For teenager Laree Talbot, the America’s Cup seemed far removed from her world of exams and assignments.

But this weekend’s Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Bermuda brought it all home for the 18-year-old student.

Laree and many other local youths will be entertaining the crowds by singing, dancing and playing musical instruments.

The Royal Gazette spoke to a few of the performers to learn more about them.

Laree will be playing with the Bermuda School of Music/Somersfield Academy Steel Pans band.

“It is really good because I’m very shy and this will help me get over that,” she said.

She started playing the steel pans at Paget Primary School with her music teacher, Janice Pearman. Later, Ms Pearman moved to Somersfield Academy and took the steel pan programme with her.

The programme works jointly with the Bermuda School of Music.

Laree continued playing with Ms Pearman as a Bermuda School of Music student.

“Initially, what attracted me to the pans was that they seemed different,” she said.

“I love to be different. I didn’t know many other people who played the steel pans and some of my friends would say, ‘that’s really cool, can you teach me?’.”

Laree is a student at Bermuda College, earning a general associate degree. She plans to go abroad to study psychology and the performing arts.

“It would be great if I could combine my interests in those things,” she said. “I find psychology really interesting, but I also love the performing arts.”

The steel pan group will play this evening in King’s Square, St George, from 6pm until 7pm, and on Saturday and Sunday in Hamilton from 12.15pm to 12.25pm on the main stage.

Dancer Tamairah Darrell, 17, leapt at the opportunity to perform as part of the America’s Cup festivities.

She and 15 other members of the Challenge Dance Crew will perform a hip-hop routine.

“The America’s Cup is so good for Bermuda,” Tamairah said. “It will give Bermuda a chance to show America what we’re made of.”

The Challenge Dance Crew was started by her older brother, Shadoe Rawlins, about three years ago.

“He is 24 now,” she said. “He started it to develop something that would turn out to be great where people could bring individuality to the group.”

Tamairah has always bonded with her brother through dance. When he said he was starting a dance group, she said, ‘put me down for that’.

“Our first event was the Bermuda Day Parade last year and we are hoping to perform in it again next year,” she said.

“My brother has also organised shows at the Berkeley Institute.”

She handles the choreography for the Challenge Dance Crew. She finds it challenging, but loves it.

“I listen to the song over and over, until I feel something,” she said. “Then I do dance moves over and over until I have perfected them.”

She is working towards her GED at the Care Centre, and is hoping to go into nursing, but wants to eventually get back to dance. The Challenge Dance Crew will be performing a “mash-ups” of popular songs as part of the Sailors Dock Out show in the Fan Zone at Number One car park on Front Street in Hamilton from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

Somersfield Academy student Shane White said he was looking forward to playing with the Bermuda School of Music/Somersfield Steel Pans band this weekend.

The 13-year-old admitted that when he first started playing them at the age of 9, he did not really like their sound.

He was in primary five at the time and the steel pans were part of the music curriculum.

“I started on the double second pan and didn’t like it that much,” he said.

But his teacher, Janice Pearman persisted, having him try different pans. He found he liked the tenor.

“I started to pick up the songs more easily,” he said. “I also started to enjoy the sound of the pans more. I got use to the instrument and I got better.”

In fact, Shane started liking the pans so much that he joined the after-school programme at Somersfield to play the pans more often.

He said the hardest thing about the pans was playing when some people get it and some do not.

“Most of the time, I don’t get it the first time,” he said.

“I get really frustrated when I don’t get it. I end up picking it up when time goes on.”

He said he was very excited to be performing the pans in public this weekend. He celebrates his birthday on Monday.

Shane said he still does not quite know what career path he wants to pursue

“My mother is trying to get me involved in everything,” he said.

“She has me in music, sports, scuba diving, sciences and everything.”

Dancer Alison Lamb, 17, is honoured to be dancing this weekend and was thrilled when she heard the America’s Cup was coming to Bermuda.

“It will be so good for the Island,” said the In Motion School of Dance student.

“I love how Front Street is getting into it.”

Alison started dancing at In Motion at the age of 3.

“I always loved dance,” she said.

Alison is in a special class for the school’s top dancers. It is a heavy time commitment, especially since she is in the International Baccalaureate programme at Bermuda High School.

She can spend nine hours or more practising her dancing each week.

“It’s worth it, though,” she said.

She is not yet sure what career she would like to enter.

“I would like to continue dance in some shape or form, probably not as a career,” she said.

“But it is such a great form of exercise and release. Everyone should try it at some point.”

In Motion will be performing as part of the Sailors Dock Out show in the Fan Zone at Number One car park on Front Street on Sunday from 12.30pm to 1pm.

• For a full schedule of events this weekend see nothingtodoinbermuda.com/files/2015/10/1016-Americas-Cup-World-Series-Schedule.jpg