Friday, September 30, 2011

Songs for the Oct. 1-2 Irish dancing competitions – VIDEOS


by PATRICIA MCNAMARA, Feis America Magazine contributor

Heading to Pennsylvania this weekend for the Ryan-Kilcoyne School of Irish Dancing Feis or the Pittsburgh Feis? What about Feis San Antonio in Texas? Or maybe Ontario, Canada for the Newmarket Feis or Oregon for the Portland Feis? Or the McLoughlin School Feis in Suffern, New York?

No matter your competitive destination this weekend, we want to share four tunes you should add to your own playlist before lacing up and taking the stage. Best of luck to all competitors and be sure to come back and share your results with us!

“Tambourine” - Eve
The fast-paced beat will wake ya up. Perfect for that early car ride.


“D.A.N.C.E” – Justice
The title explains itself. Get up and get moving.


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READ MORE:
Songs for the Sept. 24-25 Irish dancing competitions- VIDEOS

Songs for the Sept. 17-18 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS

Songs for the Sept. 10-11 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS
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“Fire Burning” – Sean Kingston
It will give you the motivation to push through your steps—even if your legs start burning mid set piece.


“Our Time Now” – Plain White T’s
A great pep song to play before that 2-Hand or 4-Hand because, face it, this is your team’s time.


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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Clearwater Beach Florida Irish Dancing Competition Photos and Results

Irish Dancers from the Stephen Scariff School of Irish Dance
Photo: Madison Daley for Feis America LLC
The McGinley Academy of Irish Dance and the McGinley Parent Booster Club hosted one of the United States' Southern Region's favorite Irish dancing competitions on September 3, 2011. The Second Annual Clearwater Beach Feis means Labor Day Weekend is spent on the beautiful and white sandy beaches of Florida's West coast. The event's tagline, "It's not just another day at a Feis, but a weekend at the beach for the entire family" draws dancers from several states.

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See More Feis Follow-Ups from Feis America on Irish Central:

New England Autumn Feis
Irish American Association of Northwest New Jersey Feis
Top Irish Dancing Competitions for Adult Irish Dancers in October 2011

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Clearwater Beach Feis results were tabulated by the experts at at FeisWorx. For full results from beginner through special Irish dancing competitions at the Clearwater Beach Feis, visit FeisWorx.

Open Championship under 10
1st Emily Marino from Rince na Tiarna (New York)
2nd Aubrey Swikehardt from Breffni (Florida)
3rd Nora Murray from Stephen Scariff (Florida)

Open Championship under 12
1st Julia Marino from Rince na Tiarna (New York)
2nd Keady Schwyn from Stephen Scariff (Florida)
3rd Claire Irigoyen from Breffni (Florida)

Open Championship under 14
1st May Magliaro from Watters (Florida)
2nd Kaitlyn Sardin from Watters (Florida)
3rd Daniella Spina from McGinley (Eastern Canada/Florida)
4th Teresa Kennedy from Hagen (New York)
5th Bridget Monahan from Stephen Scariff (Florida)

Open Championship under 16
1st Haley Tanner from Watters (Florida)
2nd Alana Bracken from Drake (Southern)
3rd Kayla Armstrong from King-O'Sullivan (Georgia)
4th Clare Roca from Glor na Daire (Georgia)
5th Brynne Archbold from Stephen Scariff (Florida)
6th Autumn Lambert from Drake (Southern)
7th Cassandra Ratzlaff from Drake (Southern)

Open Championship under 18
1st Molly Barton from McGinley (Eastern Canada/Florida)
2nd Macintyre Schauman from Rondeau (Florida)
3rd Mary Lancaster from Stephen Scariff (Florida)
4th Courtney Marcinowski from Watters (Florida)
5th Maggie Domingo from Drake (Southern)
6th Anna Johnson from Glor na Daire (Georgia)
7th Cara King from Stephen Scariff (Florida)

Open Championship 18 and over
1st Samantha Wheaton from Watters (Florida)
2nd Sierra Deaton from Watters (Florida)
3rd Kaitlin Lewis from Butler-Fearon-O'Connor

Non-Champion Slip Jig Special Irish Dancing Competition Awards
Photo:  Madison Daley for Feis America LLC
Preliminary Championship under 14 Irish Dancing Competition Awards

