At only nine years old, Hannah Mahon has won four national and three regional Irish dancing titles and been named the Great British champion twice.

The incredibly talented youngster from Greenhithe has been training since she was five after her mum introduced her to the sport by sending her to the same dance school she attended.

Hannah showing her craft

Mum Joanne Mahon, 45, said: "I did a bit of dancing but I was not as successful as Hannah but I danced for the same dance school and now my dance teacher and her daughter are teaching her which is a really special bit of history for us.

"I took her to dance class hoping that she might like it but never really dreamed it would become such a big part of her life.

"To see how much she gets out of dancing - not just the winning but the friendships, the experiences she has, all the different places she goes and she just has the best time. That is really important."

Hannah attends the Claddagh Academy of Irish Dancing which holds classes in Hextable at the Howard Venue and Greenwich and trains two to three times a week.

This year alone she has been crowned The Three Nations champion, All Scotland champion, Great Britain champion and a few weeks ago won the Southern England Oireachtas.

If Hannah was a year older, winning the Oireachtas would have qualified her for the World Championships in Canada which is her dream to win.

The nine-year-old who is a student at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Northfleet, said she did not expect her wins and added: "I was really scared of doing it but then I loved it. I like to learn new things.

"It feels good when you win but then you have pressure on your shoulders for the next competition as people expect you to win.

"I love all the different costumes and all the different rhythms you can make with your own feet."

At the competitions, the dancers perform three routines which are about a minute-and-a-half each.

First is a reel in light shoes, which are similar to ballet slippers and allow for more graceful movements.

Then dancers perform a heavy jig or a hornpipe followed by a traditional or an open set, both in heavy shoes which are similar to tap shoes and require more strong movements to make a sound with their feet.

Hannah said an open set allows you to "show off your skills" and says her favourite move is "the hop out" - also known as a "birdie" or a "stalk" - where a dancer strikes a pose mid-air.

Joanne, of Ingress Park, Greenhithe added: "It is quite emotional. We have had tears sometimes [when she wins].

"I am really, really proud. I think I get more nervous than she does on competition day but I know she works really hard and we are always really proud of her when she does well."

There are a minimum of three judges but it can be as many as nine at the competitions who each rank every dance out of 100 based on timing, carriage - such as straight arms and shoulders - and if their feet are turned out amongst other things.

All music is traditional and played live at the competitions.

The family are hoping Hannah is equally as successful next year and will be able to qualify for the World Championships.