Dancer to Dancer

Fifteen years goes by pretty fast. At the age of six, I became involved in Irish dancing with lots of starts and stops in the lessons. A true and steady commitment for me didn’t really start until my 11th year. Until then, I’d sit in a small blue chair in the back of my twin sister’s dancing class, pretending to read a book and declaring my disdain for Irish dancing to everyone asking why I wasn’t up there with her.
Secretly, I wished I was. It was so much easier to hide behind a Goosebumps book (remember those?) then to get out on the floor and make a mistake and listen to the good natured yelling. I still have that nagging sense that I have to do everything perfectly the first time but that’s another issue.
When I finally got the courage five years later, there were three little girls who helped me out. They taught me steps in their spare time, they hung out with me outside of class, and most importantly, they never let me quit no matter how hard I tried – they were my twin Meghan and my friends Noreen Hughes and Brianna Kostecka.  We used to call ourselves “the swans” after our school logo derived from “The Children of Lir” but at that age, we were more like little chicks.
At 21 years old, I think we finally deserve our original nickname and we’ve watched each other grow into beautiful, confident women. This May, Brianna will graduate from Loyola College, Meghan from the University of Scranton, Noreen from Catholic University and I will graduate from the George Washington University. Our dear friends from other schools all over our region, North America and the world, will do so too and for most of us, this means we’ve outgrown our competitive dancing careers. Thankfully, none of us have outgrown our friendship.
Sadly, the process has started, now that we are all seniors in college, it is time to think about life after dancing. Brianna, Noreen and Meghan are still going strong, with one year of All Ireland’s, World’s and National’s left in the agenda. But with graduation looming, thoughts are naturally turning to the next phase.
I was the first one to go, and even though I was so adamant about quitting I secretly always thought I would start up again. I did join our World Medaling Ceili team (with Meghan, Noreen and Brianna) in 2005, and performed at this year’s school Feis but that was about it.
Now that Meghan, Brianna and Noreen are thinking about careers, and what happens after college, I realized this dream of competing again is never going to happen. That is one of my biggest regrets. Sure, I’ll still practice now and then and maybe even teach one day, but I’ll never be out on that competitive stage again.

Is there a Future in Irish dance after the competition

There are growing opportunities for dancers. Catapulted by the success of Irish dancing shows, more and more people are considering educations in theater and careers associated with Irish dancing.  There is a lot of money to be made in this business and if you love something, you will be good at it – so what better way to support yourself than to do it with something that you thoroughly love?
A dancer only has to be a mere 16 years old to get paid in some dancing shows, and many of them get paid very well.  It is not uncommon to hear about a champion Irish dancer taking time off from high school or college to star in a 4 month long tour. Now, education is certainly important and before you parents out there throw out this idea completely, think about it this way – dancing in a show can certainly broaden the dancer and round off the book learning.  Irish dancers are usually extremely dedicated and motivated people.  They practice hard and know what it takes to be successful.  Sometimes, it seems like Irish dancers have a greater work ethic than most adults!  Many are straight “A” students.  By participating in shows, dancers further their hard working skills, and the best part is they get paid!
Students take time off because the pressure of school is just too much.  Often they end up sitting around and doing nothing for a year or even more, and never go back to finish their education.  A more productive outlet for Irish dancers is to participate in a show.  Being able to Irish dance is especially useful for students right out of college. Shows allow dancers to break up the pressure and make a little cash while doing something they love with their dancing soul mates.
Once you turn 21, you are eligible to test for a teacher’s license.  If you pass, you can open up your own school or assistant teach with a school already established.  There are hundreds of dancing schools in North America, the UK and Ireland and now throughout Europe and even Asia.  Teachers can also become adjudicators once they pass a test at age 30 and this also generates a considerable income, not to mention the travel, camaraderie and absolute craic!  All in all, dancing teachers and judges have the opportunity to subsidize in a profession that they absolutely love.
Don’t like to dance? Music is one of the major supporting elements to world of Irish Dance. Without the music and the talented musicians, Irish Dancing would not exist.  Think about it – virtually every weekend, there is some sort of Irish dancing competition or festival and with these events comes the need for musicians to play the dances.  However, they cannot be the standard music school maestros; they must be trained to play every set dance known in the Irish dancing world on the spot when asked.  This takes many years of practice and good musicians are in need.
$3000 dancing dresses – need I say more?  Depending on how quickly the dress maker can make them, this is probably one of the most lucrative businesses in the Irish dancing world.  Champion dancers usually spend thousands of dollars on dresses each year.  Since dancing dresses are an art form, the dress maker is looked at as an artist.  Dresses by Vera Wang are held in similar regard as are Gavin Dougherty creations.  Since dress-making is such an intricate and complicated process, there has always been a lack of dressmakers – especially in the US.
So if you’re not a dancer, musician, or seamstresses – what can you do to stay connected to the Irish Dancing world you love and make a living?  Ask yourself, “what do most dancers and parents do when they are waiting in between competitions?”  Why they go shopping at the vendors of course!  It is rare to see a feis these days without a hallway of tables selling everything from Irish memorabilia to hand crafted jewelry. When a family shows up to a feis and forgets their socks or even their shoes, the only thing they can do is spend $150 at the vendors buying new ones.
Irish dancing is an expensive hobby, so why not turn a passion into dollars to either supplement a hobby or to continue doing what you love? It may be the difference between simply “working to live” and “living to work.”