Photo: Tess McKenna for Feis America LLC
Open Championship under 14 Irish Dancing Competition Awards
Photo:  Madison Daley for Feis America LLC
Preliminary Championship Special Irish Dancing Competition
under 15 Awards
Photo:  Madison Daley for Feis America LLC

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

New England autumn Irish dance competition - PHOTOS


Top Four Open Champions under 13
New England Autumn Feis
hosted by Clifden Academy and Dunleavy Shaffer School
9/25/2011

The Dunleavy Shaffer School of Irish Dance together with the Clifden Academy of Irish Dance hosted its first ever Irish dancing competition, the New England Autumn Feis in Marshfield, Massachusetts on Sunday. 

Nearly 1,000 competitive Irish dancers, mainly from New England and metropolitan New York, converged on this quiet coastal town for New England's first feis of the new season. Dunleavy Shaffer co-directors and TCRGs Suzanne Dunleavy McDonough and Theresa Shaffer Wilkinson, are both certified Irish dance instructors with An Coimisiun le Rince Gaelacha in Dublin, Ireland.

With multiple stages located in Marshfield's Middle and High Schools, champion awards in an outside courtyard and dozens of volunteers wearing pumpkin-orange teeshirts, this feis ran as close to on time as possible. Despite the humidity, Irish dancers and their families and friends stayed happy and focused, dancing reels, jigs and hornpipes to live music in front of adjudicators from several states. Vendors included Feis America Irish dancing magazine, Dance Bling, Head for the World and Mary Devlin for Fay's Irish Dancing Shoes and used dresses and portrait photography were also on-site.
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READ MORE:

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All champion level Irish dancers who placed in their competitions received royal blue sashes, and placing preliminary champions were treated to medals for each round. Instead of traditional trophies, the top three placements were awarded tasteful plaques. Award times and results were posted throughout the venue, and the competitor list, stage schedule and venue map were posted in advance on the school's website. An informative blog with regular updates also was much appreciated by first feisers and experienced Irish dancers both.



Friends and fans for life from Smith-Houlihan (MA)


Preliminary Champions under 10 medaled in their light round.


Open Champions under 13 with their round medals.


Classmates from Gilleoghan Irish Dance (CT) share a laugh.


Pre-beginners lined up to dance their very first reel.

For more Irish dancing competition news, photos and family-friendly articles to inspire your favorite Irish dancer or fan, subscribe to Feis America magazine, North America's favorite Irish dancing and culture magazine here.

All photos copyright Feis America LLC.

Monday, September 26, 2011

At-home exercises for Irish dancers with flat feet


by CAITLIN BUCK, Feis America Magazine contributor

I'm one of many Irish dancers who suffer from flat feet. And, according to my doctor, tightly lacing my shoes actually caused more harm than good to them, creating a lot of stress on an already delicate area. Hey, I thought I was supposed to lace my shoes tight because it’s easier to point that way!

After undergoing surgery and physical therapy for my feet, I’ve learned that it’s essential for flat-footed and low-arched dancers to do exercises that will help strengthen the arches instead of wearing tightly laced small shoes. Suffering from the same problem as me? Try these moves at home:

- Roll a tennis ball in a circular motion under both feet to warm up.

- Pick up marbles and other items with your toes.

- Roll a towel up with your toes then unroll it several times, really contracting the muscles in the foot.

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READ MORE:
Irish dancing through illness or injury

Neck stretches for Irish dancers - health tips and warm-ups

Motivation to practice Irish dance during the school year
-----------------------------------

- Sit in a chair with your legs at a 90-degree angle and flex your toes up.

- Sit in a chair with your legs at a 90-degree angle and put a sponge under one foot. Press down on the sponge using only your toe muscles.

- Stand on a flat surface and imagine that you are at the beach with sand below your feet. Lift the toes of your right foot and imagine you are grabbing as much sand as possible then release. Repeat with the left foot.

Be sure to check back for a list of the best type of Irish dance shoes for flat-footed dancers.

What are some exercises that have worked for you? Share in the comments below!

