Eastern Canada Irish Dancing Champs Girls Solo Results Friday

Eastern Canada Regional Irish Dancing Championships 2011
Friday Girls Solo Results - Under 8 through Under 15

The first day of the Eastern Canadian Regional Irish Dancing Championships has come to an exciting end, and solo dancers and teachers are celebrating with fellow dancers and families.  Held at The Westin in Ottawa, competitors traveled from all over Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, vying for World and North American National Irish Dancing Championship qualifications.  Results were tabulated by Peter Moran and his expert team and Feis America on Irish Central is grateful to Peter for sharing these with us so quickly!  We will be posting photos and more results, so stay tuned to Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog right here!

Girls Under 8
1st Carson Einwechter from Doyle Academy
2nd Jordana Kehoe from McGinley Academy
3rd Hannah Furness from McGinley Academy
4th Florence Rodrigue from Woodgate-Shamrock
5th Cecilia Wojcik from Corrigan
6th Grace Noonan from Corrigan
7th Abby Hennessy from Goggin-Carroll
8th Eileen Grant from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
9th Maeve McCloskey from McGinley Academy
10th Allison Daly from McGinley Academy
11th Brigid Lemmens from Druid Academy
12th Ainsley Smith from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
13th Ainsley Crook from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
14th Olivia Howlett from McGinley Academy
15th Claire Cox from Cornell School of Irish Dance
16th Cassandra Murchland from Corrigan

Special congratulations to Jaylene Kehoe from McGinley Academy who defended her Eastern Canadian championship title which earned in 2010 in the Girls under 8 competition!

Girls Under 9 - All 18 qualify for the North American Irish Dancing Championships in 2012
1st Jaylene Kehoe from McGinley Academy
2nd Taylor Kane from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
3rd Kiera Kenny from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh 
4th Clare Molony from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
5th 227 Heather Buller from Woodgate-Shamrock
6th Beibhinn Parisi from McGinley Academy
7th Isabelle Hebert from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
8th Rachel Mintz from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh 
9th Emma-Jane McGeever from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
10th Laura Fedor from McGinley Academy
11th Emma Pittens from Woodgate-Shamrock
12th Marijke Domanski from Short School
13th Emily Hambly Goggin-Carroll
14thTara McQuillan from McGinley Academy
15th Keighlin de Vera from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
16th Megan Orr from McGinley Academy 
17th Jenna Hilborn from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
18th Rachel  Hennessy Goggin-Carroll

Girls under 10 - Top 8 are World Qualifiers and all who placed are North American Qualifiers
1st Ainsley Flemington from Goggin-Carroll 
2nd Sarah Campeau from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
3rd Heather Fletcher from Goggin-Carroll
4th Fiona Reynolds from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
5th Joely Bernier from Goggin-Carroll
6th Lenna O'Handley from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
7th Lauren Rooney from Woodgate-Shamrock
8th Sinead Reeves from Corrigan
9th Capri Van Olm from Short School
10th Laurenne Tynski from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
11th Caitlin Hogg from Druid Academy
12th Savannah Principe from Short School
13th Niamh Fedor from McGinley Academy
14th Hilary Nixon from Woodgate-Shamrock
15th Miranda Cox from Corrigan
16th Carrington Cavallin from Woodgate-Shamrock
17th Lauren Pope from Goggin-Carroll
18th Madelaine de Vera from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
19th Emma Stadler from Goggin-Carroll
20th Julianna St. Pierre from Finnegan School
21st Rylea Wilson from McGinley Academy
22nd Katelyn Watson from Reaney
23rd Katie Cavanagh from Woodgate-Shamrock
24th Vanessa Genise from Woodgate-Shamrock
25th Jessica Dekker from Reaney

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READ MORE:

Eastern Canada Irish Dance Championships Perpetual Trophy Winners

Music to Get You Moving For Nov 12-13 Competitions! 

Western Canada Irish Dance Championships 2011 Top Five Results!

