Ellen shines in global tattoo

Ellen Kehl is dancing her way to the top.

DREAMS COME TRUE: Roma teenager Ellen Kehl has flown to Scotland to fulfil her ultimate dream as a highland dancer. Picture: Contributed

THE countdown is over for Roma teenager Ellen Kehl, 18, who has recently flown to Edinburgh, Scotland to fulfil her ultimate dream as a highland dancer.

Ellen has successfully been selected in a team of 50 dancers from across the globe to perform at Edinburgh Castle in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Performances will commence today as dancers from Canada, America, Britain and Australia prepared for the tattoo earlier in the week.

The tattoo takes place every weekday evening and twice on Saturdays over the next 21 days in August.

Ellen will perform to over 217,000 people as a member of the Tattoo Dance Company.

After more than 10 years of highland dancing and her previous experience in the OzScot Australia Dancing team, achieving a place in this renowned team for such a prestigious international event marks the pinnacle of Ellen's dancing achievements.

Ellen was a member of the Roma Highland Dancing Studio for many years before moving to Toowoomba for university in 2017.

She now dances with the McGrath Studio, Toowoomba, where she continues making the most of the opportunities that highland dancing gives her.

Roma Highland's principal Glenys Hughes said this was an exciting opportunity for Ellen.

"With the support of her teachers and family and now sponsored by the Toowoomba Caledonian Society, Ellen said she was overjoyed about the exciting opportunity and hopes to make her hometown of Roma proud.

"Ellen will also be making her family proud and Ellen's parents Ross and Pauline and brother Ryan will make up part of the 70,000 visitors from overseas who travel to watch the Tattoo," Ms Hughes said.

The tattoo will be televised in 30 countries to 100 million people world wide.