For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Friday, September 23, 2011

September 11th Irish dancing competition and bagpiping festival in Northwest New Jersey

Dance-off Champion Brigid Rosendale from O'Grady-Quinlan (PA)
with IAANJ Past Presidents Patricia MacNamara and Ed Hansberry

Irish dancing, music and bands of bagpipers made the Irish American Association of Northwest New Jersey's 30th Annual Feis a joyous celebration of culture in an otherwise somber metropolitan New York on the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001. The Irish American Association of Northwest New Jersey holds its irish dancing and bagpiping competition on the second Sunday in September every year at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, New Jersey. This year's event drew nearly 1,000 competitive Irish dancers and a plethora of bagpipe bands from several states, as well as crowds of Irish music and dancing fans of all ages.
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READ MORE:
Songs for the Sept. 24-25 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS

Guys in Irish dance and their gravity-defying hair - PHOTOS of styles

An Irish dancer’s St Patrick’s Day countdown
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Irish dancing competitions were stopped mid-morning for a festival-wide moment of silence. The Knights of Columbus honor guard lead the procession of Eucharistic ministers for a packed Mass, and the poignant gospel spoke to forgiveness and choices within human power. At the end of the day, a dozen bands of bagpiper paraded to the main stage where they played a selection of tunes including "Amazing Grace" en masse in honor of those lost on September 11, 2001.

Children's activities were held throughout the day and food vendors ranged from fish 'n chips to reubens and homemade ice cream. Vendors of Irish products, gifts, apparel and Irish dance accessories were busy all day. Musical entertainment on several stages included Celtic Cross, Willie Lynch and Kindred Spirit.

For the first time at the Irish American Association of Northwest New Jersey Feis, all winners of the Open Championship Irish dancing competitions were invited to compete against one another in a dance-off at the end of the day. Eleven stellar champions, including four boys, danced a contemporary set piece played to live music for three adjudicators. The unanimous decision of the judges awarded Bridget Rosendale of O'Grady-Quinlan Academy of Irish Dance the festival's perpetual trophy.


Julia O'Rourke from Petri (NY) and Kendall Woodcock from Harney (MA)
proudly show off their sashes.

Winners of the day's Open Championships competed
for the first IAANJ Feis dance-off trophy.

The Knights of Columbus Honor Guard before Mass.

Bagpipers parade en masse to the main stage for a
September 11th memorial performance.

All photos by Feis America LLC - for North America's favorite Irish dancing and culture magazine delivered to your mailbox, subscribe here.

Irish Dance competition Baltimore Maryland Broesler School Feis results

Future Irish Dancer Caitlyn O'Brien

Irish dancers from the Southern and Mid-Atlantic Regions swarmed to the 24th Annual Baltimore Feis at the Chesapeake Arts Center/Brooklyn Park Middle School last weekend!  The Baltimore Feis, sponsored by the Broesler School of Irish Dance Parents Association is an important local competition leading up to the Irish dancing regional championships, called Oireachtas (pronounced or-ROCK-tus) held each fall.
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READ MORE:
Songs for the Sept. 24-25 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS

Guys in Irish dance and their gravity-defying hair - PHOTOS of styles

An Irish dancer’s St Patrick’s Day countdown
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Solo championships, grade level competitions and ceili team dancing meant many girls and boys were entered in more than one event, and this means costume changes and juggling stages.  Even for the experienced feis parents, this can be a challenge!  By suppertime, though, these pictured dancers from Broesler went home with big smiles and trophies, after a great experience dancing and cheering on their friends at the Baltimore Feis.  Special thanks to Feis America's fan Vickie Setzer for sharing her fabulous photos with Feis America on IrishCentral.com!


Open Champion Girls Under 14 Kelli Devlin and
Madison Setzer who placed 2nd in Preliminary Championship Girls and Boys under 10

Friends and fans for life!  Madison Setzer, Tripanne Manuel and Aileen O'Brien

Preliminary Championship Girls and Boys under 10

This happy 3-hand team from Broesler won the under 12 competition!

For North America's favorite Irish dancing and culture magazine delivered directly to your home, subscribe to Feis America here.  This makes a terrific holiday gift for your favorite Irish dancer or teacher, too!

Songs for the Sept. 24-25 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS


by PATRICIA MCNAMARA, Feis America Magazine contributor

Heading to South Carolina this weekend for the Raleigh Feis or the Minnesota Feis in Saint Paul? How about the St. Ambrose Fall Feis in California or Massachusetts’ New England Autumn Feis? Or maybe the Petri School Feis in New York?