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Girls Under 11 - Top 8 are World Qualifiers and all who placed are North American Qualifiers

1st Grace Metcalfe from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
2nd Lillian Pich from Woodgate-Shamrock
3rd Heather Hudson from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
4th Benet Avery from Gilchrist-Canavan
5th Shauna Deery from Woodgate-Shamrock
6th Erin-Louise Reynolds from Woodgate-Shamrock
7th Meghan Haughey from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
8th Lindsay Clarke from Finnegan School
9th Sydney O'Hara from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
10th Kaitlyn Buller from Woodgate-Shamrock
11th Caitlyn Micuda from Goggin-Carroll
12th Talia Johnstone from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
13th Taryn Costello from Woodgate-Shamrock
14th Hayley Bowdery from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
15th Kyleigh Stubbs from Corrigan
16th Claudia Cox from Cornell School of Irish Dance
17th Marilena Mohan from Doyle Academy
18th Shannon Lemmens from Druid Academy
19th Shaelynn Lancaster from McGinley Academy
20th Kierra Phillips from Doyle Academ
21st Clara Walker from Goggin-Carroll
22nd Phoebe Corless from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh

Special congratulations to Claire Gormley from Butler-Fearon-O'Connor who has twice defended her Eastern Canadian championship title from 2010 (Girls under 11) and 2009 (Girls under 10).


Girls Under 12 - Top 8 are World Qualifiers, all who placed are North American National Qualifiers                1st Claire Gormley from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
2nd Emma Tomlinson from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
3rd Brianna Wilson from McGinley Academy
4th Liana Evans from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
5th Isabella Simms from Goggin-Carroll
6th Ellie Evans from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
7th Ashley Kinzinger from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
8th Sophia Flynn from Corrigan
9th Meghann Stark from Reaney
10th Rachel DeVincenzo from Corrigan
11th Julia Sullivan from Doyle Academy
12th Rachel-Leigh Morris from Corrigan
13th Tara Rochester from Miller School
14th Gillian Whelan from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
15th Paige Mackintosh from Goggin-Carroll
16th Kaylee Manning from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
17th Caroline Williams from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
18th Erica Daly from McGinley Academy
19th Meghan Quinn from Goggin-Carroll
20th Gabrielle Conaghan from Miller School
21st Rachel Hoare from Graham
22nd Lauren Lozier from Goggin-Carroll
23rd Shaeleigh Spracklin from Short School

Girls under 13 - Top 9 are World Qualifiers, Top 25 are North American Qualifiers
1st Meghan Hachey from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
2nd Brynna McVittie from Woodgate-Shamrock
3rd Kylie Paliani from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
4th Hayley Pereira from Goggin-Carroll
5th Martine Steiner from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
6th Paige Doyle from Woodgate-Shamrock 
7th Kayla Ruggle from McGinley Academy
8th Ariel Seale from Corrigan
9th Nieve Robinson from Goggin-Carroll
10th Jade O'Hara from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
11th Simone Faloona from McGinley Academy
12th Nicole McGeever from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
13th Kenzie Rich from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
14th Siobhan O'Brien from Goggin-Carroll
15th Miranda Lee from Goggin-Carroll
16th Olivia-Lee Ramundi from Gilchrist-Canavan
17th Maggie Leon from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
18th Meghan Connolly from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
19th Marissa Brown from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
20th Emery Wehrli from Corrigan
21st Holly Hicks from Goggin-Carroll
22nd Grace Woolgar from O'Donnell
23rd Laura Fontaine from Goggin-Carroll
24th Rowan Dupuis from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
25th Shannon Fletcher from Goggin-Carroll
26th Jenna Shepley from McGinley Academy
27th Kerry McCann from Goggin-Carroll
28th Siobhon Wagner from Druid Academy
29th Katie Zenker from Goggin-Carroll
30th Maddie Hill from Goggin-Carroll

Special congratulations to Avery McNair from Butler-Fearon-O'Connor who twice defended her Eastern Canadian championship title from 2009 (Girls under 12) and 2010 (Girls under 13)!

