Laura Hendrickson strikes a pose during a tap routine.
Submitted photo.
The first time Laura Hendrickson took a dance class, she and her mom both decided the sport just wasn’t for her. She clung to the corner of the room, never quite feeling the music in the way one would expect. Her mom, Christine Hendrickson, pulled her from classes, understanding that it wasn’t her passion. Maybe Laura would go into softball just like Christine, or at least that’s what she thought.
That was until Laura Hendrickson started passing out constantly. Any time she would hurt herself, she’d lose consciousness. Her doctor suggested she take some ballet classes to gain better balance. Even though she hated dance the first time around, she and her mom were willing to try just about anything.
This time around, her love for dance grew. At a dance studio that is now closed, Laura Hendrickson worked on contemporary styles of dancing. Though it didn’t help her health issues after all, she said it was worth it because of how much she enjoys dance now.
Once her momentum was building, her original dance studio had to shut its doors. They recommended she turn to Style Dance Academy in Franklin, and she did. On her first day there, her dance teacher insisted that she try tap.
Both of them were hesitant about tap.
“I said, ‘No! I hate the sound of tap shoes. I hate it! You know, you sit in the dance studio and all the little kids with their feet all over the floor. No, no. We won’t have that in my house,” Christine said with a laugh.
After going back and forth with the instructor for a few days, Christine Hendrickson was finally convinced to let her take tap. After that single class, the teacher and her mother both knew tap was Laura Hendrickson’s true talent.
“She did it and she loved it,” Christine Hendrickson said. “It didn’t take long [to get used to the noise.]”
Tap felt so different than other dance styles because she was able to make music with her feet. Tap is musical, with each tap of her feet making a different sound. In a sequence, it can sound similar to drums, all while holding a rhythm, Laura Hendrickson said.
To take her career to the next step, the 16-year-old is trying to make her way to the World Tap Championships in Reisa, Germany next fall. The audition process begins in Boston in January, and the entire practice and travel costs will be around $20,000.
The feat would be significant, but the cost is stressful for Christine Hendrickson to take on as a single parent. To spread the word about Laura and find a few sponsorships, the pair are beginning fundraising efforts. They’re currently looking for some Dine-to-Donate opportunities, and also want to find some events where she can perform.
Though it’s just Laura Hendrickson and her mom at home, she has one other main support system — her mentor Mike Glenney. The Canadian five-time World Tap Champion met the Hendricksons at a tap show in Detroit back in 2019, and the trio hit it off instantly. Glenney took her under his wing, showing her all he knows. During the pandemic, she would study Glenney’s online dance classes and once they were clear to travel, the two visited Canada, and she was able to finally train with him in person.
More than one Hendrickson has strapped on pair of tap shoes with Glenny. For her daughter’s 16th birthday, Christine Hendrickson decided she would learn tap dance from Glenney and perform it on stage after a show. At the end of this particular show, the dancers would always invite family members up to dance, though Christine Hendrickson didn’t usually participate.
“It was not a good present!” Laura Hendrickson said, laughing.
“I went on stage and it was absolutely horrible. But I did it!” Christine Hendrickson said with a laugh.
Afterward, Laura Hendrickson joked that her mom should retire her dance career before it even began.
“I think people look at tap and think that it doesn’t look that hard. You just go up there and stomp your feet and that’s all you do,” Christine Hendrickson said.
“But you can attest that it’s not that easy!” Laura Hendrickson said laughing.
Christine Hendrickson said the most important thing for her is that her daughter is happy. To see the community support her daughter’s dream, too, would be priceless.
“It would mean everything if people supported what we were doing,” Christine Hendrickson said.
She didn’t get a softball star daughter, but what she got is much better. The long drives, the hours in the studio, the late nights. It’s worth it to see Laura happy, she said.
“It’s not the life I wanted, but it’s better than anything I could have ever imagined,” Christine Hendrickson said. “I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.”
HOW TO HELP
To learn more about Laura and her goal visit https://bit.ly/44v3sHB.