No matter your competitive destination this weekend, we want to share four tunes—inspired by past Olympic Games—you should add to your own playlist before lacing up and taking the stage. Best of luck to all competitors and be sure to come back and share your results with us!

“I Believe” – Nikki Yanofsky

This will push away any doubts you have about not giving your all out on stage.


“Reach” – Gloria Estefan
Put this on while going through your stretches.


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READ MORE:
Songs for the Sept. 17-18 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS

Songs for the Sept. 10-11 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS

New songs to get you pumped for this weekend’s Irish dancing competitions
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“Change” – Taylor Swift

Still bummed from last weekend’s less-than-stellar marks? Listen to this before facing the judges this time.


“One Dream” – Sarah McLachlan
This song will remind you of your dream to be a champion.


For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

An Irish dancer’s St. Patrick’s Day countdown


OK, so we're some of the lucky ones. We get to celebrate our Irish heritage every day through our dancing. We've got Irish tunes on the iPod practically on repeat. We indulge in delicious Irish treats at feiseanna every weekend. But in light of it being halfway to March 17, we figured, why not take a moment to think about one of the busiest days for an Irish dancer of the year?

Eh, then again, why jump the gun? Sure, St. Patrick’s Day 2012 is sneaking up on us, but there are a lot of things to look forward to before that…even before 2011 comes to an end. Here are some events we’re looking forward to the most. What can you add to the list?

- "JIG" is being released on DVD on this side of the pond Oct. 4.


- Halloween feiseanna like the Phoenix Halloween Feis Oct. 15 or the Mullane Healy Godley Academy Halloween Feis Oct. 29. What kooky costumes will walk through the doors? Can’t wait to find out!

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READ MORE:
Neck stretches for Irish dancers

One woman play about Irish dance brings history, love and laughter to NYC stage – VIDEO

Organize and display your Irish dance medals in a scrapbook

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- Oireachtas season! Yep, the big regional championships are taking place in November and December. We can smell the sock glue and hairspray already.

- Maybe, just maybe, the return of another amazing Irish dancing flash mob like St. Patrick’s Day 2011? Alright, so that one might be a stretch but let a dancer dream a little.


What Irish dancing date are you looking forward to most before March 17, 2012? Share it in the comments below.

For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Songs to get you pumped for the Sept. 17-18 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS


by PATRICIA MCNAMARA, Feis America Magazine contributor

Heading to the Michigan Feis this weekend or the Baltimore Feis in Maryland? Idaho’s Boise Feis By the River or the Oklahoma State Championships? Perhaps the Syracuse Feis or Nassau County AOH Feis in New York?

No matter your competitive destination this weekend, we want to share four new tunes inspired by the 80s to add to your own warm up playlist before lacing up and taking the stage. Best of luck to all competitors and be sure to come back and share your results with us!

“Pump Up The Jam” – Technotronic
The catchy beat will simply pump you up to get on the dance floor.


“Fame” – Irene Cara
Pop it on and start thinking about how everyone in the Irish dancing world should remember your name after you kill it on stage.


-----------------------------------
READ MORE:
- A 9/11 tribute from the Caitrin Academy of Irish Dance - VIDEO
- Photos from the fourth annual Texas Coast Feis
- Songs to get you pumped for the Sept. 10-11 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS
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“We Got The Beat” – The Go-Go’s
Simply because you, too, can keep the beat…just with your hard shoes.


“The Final Countdown” – Europe
Think the “Rocky” theme song with an 80s spin. Play this right before you have to line up side stage.


For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

A 9/11 tribute from the Caitrin Academy of Irish Dance - VIDEO


September 11, 2011 is a day we will all remember. Thousands of innocent lives were taken from us. The word “terrorism” brought new meaning to everyone around the globe. On the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, many are paying tribute…in very different ways.

Five dancers from Pennsylvania’s Caitrin Academy of Irish Dance decided to use their skills and passion for the sport to create this special tribute. Aged 12-13, the talented individuals choreographed the dance themselves and wanted to use their gift to honor those we lost 10 years ago.

Check out the video below and let us know your thoughts.