Girls Under 14 - Top 11 are World Qualifiers, Top 28 are North American Qualifiers
1st Avery McNair from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
2nd Meaghan Kilmartin from Short School 
3rd Ailish Dunn from Gilchrist-Canavan
4th Alana Della Mora from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
5th  Julia Silano from Goggin-Carroll 
6th Laura Campeau from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
7th Madeline Cameron from Gilchrist-Canavan
8th Leiden McMurray from Gilchrist-Canavan
9th Sophie MacLellan from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
10th Katherine Fuller from Corrigan
11th Laura Ryan from Goggin-Carroll
12th Vanessa Silano from Goggin-Carroll
13th Shannon  Johnson from Anderson Johnson Dance
14th Alexa Bujouves from Corrigan
15th Brianna Delaey from Cornell School of Irish Dance
16th Siobhan Haughey from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
17th Meadhbh O'Connor from Kelly School
18th Rebecca Holland from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
19th Triona Reaney-Brown from Reaney
20th Katey Spence from Gilchrist-Canavan
21st Laura Devine from Woodgate-Shamrock
22nd Emma Nelles from Greenfire Academy
23rd Meghan  Henry from Goggin-Carroll
24th Jenna  Gibbon from Corrigan
25th Celina Graham from Graham
26th Kieva Strawbridge from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
27th Cailey Theos from Goggin-Carroll
28th Isabel Gamus from Woodgate-Shamrock
29th Lindsay Paling from Goggin-Carroll
30th Lauren Adolphe from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
31st Lily Chafetz from Short School
32nd Annie Pendlebury from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
33rd Ashley O'Brien from Short School
34th Morgan Muzzatti from Ardán Academy of Irish Dance

Special congratulations to Claire Gallibois from Butler-Fearon-O'Connor who defended her Eastern Canadian championship title earned in 2010 in the Girls under 14 competition!


Girls Under 15 - Top 11 are World Qualifiers, all who placed are North American Qualifiers
1st Claire Gallibois from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
2nd Laura Pastor from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
3rd Justine Bongers from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
4th Nikki Daly from Woodgate-Shamrock
5th Emily Woolgar from O'Donnell 
6th Alexandra Petersen from Corrigan
7th Ayla Reid from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
8th MacKenzie Goggin-Wade from Goggin-Carroll
9th Janie Pendlebury from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
10th Breanna Behring from Goggin-Carroll
11th Erin Tackaberry from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
12th Sarah Brown from McGinley Academy
13th Emily Politeski from Goggin-Carroll
14th Siobhan Alexander from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
15th Charly Moore from Woodgate-Shamrock
16th Lauren Ibbott from Corrigan
17th Isabel Johnson from Ardán Academy of Irish Dance
18th Braedyn Ellis from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor
19th Brianna Robinson from Goggin-Carroll
20th Courtney Trew from Sue Fay Healy School Of Irish Dance
21st Megan  Kenny from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
22nd Elise Bishop from Gilchrist-Canavan
23rd Blaire Pearce from Ni Fhearraigh O'Ceallaigh
24th Kelsey Crone from Short School
25th Katherine Follis from Gilchrist-Canavan
26th Emily Jaeger from Butler - Fearon - O'Connor


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Songs for the Nov. 12-13 Irish dancing competitions – VIDEOS

by PATRICIA MCNAMARA, Feis America Magazine contributor

Heading to New Jersey this weekend for the New Jersey State Feis? What about South Carolina for the Lowcountry Feis, Arkansas for the River Valley Feis or Connecticut for the Horgan Academy Fall Feis? Pennsylvania for the Coyle School Feis? Or maybe you’re hitting up the Eastern Canadian Oireachtas in Ottowa.

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!

“Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” – Ultravox
Yes, every step counts when it comes to competition. This one will make you dance as if it were your last.