By Erin Reilly

What Were They Thinking?

Every dancer has wondered what judges really think about during a competition.  What do they look for?  Do my appearance and reputation matter?  Is there some sort of connection between the judges and other teachers?
Hornpipe questioned three prominent adjudicators, who wish to remain anonymous for obvious reasons.  As it turns out, judges are not as unfair as they sometimes seem.
Every single dancer will be disappointed at some point.  There will always be competitions in which a dancer will feel as though he or she danced their absolute best – and then the results will show something completely different.  A dancer will go over and over in their head what they could have possibly done wrong.  Most of the time, it is just impossible to figure out what went wrong, so the low place gets blamed on “the judges just didn’t like my style” or “politics,” or “she just got a new dress.”  Is this really the source of the mysterious placings?
According to the judges, rhythm and execution are the most important elements to a great performance.  They do say, however, that since there are so many excellent dancers these days with good rhythm and timing, it really does come down to style and personal preference.  All of the judges agreed that a personal style can and does enhance an already great performance with rhythm and execution – a given.  For example, some of the judges like elegant, easy-looking, graceful dancers while others prefer the harder, more aggressive movements.  Judges will occasionally let some things go if they are so impressed with a dancer’s overall style.  Sometimes style can eclipse small mistakes in  executing the basics – but only occasionally and that style has to be powerful and magnetic.  Another thing that dancers and their parents have wondered about is that judges don’t look like they are paying attention to a dancer when they are on the stage – they even tend to look away.  These judges all agree that they are busy listening to the rhythm and timing of the dancer without distraction of look or style.  From there, they can move on but it is the rhythm and timing that are the basic “price of admission.”
The next largest pet peeve of these adjudicators is poor posture.  In the past few years, dancers and teachers have failed to focus on maintaining a strict and straight upper posture.  One judge brought up the example of Riverdance, saying that the younger dancers who are brought into the show  have to be re-taught how to hold themselves straight because they stick out in their lines.  Bad posture makes a dancer look unqualified and unconfident.  It takes the attention away from the feet and it is not easily hidden by trendy steps.
Are the feet really first and foremost, what all the judges focus on? The answer from these judges is  “No – of course not.”   Everyone is drawn to beauty and judges are naturally drawn to the beauty of the entire package – the dancing combined with the overall deportment and appearance.  Sure, the dancing is the most important part but when a dancer gets on the stage before the music starts, all judges begin to form an opinion of the dancer based on their appearance.  Many times, this is not a good thing because each judge has their own opinions about how a dancer should look.  A common complaint from adjudicators is that Irish dancing has become too flashy.   Overpowering wigs, unflattering dress cuts, and heavy makeup can all leave a judge guessing about a dancer’s ability before they even point their toe. Sometimes, a dancer is left having to live up to a new glitzy dress.  The judge can form an opinion about the dress that the dancer can never live up to.  Other times, a dress can pull down a good dancer and can leave the judges wondering about their overall presentation.
Talent is obviously a key element in receiving a high score.  Some dancers have natural talent and some do not.  Usually, the dancers who win have a high level of natural ability, but not always.  There are those few dancers who work so hard to achieve first place and judges can tell.  One judge says that the best thing in the world is to watch a dancer, who really has no natural ability, rise to the top because of the dedication, determination, and most of all, heart.  Most people, not just judges, can tell whether or not a dancer really wants to be out on that stage and whether or not they really “want it.”
Since the Irish dancing world is a relatively small community, dancers, teachers and judges know one another.  Dancers who win major competitions are known by virtually every major judge, teacher and competitor.  Dancers who win major competitions are expected by some to continue winning, or come close, in future competitions.  Human beings are extremely susceptible to forming opinions about dancer before they even get onto the stage.  However, the good judges leave their biases, hopes and fears at the doorstep.  All of the judges questioned agreed that a dancer is judged on their performance that day and that day only – it has nothing to do with reputation.  The issue is not whether a dancer has won major competitions is the past.  It is more about whether they can perform better then all of the other competitors on the day of competition.  This is the crux of the issue and the basis of the judgment that day.
However, according to these judges, although most of the judges think this way, not every judge is unbiased and not all judges are good.  A small portion of the panel is inexperienced and can and does tend to rely on their biases when judging.  Hopefully, there are not too many of them out there but every dancer will run across a bad judge at least once in their life.  Adjudication is a reflection of the community at large and so is the ratio between competent and non-competent judges.
The opinions in this article represent the opinions of specific judges and are not meant to be taken as absolute “truth.”  However, dancers should take away from this article the main theme that judges like good dancers with the overall package.  Whether or not you are paying attention to the judges when you step out on stage, know that they are paying attention to you and everything you do.  In a judge’s mind, everything is fair game – everything from your attitude, to your appearance to your dancing style can and will be judged.

