircraft factory.

He stayed away from dancing and worked to raise his family. Once his children were all grown up, he was free from the responsibilities of being a father. So, he resumed his buck dancing, and the rest is history.

Currently, Thomas holds around sixty championship titles and is determined to pass his dancing skills and experience to his successors.

Details on Thomas Maupin’s Wife

The buck dancer has been married to his supportive wife, Nancy. 

He had not opened up about how they met or when they got married, but he has shared that they have two beautiful daughters.

The couple is also grandparents to four grandchildren and great-grandparents to many great-grandchildren.

In many interviews, Thomas thanked his wife for looking after their children and encouraging him to follow his passion.

Education

Thomas has yet to share his educational background and his academic qualifications.

Interesting: Read about Taylor Nunez who is famous in Tiktok for her content.

Dancing Career

Thomas started his career at a young age by dancing in the community squares. However, he could not continue it because of his responsibilities towards his family.

To raise his family, he left dancing and started working in an aircraft factory. He stayed away from buck dancing until his two daughters were old enough.

After his daughters were all grown up, Thomas made his return to dancing after fifteen years. This time it was different as he met a whole new community that comprised traditional musicians and steppers.

With years of yearning, he was passionate about making himself known in the world of buck dancing. So, he took part in many contests and even won plenty of them.

His dancing improved with each contest, and finally, he ended up with six national titles and many more regional and other championships over thirty years.

During this time, Thomas was known for his precise musical timing and collaborative steps. He blended his distinct personal rhythmicality with the traditional moves of his family to create magic for his audience.

He became a well-known name at the music contests with his graceful skills in buck dancing. 

While he was still giving his all to his dancing, he got support from his grandson, Daniel Rothwell.

Daniel, a national-level traditional banjo player, started creating music for his grandfather. 

In the 2000s, the grandfather-grandson became a strong team in the field of old traditional music. They inspire each other to be better, visible even in the documentary, Let Your Feet Do the Talking.

Thomas taught his grandson to follow his unique style instead of copying others. Along with his grandson, he also started mentoring other young people about buck dancing.

He stopped dancing to compete in contests and started dancing to teach and guide the upcoming generation to continue buck dancing for a long time. He took many workshops and even held exhibitions to encourage the youths to learn buck dancing.

For his contribution to folk dancing, he even received the TrailBlazer Award in 2009 and the Folklife Heritage Award in 2011.

In 2017, Thomas even became the National Heritage Fellow, the highest honor in the folk and traditional arts given by the federal government.

Every year, the people of Unionville in Tennessee also organize the Maupinfest to honor Thomas and his contribution. 

To this day, Thomas is actively following his passion and teaching the next generation everything about buck dancing.