“Whoa Oh (Me vs Everyone)” – Forever The Sickest Kids
You’ll want to push yourself after listening to this jam because, face it, it’s you versus everyone else when it comes to solos.


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READ MORE:
Songs for the Nov. 5-6 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS

Songs for the Oct. 29-30 Irish dancing competitions – VIDEOS

Songs for the Oct. 22-23 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS
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“Keep Up” – Hyper Crush
It’s techno. It’s fast. It’ll get your heart racing to keep up with the music on stage, dancing machine.


“I Got You Dancing” – Lady Sovereign
With something that mimics a treble reel beat, trust us, this will definitely get you moving.



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Eastern Canada Regional Irish Dancing Championship Perpetual Trophy Winners

Patrick J. "Paddy" Butler Memorial Trophy
Girls under 8

One of my favorite webpages about Irish dancing in North America is the Eastern Canada Region's history page! Every perpetual trophy from the Oireachtas is shown along with a list of each trophy's winners. As the Eastern Canada Regional Championships get underway on Friday, I thought this was a good time to share a few of my favorite trophies with the 2010 winners listed.

The Girls under 8 competition has two perpetual trophies associated with it. This stunning piece of crystal, pictured left, is in memory of Patrick J. "Paddy" Butler, TMRF. Paddy and his wife, Mae, arrived in Toronto in 1953 with their three children and went on to have a tremendous influence on Irish dancing and culture in Eastern Canada and North America. In 2010, the Patrick J. "Paddy" Butler Memorial Trophy was awarded to Jaylene Kehoe from the McGinley Academy of Irish Dance in Toronto.

Girls under 10
Donated by the Plummer School of Irish Dancing
Parents Association

The Girls under 10 perpetual trophy was donated by the Plummer Parents Association and was most recently awarded to Shauna Deery of Woodgate-Shamrock in 2010.

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READ MORE:

Retired Irish Dancer Offers Advice

Western Canada Regional Irish Dancing Championship Top 5 Results

Breaking in New Hard Shoes for Irish Dancers

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Ladies under 19 Perpetual Trophy
Donated by the Irish Dance Teachers Association of Canada

Ashley Davidson of Butler-Fearon-O'Connor was the recipient of this handsome trophy in 2010, which was donated by the Irish Dance Teachers Association of Canada for the Ladies under 19 event.

Good luck to all the dancers, teachers and families heading to Ottawa this weekend!  Stay tuned to Feis America on Irish Central for results and photos!

For all the North American Irish dancing news you can muster, get a digital subscription delivered to your Inbox every month at Feis America!

Retired dancer Ryan McCombe shares what he wishes someone told him about Irish dance

by RYAN McCOMBE

It’s Oireachtas season, and for the first time in a decade and a half, I’m not counting down the days until I stress myself out, or trying to push my body to its limit without going overboard. Instead, I’m thinking about all the random things I’ve learned about Irish dancing along the way. The more I think, the more ideas come up about what makes a great dancer. Here are some things I wish I had been told when I was still dancing.

1. You Don’t Know Your Steps Well Enough
“Sure I do. I can dance them on auto-pilot, right?” Well…maybe not. Can you stop and start every single piece of your dance at any point and end at any point? Can you break things down step by step, remembering to turn out, cross and stay up on your toes?

When I was dancing, I often fell into the habit of learning my dances in chunks, usually the ones that fit with the music. A series of rhythmic bits, a run across the floor. I’d do that part a lot while trying to push my feet out. But why not do it super slow, step by step, pushing every bit out, then faster and faster until you’re up to speed with the dance?

2. Drills. Just do it.
I learned this from talking with a bunch of dancers whose rhythm and placement I admired. I hate drills. They’re repetitive, tiring, and don’t appear to help me get from step 2 ½ to step 3 without dying. So why do them?