By Erin Reilly

Innovation departs from tradition

This July 4th weekend San Diego, California was taken over by Irish dancers.  The 75-degree weather, the palm trees and the sparkling coast brought far more competitors to the 2006 Nationals than in previous years.  Especially entertaining was the parade of girls in wigs and white socks at the ritzy Gaslamp Quarter and the tropical-themed hotel pool.  No doubt the local San Diegans were confused but amused.
It seemed as though everyone had a wonderful time at the Nationals this year.  There was so much to do—visit the Spanish Old Town, soak up the sun at the beaches, and of course, see the famous San Diego Zoo.
Overall, the competition week ran smoothly. However, this year the dancing was inexplicably different.  Articulating this distraction is difficult to pinpoint yet necessary to express. It would appear that the Irish dancing community has traded in traditional dancing movements for theatrical, gymnastic-like moves.  In fact, one would be hard pressed to see a traditional or old school style of dance anymore.
Has innovation to be singularly unique and entertaining diluted the simple beauty of keeping a rhythm and beat? There clearly is a place, however, for this form of dance, but it should be reserved for performances, certainly not the National Irish Dance championships.
Many of these athletic routines are impressive to watch on stage but in actuality, they require only a slight level of talent and capability. They bear no similarities to traditional jumps, butterflies, cross-keys and scissors.  It would suggest that dancers who are not able to execute tricky, traditional moves create flashy distractions to hide their inadequacies. In effect, some dancers have lost a sense of flowing style and gracefulness and opted for steps that are high-energy, fast-paced and disconnected.  Performing each dance, whether it be a reel, slip jig or jig is meant to tell a story.
The tradition of Irish dance is steeped in style and grace. The true champions are those that can make hard moves look elegant and effortless. For example, the slip jig should be flowing and graceful, accentuating the female form.  Many of the San Diego slip jigs looked more like aggressive reels danced to slip jig music.  A good slip-jig dancer should be light on her feet, making the steps look easy and connected with the music. Sometimes a challenging step can be out-done by how well a dancer can execute a simple movement in order to create a complete dance.  It was disappointing to see less of this kind of dancing represented in San Diego this year.
Regardless of whether you subscribe to traditional steps or the “step du jour” of modern culture, each dancer should take immense pride in the traditional expression of Irish dance as it was meant to be. Celebrate your heritage by dancing the way your ancestors intended and practice those rocks and twists until you are blue in the face – Irish dancing will be better for it.

