With the slightest movement of their ankles, Lucy Callanan and Scarlett Sexton can put together a drum beat.

From the rolling rattling sound of the knock to the hissing scraping sound, “the sound” of the knock is Lucy and Scarlett’s favorite part.

“It makes it more creative,” Lucy said. “I like hearing in my head what the steps should sound like and then having to figure out how to move my feet to create it.”

“That—” Scarlett added, “And when you mess it up, you know you messed it up. You can really hear it.”

Lucy, 13, and Scarlett, 10, will take their skills to Europe for the first time this fall, representing the United States at the World Tap Championships in Prague in October. For the pair, who have been dancing in Concord since they were children, qualifying for the team is a huge opportunity – they will get to meet and train with world-class teachers and compete on an international stage. It also means they can do what they love with peers from across the country.

“It’s just my everything,” Scarlett said. “It makes me feel good.”

The two have been dancing for as long as they can remember. They took their first lessons as toddlers and only a few years later they started taking part in competitions.

“At Concord Dance Academy, we try to focus on being the best you can be and doing your best – when there is more focus on your own journey and process, success comes naturally,” said Hilary Fuller, a teacher and assistant director there. “I think they both live by that motto.”

Fuller said the amount of time and work Lucy and Scarlett put in this summer shows not only how much they enjoy dancing, but also their unique drive and work ethic. Only two Concord Dance Academy students have made this team before.

“It’s pretty intense in terms of training and time commitment, so that in itself is a big accomplishment,” she said. “In any activity, representing your community on an international stage is a big deal.”

After auditioning and securing a spot on Team USA, the two dancers received videos of the dances they had to learn. They will attend several full-day classes and practice with their team in Boston before traveling to the Czech Republic in October.

On stage, Lucy and Scarlett feel powerful and confident, full of joy. The stage is also a comfort zone where they feel safe and most like themselves. This is what drives them to practice for hours every week. They only come home from rehearsals to lace up their shoes and keep practicing.

Their parents say that Lucy and Scarlett are learning much more than just the steps.

Making time for schoolwork, friends and family requires time management. Taking the time to memorize and practice the steps – and not “cramming” at the last minute – teaches you to be a reliable member of a team. Recognizing when you’re having trouble with a step teaches you to ask for help. It’s also an emotional outlet – one that Lucy especially relied on after the death of her father in 2018.

Even a break offers the opportunity to learn something about balance.

“They just eat it, sleep it and breathe it,” said Scarlett’s mother, Amanda Grady Sexton. “But at the same time, you have to remind your child that they can’t be everything.”

Participating in an international competition brings with it a certain amount of pressure, said the two dancers – everyone on the team is focused and wants to do well.

But both live from the love of healthy competition.

“I like to see someone on my team – or outside of it – do well and try their best,” Lucy said. “Then I can try to do that too.”