Yet everyone had the same guidance for me. “Just drill ’em, man. You’ll get it.” As I said above, break it down slow, and focus on one thing at a time, adding as you go. Start treble drills turned out and crossed, then add lift, followed by a twist or whatever it is you want to make the trebles your way. But be reasonable with the number of trebles you do at a time. No sense killing yourself through technique drills. If you can drill your way into perfect trebles, or perfect leaps or drums, getting your body used to doing every bit just right, it’ll show in your steps. Muscle memory rocks.

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READ MORE:
Reasons to end an Irish dance hiatus

Foot care tips and tricks keep Irish dancers on their toes

Organize and display your Irish dance medals in a scrapbook
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3. Stop Thinking About Your Scores, Start Thinking About Your Audience
Ask anyone who knew me as a kid and they’ll describe me as a promising, nerdy 10 year old. As a teenager? A gosh-awful dancer who never got through his steps without messing up.

I was once that little kid who would dance in line at the movie theater, outside in the grocery store parking lot, basically 24/7. I loved dancing, and it showed. But then I started growing, my body got awkward, and it stopped showing.

I spent the next five years trying to get back to where I was before. Every competition, I’d tell myself, “I have to do it this year. If I’m not good, there’s no point.” Which was stupid. I loved, and still love dancing. But I put an intense amount of pressure on myself to score well, that I stopped focusing on my love for the sport.

One day it finally clicked. I stopped saying “I want 100s.” I started saying “I want to be here. These guys are my buddies. Let’s have some fun.” And, magically, my stress levels lowered and I started dancing better.

Irish dancing is a performance first, and a competition second. Perform. Catch everyone in that room’s attention. Trust your feet. That’s why you practice.

Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t set goals, but if that goal is the only thing on your mind, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Do your best because you’re ready to rock it, not because a medal validates you. After all, it’s different every day, with every judge, and every group of competitors.

What’s one thing you wish people had told you about Irish dancing that you know now? Share in the comments below.

Photo Credit: Shamrock Photography

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Western Canada Regional Irish Dancing Championship Top 5 Results