By Erin Reilly

East Meets West

There are definite assumptions about Irish dancers based upon what part of the country they live and study.  There are beliefs that some regions are “more competitive”, some are “flashier”, others “take their dancing more seriously” and some just produce “more champions.”  In my experience as an Irish dancer from the East Coast of the United States, I have always heard people say that my region is the leading competitive Irish dancing region in North America because of our dancing styles, our cutting-edge dresses and our talented teachers.  I believed these assumptions ten years ago when I had never even heard of dancing schools or competitors from the South or the West.  However, today I compete with many dancers from Canada, the Mid-America, West  and Southern regions who are just as talented, have the same style and wear designer dresses.  What used to be significant regional differences in North American Irish dancing has quickly diminished. Today, North American Irish dancing has no regional stamp.
East Meets WestCities like Boston, Philadelphia and New York became the early centers of Irish dancing in North America.  When Irish dancing first became popular in the United States, it was mainly focused on the East Coast where many Irish immigrants lived, settled and opened up Irish dancing schools. With the global success of “Riverdance”, the demand for Irish dancing instruction in Canada, Mid-America, West and the relatively new Southern region has grown tremendously.  According to the North American Feis Commission, the number of Feisianna per year and the number of schools per region are evening out across North America.  In addition, I have seen just as many dancers from regions other than mine at major competitions in the United States and Ireland.  I look at all dancers as equal competitors who, with the right style, steps, dresses and determination, can win the World Championships.
I decided to see what others thought about regional differences.  I interviewed a couple of dancers from different parts of the country about all kinds of Irish dancing subjects.  I asked “Eastern Dancer” and “Western Dancer” some questions about their dance experiences at class and about the local customs and norms associated with dancing in their regions to see exactly what these differences are.

Erin:  First, tell me a little bit about the structure of your dance classes.  How often do you practice and for how long?
Western:  I practice three times a week for about two to five hours each class. We do exercises first and then we’re into our drilling.
Eastern:  I feel like I’m always practicing.  I try to practice every day at least for two hours but I also go to class four times a week. We start off with a period of exercise too.  Around the majors, we dedicate certain practices to one type of dance – so it will be soft shoe night and then hard shoe night.

Erin:  Do most of the dancers in your class compete or do they just do it for fun?
Western:  Most compete and are serious about it along with other things like soccer, school or basketball.
Eastern:  In my class, I can’t think of anyone that doesn’t compete.  Most also do other things but some of the top dancers are totally focused on their dance.  Some quit in the high school years to focus on school, but some successfully continue into their college years.

Erin::  Are your teachers really serious about competitions?
Western: Yeah, they take competitions very seriously and attend all the major competitions.
Eastern:  Oh definitely.  Teachers in my class give private lessons to the students before the Worlds.

Erin: How do teachers treat the dancers – is there any sort of “secret stuff” that goes on in the class – like private lessons for some and not others – I’ve heard dancers complaining about that from a lot of schools.
Western:  Yes.  My teachers give private lessons to people who need extra help, as long as they can pay for them. The dancers are usually the top dancers in the school.
Eastern:  All the major competitors get private lessons and even the ones that are up and coming.  However, my teacher definitely has favorites and he focuses on those dancers more.  It is kind of unfair.

Erin:  How do the girls treat each other?  Are there things you would like to see change in the way the dancers treat each other?
Western:  At class, everyone wants to be friends with the best dancers.  At competitions, everyone wants to be friends with the East Coast girls.  I wish that girls weren’t so immature about it all.
Eastern:  The girls treat each other well.  We are all friends at competitions but since it is a competitive sport, girls will be competitive with each other on and off stage.  I think that would be the one thing that I would like to see change.

Erin:  What about make up – is it the norm to use it and at what age?
Western:  The young girls don’t wear makeup and I never really use that much even now.   Kids that are really young wear wigs thought.
Eastern:  Oh everyone wears wigs and lots of makeup.  Even the little girls look like Barbie dolls.

Erin:  Does your teacher travel to the major competitions and support you by watching you or by practicing with you?
Western:  Yes, my teacher travels to all of the major competitions but usually is not around to watch us dance.  The people who watch me dance are my parents and my friends from my school and I think it is better that way because I would be too nervous if my teacher was there.
Eastern:  Yes, he travels everywhere with us and makes us practice with him a few times a day at major competitions.  He definitely watches me dance but sometimes he misses me because there are so many other girls that he has to see.

