ALLEGAN, Mich. -- Sabrina Mills leaves Friday to Glasgow, Scotland, to compete in the World Irish Dancing competition.
It's the biggest Irish dancing competition in the world, and the Allegan teen be competing against the best 13-year-olds in Irish dancing. But she says she can't wait to do what she loves on the biggest stage on the globe.
"I started Irish dance when I was in first grade and I was 7," Sabrina told FOX 17. Since then she has competed in hundreds of competitions and has the first place trophies and medals to prove it.
"I practice six days a week for like one to two hours, and you always have to drill your steps so you can perfect them," she says.
To qualify for the world competition, Sabrina recently placed 19th out of 181 dancers at the North American Irish Dance Competition.
"I had no idea it would go this far," said Sabrina's mom, Amy. "She just wanted to take lessons and learn how to do Irish dancing, and we didn’t realize what a competition was, that there was competing and we go all over the place."
Mills will be competing against nearly 300 other 13-year-olds from around the world.
"I’m really proud to be dancing on the world stage, because I’ve worked so hard to get up to being able to do this, so it’s going to be really exciting," she said.
That hard work includes driving back and forth to Grand Rapids for dance classes and spending hours in her dance room at home.
"There’s only 1 percent of all dancers that qualify to go to worlds," her dad Jeff said. "This is a special accomplishment that she’s obtained. We’re looking forward to it. It should be a great experience."
Sabrina competes Monday, March 26.