For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Photos from the fourth annual Texas Coast Feis

Champs 16&Over (L-R): Jamie Callahan, Megan Murat, Ashleigh Hopkins, Taylor Stephens, Hannah Cass


Champs Special Treble Reel 13&Over (L-R): Cheyenne Stokes, Rebecca Herd, Megan Murat, Bailey Quigley, Sawyer Hicks, Shane McGoldrick, Hannah Cass


Champs Special Trebble Jig or Hornpipe Under 14 (L-R): Heather Noonan, Rebecca Herd, Bridget Kennedy, Sarah Troy, Paige Lanam, Lauren Begnaud


Champs Special Trebble Jig or Hornpipe (L-R): Lisa Noonan, Meredith Slimp, Colin Troy



The fourth annual Texas Coast Feis? Not your average one! Breaking with tradition, the feis was held on a Sunday this year (Sept. 4) at the Omni Bayfront Hotel in Corpus Christi, Texas, giving Labor Day weekenders the chance to leisurely make that drive to the coast. Inishfree School families took advantage of the extra day by arriving Saturday afternoon and enjoying a school-wide shrimp boil!

Skipping and whirling into the ballroom Sunday morning, more than 175 competitors checked out the beach theme that lent a more relaxed feel to the usually sophisticated ballroom. The musician, Brian Glynn of New Jersey, certainly seemed comfortable in bermuda shorts and flip flops perched with a bird’s eye view on an actual lifeguard stand next to the stages.

Hosted by the Corpus Christi Irish Arts Association in collaboration with the Glor na Daire Academy of Irish Dance, the feis had a plentiful supply of fabulous trophies for champs and specials, along with surfboard medals for the lower grades!

So next Labor Day, mark your calendars for the Texas Coast Feis. It’s got just the right competition sizes, a hotel with a view of the ocean, the opportunity to dance barefoot in the sand with friends, as well as the chance to feast on delicious seafood with your family. What a way to bid farewell to summer and, more importantly, a hello to the fall feis season.

Photo Credit: Shelby Miller

Special thanks to Feis America contributor Caitlin Buck for compiling this post!

For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Friday, September 9, 2011

Songs to get you pumped for the Sept. 10-11 Irish dancing competitions


by PATRICIA MCNAMARA, Feis America Magazine contributor

Heading to the St. Louis Fall Feis in Missouri this weekend or the Rock River Valley Feis in Illinois? How about the June Butler Memorial Feis in Ontario, the Longs Peak Feis in Colorado or the Irish American Assn. NW Jersey Feis in New Jersey?

No matter your competitive destination this weekend, we want to share four tunes you should add to your own warm up playlist before lacing up and taking the stage. Best of luck to all competitors and be sure to come back and share your results with us!

“Helena Beat” – Foster The People
Pop this on and take a stroll around the venue before going into the hustle and bustle of the day.

“Dog Days Are Over” – Florence + The Machine
Stretch to this song while celebrating the fact that feiseanna in the sticky summer heat are done.

“Louder” – Charice
This song will give you the gusto to “dance through the pain” and pound out your hornpipe or jig for the entire room to hear.

“Dance, Dance” – Fall Out Boy
It’s fast...and, um, the chorus tells ya to dance. So go out there and show ’em what you’ve been practicing.

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READ MORE:
- New songs to get you pumped for this weekend’s Irish dancing competitions
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For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Colbee Misfud: Relocating from Australia to Ireland for Irish dance


by INSPIRED DANCER, Feis America Magazine contributor

In the sport of Irish dancing, we don’t just have the thrill of performing and competing to look forward to, we also have great people to meet everywhere we go!

When I attend major competitions, I love meeting the other dancers just as much as I love dancing. This past July at the 2011 North American Irish Dancing Championships in Nashville, Tenn., I had the pleasure of meeting of a lovely dancer with a very interesting story. Meet Colbee Misfud, a 21-year-old open champion from the land down under who’s proving hard work and dedication does pay off—even if you move to another country.

It was actually her sister’s dream of Riverdance that got Colbee “dragged along” to classes years ago. But she’s loved it ever since. When Colbee was 18, she decided to take the plunge and move to Ireland to follow her dream and focus more on her passion, taking on an even bigger challenge of providing for herself, paying all of her expenses. But she was on a mission that delved deeper than just dance.

“For me, moving to Ireland wasn't just about the dancing. I wanted to learn more about myself and become independent,” Colbee says. “I had no relatives in Ireland. I knew no one. That's what excited me the most.”