Erin:  Does your teacher allow all that qualify to go to the Worlds or does he or she hold some back?
Western:  No way.  If you qualify for the Worlds you have every right to go.
Eastern:  Well, he will discourage some dancers from going if he doesn’t feel they are prepared – even if they are world qualifiers.

Erin:  Does your teacher have a say in what costume you purchase?  Do you order your dress through your teacher?
Western:  All the girls ask our teacher about dresses and she usually orders them.
Eastern:  The dresses must be designed by my teacher.  One time, I got a brand new dress and he didn’t like the color so I had to sell it without wearing it once.  It was horrible.  We actually purchase the dresses through our teacher and he places the order.
Erin: Ok, now I want to ask you about your opinions on the regional differences in Irish dancing.  Have you noticed a difference in dancing style between different regions?

Western:  Yes.  It seems that dancers from the East Coast dedicate a lot more time, effort, and money into dancing and this changes how they dance.  Dancing in the Midwest is less flashy and more traditional.

Eastern: Not really.  Each school has different steps and a different style.  A dancer from outside our area may look strange to me but that’s because I am not used to seeing the steps that’s all.  But I do think that our dancing style is more aggressive.
Erin:  So do you feel like the East Coast produces “better dancers?”
Western: No not necessarily.  They have many more schools, more teachers and more dancers and therefore they have more champions but we have a bunch too.
Eastern:  Yeah because you always see champions from the East Coast because it is more popular here.  Well, it may not be “better dancers” but we have more champions.
Erin:  Do you notice a difference in appearance between Eastern and Western dancers?
Western:  East Coast dancers used to have more modern, vibrant and detailed dresses and would clearly stand out, but that is all changing now. You can’t tell them apart in my opinion.
Eastern:  Yeah.  We have the bright colors, designer dresses by Gavin D. , the huge wigs and dancers here wear lots of makeup.  Beginners are often seen in solo dresses here.

So according to these two subjects, regional differences have now diminished.  Designer dresses can be seen as readily in Kansas as they are in New York City, as long as the dancer can pay.  The gap is quickly closing as Irish dancing schools put down roots all across the country.  Each region has the capacity to produce great dancers and the cream will always rise to the top, no matter the school or its location.
Dance classes are similar from region to region.  Young dancers interact with each other in the same ways.  They form clicks, they gravitate to role models who they aspire to emulate, and they form lifelong friendships in dancing.  Teachers have a great influence over young dancers and most are dedicated role models to these children.  Dancers not only look to for the mechanics of dance, but for queues on how to handle life’s ups and downs.  Finally, no one region has a solid formula for success.  Dance is something that is extremely personal and is predominately guided by the individual teacher combined with the talent and determination of the particular class of students.  The right mix of these elements makes a champion.
My conclusion from this extremely small but personal poll with dancers from opposite ends of the country is that Irish dancing is the same throughout all of North America.  No longer can a person tell what region a dancer is from by looking at their style, steps or dresses. Focusing on the things that we share in the world of Irish dance is far more valuable than thinking about those which divide us. Friendship, loyalty and love to all my fellow dancers!

By Erin Reilly

No one ever died from stage fright.

No one ever died from stage fright.  However, according to surveys, most people would rather die than perform on stage.  Irish dancers know this feeling all too well, but there are ways to cope with stage fright once you learn how to control it.
Many of the top performers get stage fright.  If you have ever seen Riverdance or Lord of the Dance, it looks like all the dancers are fully confident in their dancing capabilities.  They come out onto the stage with bold body language and a fierce attitude.  However, many of those performers still experience stage fright – after all those competitions and shows, it can be extremely nerve-racking for them to come out on stage each night.
You may experience stage fright from time to time, but it usually does not disappear permanently.  However, you can learn to control this feeling.  It is important to first get the feeling out in the open.  Understand that you are nervous and realize that many people competing with you are also experiencing stage fright.  Once you make your fears known, you can work on getting the feeling under control.
The best tip for controlling stage fright is to think of it in a positive way.  Fear can be your friend.  When you are nervous about performing, it makes you more conscious of your posture and breathing.  It heightens your energy level and makes your reflexes sharper.  Actually, some studies have shown that stage fright will add color to your cheeks and make you look more physically attractive.  All of these side effects can actually help you to perform better.
The most important thing to understand about stage fright is that it stems from some lack of self confidence.  You may

