AGlencoe teenager has taken her dancing dream internationally to compete against some of the best performers in the world.

Margaret Cleves School of Dance student Abbey Freebairn recently travelled to Scotland to perform at Highland dancing competitions including notably the Scottish Championships and the World Highland Dancing Qualifiers.

Freebairn, 19, also competed at the British Overseas Championship, Bute Highland Games, British Open Championship, Sterling Highland Games and the Commonwealth Championship.

The first stop on Freebairn’s overseas tour was the British Overseas Championship in Musselburgh where she competed against other overseas dancers from Canada, America, South Africa and Australia.

Freebairn earned fifth in the Highland Fling and sixth in the Sword Dance with championship points (seventh) in her Seann Triubhas.

She then competed in the 18 Years and Over Championship in the Bute Highland Games in the Isle of Bute where she placed equal fourth in the Sword Dance, fifth in the Highland Fling and Seann Triubhas, sixth in the Reel of Tulloch and fifth overall.

“That was a really good experience because it was actually raining most of the time and it was outside at a highland games so it was the real Scottish experience,” Ms Freebairn said.

“We were under tents on the stage but it was raining and we had our umbrellas and our ponchos over the top of our costumes to keep ourselves dry.”

The young gun performed in the British Open Championship against the overseas dancers as well as Scottish competitors where she placed fifth in the 18 Years and Over National Title with the Barracks Johnny and Sailor’s Hornpipe.

The championship is made up of four set dances including the Sword Dance, Highland Fling, Seann Triubhas and the Reel of Tulloch which are then scored overall whereas the national title has dances that can vary with steps chosen by the performer.

Ms Freebairn then competed in the Sterling Highland Games in the 17 Years and Over, earning third in the Highland Laddie, fourth in the Barracks Johnny and fifth in the Highland Fling and Seann Triubhas.

In the Commonwealth Championship she competed against around 20 other Highland from 18-19 years old, winning sixth in the Sword Dance and the Reel of Tulloch, championship points in the Highland Fling and Seann Triubhas and sixth overall.

“It was amazing, it was really nice being able to dance (even before the world championships) with the world champions at the smaller competitions, just being up on stage with them,” Ms Freebairn said.

“The whole highland games atmosphere was really good to be in, having all the different things happening at the same time and everyone in their kilts and everything.”

Ms Freebairn said the World Highland Dancing Qualifiers was her favourite competition even though she did not make the top 20 to go through to the worlds.

“There were so many people there to support it and being able to see the world dancers on the world stage, has been a dream come true so it was really special to see them all up there dancing,” she said.

Upon returning to Australia, the young dancer took out all her dances and finished first overall at both the City of Port Adelaide Championship and the South Australian Championship.

“It was really nice to come back with what I’d learnt over there (in Scotland) and being able to compete in Adelaide and be able to show what I’d learnt over there,” she said.

“When I was in Scotland, my sword was my best dance, I placed in that in every competition but at home it’s not usually my best dance.

“All the dancing styles are different and I think I was also dancing better over there.”

Ms Freebairn will compete in the Victorian Championship in Dale in December before hanging up her kilt to focus on university.