Tap takes local teen to the world stage

Rylan Larabee has been dancing since she was three and at age six, she found her love of tap dancing. Now at 13, Rylan will be performing with Team Canada at the world tap dance championship in Prague this October. She trains at Dancing Angels in Lindsay.

“My dance teacher wanted me to try out. I didn’t want to go, but then one of my friends went with me,” she said. After auditioning in February, Rylan had to anxiously await until May to hear the good news that she had made the team.

Emotions of happiness, nervousness, and a huge feeling of being overwhelmed hit her all at once. Allyssa Handley, Rylan’s mom, said this whole process has been a huge step for her daughter. “Rylan has grown a lot over the last year,” she said. From being a very shy, introverted person who didn’t like trying new things, she’s in awe of how Rylan has come out of her shell. “I’m very proud of her.”

Now they’ve turned their attention to fundraising.The total cost is $4,600 which includes dance and choreography fees, costumes, and the stay there. It doesn’t include the cost of flights and her family’s added cost of attending the competition.

In July, they put on a Y2K dance party and in August hosted a name that tune night to raise money. Rylan is also setting up some lemonade stands and is now approaching local businesses seeking support.

Allyssa is glad her daughter is having to do things most 13-year-olds don’t as it’s helping her to gain more confidence in herself. “She has to actually speak to adults and ask for donations.”

No matter the outcome, she has plans to audition for the team again in a couple of years, after taking a well-deserved break after the competition. “It’s a big thing at 13 to be representing your country,” Allyssa said.

Now that rehearsals are in full swing, the excitement of going to Prague is starting to sink in. Rylan is looking forward to hopefully seeing the castles of the country in between dancing. Whether or not she brings home a medal, at just 13, Rylan is doing something huge — dancing for her country and stepping into a future full of possibility.

Anyone interested in helping Rylan fundraise can reach out to .