Here are some useful visualization strategies that can be used to keep stage fright under control.
-Think about how good you are and how far you
have come with your dancing.
-Try to concentrate on your mom, dad, grandma,
friend, etc. in the audience.
-Pretend you are just at a practice and dancing in
front of your friends.
-Imagine the audience in their underwear.
-Remember moments in your past that make you happy.

be frightened of performing in front of hundreds of people but it is related to some sense of inadequacy that you feel.  Maybe you could have practiced just a little harder, or went to a few more feisanna.   In some way, you feel unprepared or inadequate and the thought of performing in front of people is overwhelming.
Self-confidence is something that you either have or you don’t.  However, before a major competition, you can work on building up your confidence level.  The only way to get it is to practice and prepare.  Practice hard in dance class and practice even harder at feisanna.  This will help you to be fully aware of your skills and you will grow confident in your abilities.
Practice to you perfect your moves.  You must be able to dance your steps over and over again until you are completely confident that you won’t forget them and that you will dance them properly.  It is important to perfect each move when you are practicing in class.  If you are tripping up on a part, concentrate on doing that part over and over again for the rest of the class.  Think about it this way – there is no way to dance your steps other than perfectly and it takes a deliberate and considerable amount of effort to dance less then perfectly.  You must be completely sure that your steps are perfected.  There should be no doubt in your mind and body that you can dance your steps over and over again no matter what, without mistake.
Practing to perfect will increase your self-confidence.  With complete self-confidence you can look into the front row of any ballroom and take that as an opportunity to show off your skills.  You can take command and show everyone how good you are and how much you have practiced.  Self-confidence comes from knowing your limits along with your capabilites.  When you know your limits you can push yourself to them at will.
With complete self-confidence you can take control and be in command of your performance.  Complete self-confidence overcomes any distraction, any situation and any fear.  It shouldn’t make any difference if everyone is watching or no one is watching.  The important thing is that you are watching and demanding you own perfection.  You needd to make sure that you feel your performance will be the absolute best it can be, and that your audience is lucky to be there to see your talent.

Erin Reilly

The Balancing Act

You’re an Irish dancer, that’s what you’re known as. What some people don’t notice is that you have more to do than eat, sleep, and breathe Irish dance. It would be nice if life was that simple but, of course, it’s not. So instead of spending every minute of every day doing something that has to do with Irish dance, you also have to go to school, which means homework. You also have a social life that you would like to live every so often. The older you get, the more homework there is and the more social time you want. The better you get at dancing, the more time you allocate to it. Thus, as you grow older, the more time you devote to dancing, resulting in more to balance in your everyday life.
I started Irish dancing in fifth grade. At that time, there was little homework and I only had one dance class a week. Each year, the amount of homework increased; so did the number of dance classes. Now I am in eighth grade. I have hours worth of homework on top of five dance classes and a Pilates lesson each week and many competitions and performances throughout the year. This busy schedule takes a great deal of getting used to. Sometimes you have to plan ahead and take an hour or two over the weekend to do some homework that you will have later in the week, just to eliminate a portion of the weekday’s homework. That way you have more time during the week for dance classes. Even with this “planning ahead” strategy, every now and then there may possibly be a night when you stay up a few hours later than usual doing homework. School, homework, dance, and sleep- there’s something missing from that schedule. That is a time to see your friends outside of school and dance.
From time to time, a dancer will without doubt need some social time. Although you get to see your friends at school and dance almost every day, it is always special to have a little time with just one friend when you’re free to do whatever you want. A social calendar can be easier to keep some times more than others. If your friend is willing, he or she can come to see you at performances or even competitions, but still, some friends prefer one-on-one time, whether it is shopping, a sleepover, a movie, or just a walk in the park. Try planning ahead. Find a day within the next week or so when both of you are free and set something up for that day. Put forth an effort. It goes a long way in trying to hold on to friends.
What about extracurricular activities or a school sport? If you are brave enough to try out and talented enough to make the team or club, there is usually an after-school time involved. This additional activity is sometimes hard for a well-established dancer to coordinate. Some may have to consider if they have time for school, dance, and a specific team or club. Will it require dropping an activity? Then the vital question comes: Which should you drop? The club or team, the extra night of dance practices, the performances, or the competitions? The responsibility you owe to the club or team combined with the desire to continue your Irish dance commitments could mean impending conflicts and prospective frustration on your part at some point. If you reach this point, scheduling is of the greatest importance. As you get older, you will have more responsibilities and the struggle with dividing your time is inevitable. Rest assured, although it may seem rough at first, as time passes you will most likely get used to and even master the balancing act.