Upon her arrival in Belfast, Colbee joined Kennedy Irish Dance. And since then, she has earned her way to a recall at the World Irish Dancing Championships. But Colbee’s not going to stop there! She has future aspirations of not only dancing in a professional Irish dance show but also getting those shiny letters at the end of her name: TCRG.

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READ MORE:
- Keeping friendships in Irish dance through competition
- Experiencing the North American Irish Dance Championships for the first time
- Performing with an Irish dance show – ‘In Love With The Dance’
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The lessons Colbee has learned along the way are some she would love to take back to other dancers in her home country of Australia:

“I feel that every dancer who gets the opportunity to do what I am doing should take it! It has opened my eyes up to things I didn't even know existed in the dancing world,” she says.

But that’s not to say she has forgotten about her fellow Aussies while living abroad. “The dancing community in Australia is much bigger than what people think,” Colbee says. “We have incredible dancers in the country who should be able to show off their talent overseas.”

Colbee’s story is an inspiration to dancers everywhere because she has proven that you can live the dream if you fight for it. Many thanks to Colbee Misfud for sharing her story with me. And to think it all started in a ballroom before competitor check-in. You never know who you may meet at any given competition.

Photo Credit: Colbee Misfud

Would you ever relocate for Irish dance? Share in the comments below.

For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Boost your confidence before fall Irish dance competitions


by ERIN CONCANNON, Feis America Magazine contributor

Confidence is a quality that, to many dancers, might be hard to perfect…and easy to lose.

Just think of how discouraging it can be when one adjudicator’s opinion can make or break your feiseanna track record. But it’s how you mentally prepare yourself for all situations—competitive or not—in the dancing world that will help you survive. And what better way to start than with the fresh fall feiseanna headed your way. Read these tips for a little boost.

Practice is what makes you perfect. If you practice your dance routines outside of class for at least 30 minutes a day, you will know the steps backwards and forwards, causing you to become less nervous on the big day of competition! Look at it this way: On the day of a big test, you study your heart out the nights before, going over the information so many times that by the end of the night you could recite the information backwards and forwards. The same rule applies to dance! If you keep going over your steps so much that you go to bed at night thinking about them, you’re prepped to put your best, um, foot forward.

Tell yourself you are always right. Seeing is believing. If you can see yourself in the mirror doing all your steps right, then you know you can do it. So keep telling yourself before you go up on stage to dance that you can do this! This is your fate in the dancing world. If you say you deserve to be the best dancer you can be, it will help to come true. The constant flow of positive thinking will help your mind reject any negative energy.

Keep friendly conversation. Talking to your competitors right before you go out on stage shows that you are not only friendly, but that you are fearless and can keep your cool while under pressure. Karma is a big thing to believe in while living in this crazy dancing world. If you don’t do nice things to others and put in good thoughts, then only awful and upsetting things will occur while you’re trying to go for gold.

What are some thoughts that help you stay confident through competition? Let us know in the comments below.

READ MORE:
- Irish dancing through illness or injury
- Motivation to practice Irish dance during the school year
- Keeping friendships in Irish dance through competition

For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!

Friday, September 2, 2011

New songs to get you pumped for this weekend’s Irish dancing competitions


by PATRICIA MCNAMARA, Feis America Magazine contributor

Heading to the Clearwater Beach Feis in Florida this weekend or the Oakville Feis in Ontario? What about the Kansas City Feis in Missouri or the Texas Coast Feis? Or maybe you’re packing up for the Constitution State Feis in Connecticut or the Hidden Valley Feis in California.

No matter your competitive destination this Labor Day weekend, we want to share four tunes you should add to your own warm up playlist before lacing up and taking the stage. Best of luck to all competitors and be sure to come back and share your results with us!

"Pump It" – The Black Eyed Peas
It sets the perfect pace to practice your high kicks. And, well, it will get ya pumped to own the stage.

"I Wanna Go" – Britney Spears
Want to go out on stage and show the adjudicators how fierce of a dancer you are? This song will help you do that.

"Shake It Up" – Selena Gomez

Shake off your jitters with this catchy jam.

"Outta Control" – j786

Close your eyes, envision you getting through your steps, and get ready to be in total control of the stage.

For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!