Western Canadian Irish Dancing Championships

Photo by Cheryl Galdert

The 2011 Western Canada Regional Irish Dancing Championships took place this past weekend in Edmonton, Alberta. Tabulation by the experts at Feisworx. Here are the Top Five winners in each Solo competition, all of whom qualified for the North American National Irish Dancing Championships and World Irish Dancing Championships in 2012. There are additional placements and qualifiers - please visit Feisworx for complete results. Boys under 9: 1 Brant Rankin from Mattierin Girls under 9: 1 Caitlin Bradely-Tse from Pickett Academy 2 Mckenna Laing from Pickett Academy 3 Jadyn McInnis-Thorpe from Pickett Academy 4 Belle Heritage from Steel School 5 Sarah Armstrong from Pickett Academy Boys under 10: 1 Jacob Haley from Casey O'Loughlin Academy 2 Sheng, Richard from Regent Academy Girls under 10: 1 Olivia Nachtigal from Mattierin School 2 Jesula McCallum from Penk-O'Donnell) 3 Emma Smalley from Steel School 4 Olivia Butzelaar from Penk-O'Donnell 5 Amy Weir from Brady Academy Boys under 11: 1 Teagan Deranleau from Scoil Rince De Danaan Girls under 11: 1 Ava-Marie Schroder from Mattierin School - also a Worlds 2011 Medal Holder 2 Ceili Davey from Mattierin School 3 Macaela Bradley-Tse from Pickett Academy 4 Brighid McKay from Casey O'Loughlin Academy 5 Jessica Hebert from Pickett Academy Boys under 12: 1 Tomas McDonald from Pickett Academy 2 Kaiden Powell from Scoil Rince Bhriomhar Girls under 12: 1 Londyn Nachtigal from Mattierin School 2 Jesse Marlow from Houston Academy 3 Megan Findlay from Penk-O'Donnell 4 Devan Berg from Irwin School 5 Shannon Game from Pickett Academy Boys under 13: (note: there were a total of 6 competitors so all placed and are listed) 1 Liam Anjos from Comerford Washington 2 Braden Yeomans from Houston Academy 3 Adam Soloway from O'Connor O'Brien 4 Conaill Eckton from Brady Academy, Winnipeg 5 Ethan Wohlgemuth from Pomeroy Academy 6 Thomas Rvachew from Houston Academy Girls under 13: 1 Madeline Herbers from Toal School 2 Marijana Dugandzic from Scoil Rince De Danaan 3 Mairead McDermott from Mattierin School 4 Emma Schroter from Mattierin School 5 Marika Butzelaar from Penk-O'Donnell Boys under 14:1 Alex Jung, Alex from Scoil Rince De Danaan 2 Ryan Enns from Knock School 3 Ben Firkins from O'Connor O'Brien School Girls under 14:1 Rachel Frend from Mattierin School 2 Rochelle Hoffmann from Blakey School 3 Katrina vanBoven from O'Connor O'Brien School 4 Allesandra Parth from Brady Academy, Edmonton 5 Breanne Gambles from Irwin School Boys under 15:1 Grant MacRobbie from Stewart School 2 Michael Rvachew from Houston Academy Girls under 15: 1 MacKenzie Mahler from Blakey School - also a Worlds 2011 Medal Holder 2 Olivia Scully from Irwin School 3 Mackenzie Cross from Pickett Academy 4 Kendra Hamp from Brady Academy, Edmonton 5 Megan Butzelaar from Penk-O'Donnell Boys under 16:1 Aidan Macpherson from Mattierin School 2 Jefferey Carandang from Stewart School Girls under 16:1 Alex Nessler from Irwin School 2 Erika Cocco from Penk-O'Donnell 3 Ashley Negrey from Knock School 4 Sydney Powell from Houston Academy 5 Alexia Bell from Houston Academy Boys under 17: Note: There were a total of 4 competitors so all placements are listed. 1 Fred Nguyen from Scoil Rince De Danaan 2 Ben Abelseth from Blakey School, Calgary 3 Danny Doerksen, Danny from Houston Academy 4 Nikanor Elsom Pettersson from Scoil Rince De Danaan Girls under 17: 1 Eilidh Morrice-Ashdown from Penk-O'Donnell 2 Meikaela Tumber from Penk-O'Donnell 3 Shannon Evens from Possak School 4 Hayley McLennan from Penk-O'Donnell 5 Ellen Darby from Pickett Academy Boys under 18:1 Bryan Schneck from Knock School 2 Luc Benoit from O'Connor O'Brien School 3 Darren Kerr from O'Connor O'Brien School Girls under 18:1 Kimmy Cooper from Blakey School - Calgary 2 Crystal vanBoven from O'Connor O'Brien School 3 Leah McCrudden from Mattierin School 4 Emma Stephens from Knock School 5 Danielle Goertz from Knock School Boys under 19: NONE Girls under 19: 1 Kelsey Doran from Knock School 2 Elspeth Hughton from Irwin School 3 Erin Roberge from Irwin School 4 Kathleen Mullrooney from Irwin School 5 Megan Barling from Scoil Rince De Danaan Men under 20: 1 Ian Gott from Irwin School Ladies