It’s a busy time for 20 local tap dancers. With practices and performances at every turn, one might think the upcoming trip to Germany was just another event.
Not so, said Judy Goldsmith, one of the dancer’s moms and media representative for Team Canada’s local girls.
“I can’t wait to see them in Germany,” Goldsmith said.
The Langley-area group of tap dancers were selected in May to represent Canada as part of Team Canada Tap at the International Dance Organization’s World Tap Dance Championships in Riesa Germany from Dec. 1 to 5.
“We leave Sunday,” Goldsmith noted. “It’s very, very exciting... they’re pretty much off their rockers now.”
There are a variety of competitions at the championships, but local girls are part of the junior (age 12 to 15) and senior (age 16 and up) categories and will be competing in large dance teams, small dance teams, and duos.
At last year’s event, the junior team placed in the top five, but Goldsmith said the girls who are competing this year have not been to this kind of event before.
“None of them on this team have ever been to this level of competition,” she said.
Dancers must raise funds for the trip and were part of a showcase event in Abbotsford on Nov. 20.
“The showcase helped, but there’s always more funds needed,” Goldsmith said. “The kids were fantastic... We were turning people who hated tap dancing into tap dancing lovers.”
Local junior team members are: Kaprice Goldsmith, Kyla Fowler, Samara Simon, Jordyn Beitel, and Allison Young from Lisa’s School of Dance; Jaden Vukelich, Jaine Hillier, and Jaime Alcos from Vitality Dance; Madeleine Ducharme from Studio One Dance Centre; and Maya Zalo from Dance Xpressions.
Local senior team members are: Betty Kerekes, Danika Simon, Elizabeth Coady, Emma Zadeiks, Faith Dew, Jessy MacDonald, Michaela Lanfranchi, Tianna Sinkovits, and Megan Schumi from Lisa’s School of Dance; and Shayleen Dignall from Dance Xpressions.
While some team members live outside of the community, all spend a significant amount of time at their dance studio in the Langley area.
Lisa Dew of Langley-based Lisa’s School of Dance was chosen as the Choreographer for Team Canada Tap.