About 292km, 10 hours of technique and barre work, and one very committed Year 8 student every week.

Charlotte Barker is putting in all this effort, and then some.

The Canberra Girls Grammar student will represent the ACT and Southern NSW at the Royal Academy of Dance's (RAD) nationwide Genée Dance Challenge in Sydney on 10 December.

The dance challenge is for young ballerinas aged 13 to 15, and is a pre-cursor to the Genée International Ballet Competition. As part of the challenge, Charlotte will participate in a ballet class with 11 other national finalists and then perform a classical solo for the judges.

"I feel so lucky and excited," Charlotte said.

"The dance challenge is just a great way to show what you've learned in exams and in class to the judges."

Charlotte started ballet at the age of three and also studies jazz and contemporary dance. She attributes some of her success to mum Cassandra, who drives her from Wamboin to the Kim Harvey School of Dance in Dickson five nights a week. Charlotte's dream is to dance professionally, and the 13-year-old has the Australian Ballet in her sights.

Returning to Australia after a 10 year hiatus, the Genée has helped catapult the careers of young ballet dancers worldwide and is recognised as an international launch pad for professional careers in dance. The competition is the annual flagship event of the Royal Academy of Dance, attracting young dancers from across the world.