Lindsay Woodcock dances for the Teelin School of Irish Dance based in Columbia, Maryland. She has had various experiences during her four and a half years with Teelin; being a competitor, performer, teacher’s assistant, and a member of the Teelin family.

Dance Performances credit your hard work

Does your Irish dance school give you the opportunity to perform in a dance troupe or company? Do you wish you could have the chance to “show your stuff”? Those who have had this good fortune know that amazing feeling of revealing what they can do, whether to a large audience or just to a curious friend. In this situation, dancers travel and present choreographed group dances in various venues dancing anything from a relaxed Irish pub gig to an elegant event at The Congressional Country Club or a significant stage show put on by the performance troupes of your dance school. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Can the euphoric feeling of these achievements be ruined? It depends on what you, as a performer, make of a not-so-great situation. We learn to make last minute changes, deal with adversity and end our day on an up-beat note with the help of friends and family. No matter how prepared you are, there is always the possibility that things can go wrong before, or during show.

Before the show, picture this….long drives with bad traffic, terrible weather such as ice or thunder storms or the stage is too small or has an inappropriately covered dance floor.

During the show performers must learn to make it through problems such as costume or prop malfunctions such as loose wigs, ripped tights, or missing or broken props. We are told to make the best of the situation and keep on dancing. Although these problems can seem traumatic, you should be able to look back on the day and laugh, not wonder “why do I do this?”

Let me give you an example of one of my most eventful gigs ever. One Saturday morning I woke up early to prepare for a scheduled gig. I was picked up by my friend, Lindsey and her family and after loading all the costume bags and props into the car we began our trip. What started out as an ordinary ride to any gig, turned into a drive full of worry that neither Lindsey nor I could have ever imagined. The day, to be set at a Celtic Festival, initially promised a large audience, but as we sat in horrible traffic watching dark clouds and a possible storm looming ahead of us, we began to question the number of people that would stay around to watch. An hour and a half later, after getting somewhat lost as the directions did not get us to the appropriate entrance of the festival, we pulled into a parking lot as mucky as the bogs of Ireland, fishtailing and spinning our tires. After the fiasco of freeing the car from the mud and parking in a grassier yet still muddy area, our simple dance props proved to be important paraphernalia. All I can say is “thank you” to our teacher and choreographer who one day decided to put together a dance referred to as “Thunder” which requires, of all things, large umbrellas. These props kept us somewhat dry as we walked to the designated meeting area. Once we reached our dressing tent we saw that it was set on the mud and leaked horribly. It was then that we were informed of our stage area being flooded. It sat under a leaky canvas cover and had been flooded by rain which blew sideways. In no time, the infamous Hornpipe writer, Z&B, headed over to a nearby ambulance in search of something that could be used to dry off the stage. He arrived back with cotton blankets and was soon on his hands and knees, along with other parents and festival personnel, drying the stage and ultimately saving us from serious injury. We went on the stage, and performed our first dance for very few people other than our own parents and siblings. The performance went by very well, dancing our ever famous a cappella piece to the real live roar of thunder and claps of lightning. Now we had only to get back to our car and get out of the parking lot!

What better way to end the gig day but to have some dancers and their families try to meet at a close by restaurant. There we relax, reflect on the ups and downs, learn how to improve things next time and, of course, laugh; knowing that as long as we are all there showing off our stuff, it was a good day.  HM

Reaching For A Star

The Oireachtas is coming! Yes, it is that time of year again. The time of year when you are dancing nonstop, your teachers’ comments are thrown at you as fast as you are dancing, and the word Oireachtas runs through your head and from your fellow dancer’s mouths every day. Oh, and don’t forget, soon you will be headed off to Orlando, Florida with everything a dancer could possibly need stuffed into suitcases, dance bags, and dress bags.  How exciting!  

 

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Dancer To Dancer

Learning new steps, flexibility of your feet, good posture, and crossing your feet are but a few subtleties of an Irish dancer. Understanding your body and conditioning outside the classroom may be exactly what you need.

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