MONTREAL - The only thing tougher than dancing the tango -- is dancing the tango on skates. But for a young Montreal pair, it's easy.

One of Quebec's brightest ice dancing stars, 12-year-old Valerie Taillefer and her partner Jason Chan are gearing up for this week's national championships. Taillefer's passion for the ice is clear.

"I like the feeling of flying on the ice. I like competitions. I like the feeling of pressure. I love it," said the young star.

Coach Shawn Winter called Taillefer a true competitor.

"The minute she steps on the ice, she lights up like a Christmas tree. She just goes out and does her job. She's a great competitor and a true performer," he said.

Her work ethic is obvious, too. After spending all day in school, Taillefer and Chan dance two hours a day, six days a week. Their dedication has paid off, finishing third at the national qualifiers. She said the two just click.

"We are like brother and sister. We laugh when we practice. It's very nice," she said.

Chan described her as a great partner.

"Every time she comes to practice, she's ready to go and she's willing to do anything until the very end," he said.

Coach Elise Hamel said while she's naturally talented, her hard work has paid off.

"You can detect talent when they're very young, and she's very talented. She's a hard worker. Hard working is the key to success. You can be very talented, but if you're lazy, you wont' make it. But she is talented and so is Jason, so they're going to go far," she said.

In ice dancing at the pre-novice level, there are no age restrictions, meaning that 12-year-old Taillefer could be competing against 17-year-old girls.

She said she enjoys the pressure in facing her competitors.

"They're my friends they motivate me, but I'd still like to beat them," she said.

Taillefer and Chan left Tuesday for nationals in Regina, and Taillefer said she's not nervous.

"We're going to do our best, we want to give a very good performance as we know we can and hope for the best," she said.

As for her long-term future?

"I want to go to the Olympics, it's my dream," she said.