At just 13 years old, Leta Rundell is already making a name for herself in the world of tap dance. Alongside her mother, Amanda Trisdale, she co-founded the Autistic Wings Dance Company, a unique and inclusive space designed to support autistic dancers. While many her age are still figuring out their passions, Rundell is fully committed to her dream of becoming a professional tap dancer, dedicating hours of practice to refining her technique and pushing her skills to the next level.
“Why do you like dancing?” KRDO 13’s Bradley Davis asked Rundell.
“Because you go really, really, really fast, and you make a lot of noise and I can just ignore everybody’s existence!” Rundell said.
For Rundell, tap dancing is more than just an art form—it’s a means of self-expression and self-soothing. Her mother, Amanda Trisdale, explained how her daughter’s natural movements played a role in her dance journey.
“A ‘stem’ is a subconscious movement that autistic people do to soothe themselves,” Trisdale said. “Leta’s happens to be a very complicated three-point tap move.”
That innate connection between movement and emotion is one of the reasons Rundell has felt so drawn to dance. However, her experience in traditional dance classes hasn’t always been positive. She’s faced frustrations when working with instructors who don’t fully understand her needs as an autistic dancer.
“They’re like, ‘Leta! Keep your arms to yourself!’ And I’m like, ‘I’m hitting no one. This is my bubble. It’s in my bubble,'” Leta said. “People say, ‘Stop talking like a baby!’ Like, for some reason, I want to sound like a six or a seven-year-old, 24/7.”
These experiences ultimately inspired Rundell and Trisdale to create the Autistic Wings Dance Company, a nonprofit organization that launched in September. Their goal is to provide a supportive environment where autistic dancers can thrive without feeling pressured to conform to neurotypical expectations.
“It’s also a place, especially for those kids like Leta, who want to go pro, where they don’t feel like they’re ‘othered’ and outcast for their autistic quirks,” Trisdale said.
One of the biggest challenges autistic individuals face in traditional settings is the expectation to “autism mask.” This term refers to the effort autistic people make to suppress their natural stims and behaviors to appear more “normal” in social settings. Masking can be mentally and emotionally exhausting, leading to increased anxiety and even negatively impacting long-term health. Rundell and Trisdale want their dance company to be a safe space where dancers can be themselves without fear of judgment.
Even as she helps manage the organization, Rundell finds comfort and joy in the very classes she helps create.
“Just doing the dance, and learning how to actually speak actual English with people actually understanding me and not talking too freaking fast!”
For now, Autistic Wings Dance Company operates out of On the Break Dance Academy, a temporary home for their growing community of dancers. However, Rundell and Trisdale have their sights set on securing a dance studio of their own. With enough funding, they hope to create a permanent space where their students can continue to train, perform, and develop their talents in an environment that truly supports them.
To ensure every student receives personalized attention, Rundell and Trisdale keep their class sizes small, with no more than five students per session. Those interested in joining can sign up through their website, where they also provide information on their mission and upcoming events.
As they continue to expand, the mother-daughter duo remains focused on breaking barriers in the dance world, proving that autistic dancers not only belong in professional spaces but can thrive in them.
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