under 20: 1 Rebecca Bell from Mattierin School 2 Oriana Salvalaggio from Houston Academy 3 Erika Bell from Houston Academy 4 Fiona O'Neill from Irwin School 5 Rachelle McGonigal from Knock School Men 20 & Over:1 Cian Hackett from Mattierin School 2 Philip Mottershead from Brady Academy, Edmonton 3 Shane Byrne from Stewart School Ladies 20 & Over:1 Stefanie Warren from Penk-O'Donnell - also a Worlds 2011 Medal Holder 2 Jessica Bell from Mattierin School 3 Erin Rees from Irwin School 4 Josie Fraser from Knock School 5 Melissa Softley from Irwin School TEAM RESULTS - up to Top 5 Additional placements available at FeisWorx 4-Hand Ceili Girls under 10 1 Penk-O'Donnell , 33 B 2 Penk-O'Donnell , 33 A 4-Hand Ceili Girls under 12 1 Penk-O'Donnell , 34 A 2 Scoil Rince Bhriomhar , 34 A 3 Steel School of Irish Dance, 34 A 4 Steel School of Irish Dance, 34 B 4-Hand Ceili Girls under 15 1 Penk-O'Donnell , 35 A 2 Irwin School of Irish Dance, 35 A 3 Stewart School of Irish Dance, 35 A 4 Mattierin School of Irish Dance, 35 A 5 Toal School of Irish Danc, 35 B 4-Hand Ceili Girls 15 & Over 1 Stewart School of Irish D, 36 B 2 Penk-O'Donnell , 36 B 3 Stewart School of Irish Dance, 36 A 4 Irwin School of Irish Dance, 36 A 4-Hand Ceili Ladies 1 Toal School of Irish Dance, 55 A 2 Toal School of Irish Dance, 55 B 4-Hand Ceili Mixed Ladies & Men - Toal School of Irish Dance, 54 A 8-Hand Ceili Girls under 10 1 Pickett Academy (NPIDA) , 37 A 2 Brady Academy of Irish Dance, 37 A 8-Hand Ceili Girls under 12 1 Mattierin School of Irish Dance, 38 A 2 Penk-O'Donnell , 38 A 3 O'Connor O'Brien School, 38 A 8-Hand Ceili Girls under 15 Note: There were a total of 4 placements, all are listed. 1 Penk-O'Donnell , 39 A 2 Mattierin School of Irish, 39 A 3 Irwin School of Irish Dance, 39 A 4 Toal School of Irish Dance, 39 A 8-Hand Ceili Girls 15 & Over Note: There were a total of 5 placements, all are listed. 1T Irwin School of Irish Dance, 40 B and Penk-O'Donnell , 40 A 3 Mattierin School of Irish Dance, 40 A 4 Knock School of Irish Dance, 40 A 5 Irwin School of Irish Dance, 40 A 8-Hand Ceili Adult Ladies - Toal School of Irish Danc, 52 B 8-Hand Ceili Mixed under 10 - Penk O'Donnell, 41 A 8-Hand Ceili Mixed 15 & Over 1 Stewart School of Irish D, 44 A 2 O'Connor O'Brien School, 44 A 8-Hand Ceili Adult Mixed - Toal School of Irish Danc, 53 A Congratulations to all the competitors and especially to those who met their goals, whatever they may have been. Post your photos on Feis America's FaceBook page and share your stories of fun and friendship with us here in the Comments box! For North American Irish dancing news delivered directly to your Inbox, subscribe to Feis America digital magazine today for just $20 for one year of monthly Irish dancing news!

Pains and pleasures only an Irish dancer can relate to

by ERIN CONCANNON, Feis America Magazine contributor

“Ouch” isn’t just a word us Irish dancers feel a lot of the time, it’s an emotion. An emotion that only very few can say they have truly experienced. It’s not the “ouch” part of Irish dancing we love, it’s the “wow” part we all crave. Do you relate to any of these situations below?

365 days, all for one feis. If you’re an Irish dancer, working out has a new meaning. Doing 100 crunches and lunges after class is a basic routine when you are just warming up in the dancing world. But beyond that, the workout we put into dancing is incredible on so many levels. We work out while telling a story on stage with our feet and music. All of these crazy practices and painful workouts are all part of a dancer’s dream to win.

Blocking everyone out. To be number one, you have to get into the dance you’re doing. You have to feel as if there is no one else in the room but you and the judge. Many can’t say they have experienced this. But us dancers feel it every time we go out on stage.

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Irish Dance Shoes: Out With The Old But How To Break In The New?

Irish dancing through illness or injury

Neck stretches for Irish dancers - health tips and warm-ups
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My feet! Foot pain kinda just comes with the territory. Sure, the idea of willingly losing your toenails just to break in a pair of hard shoes seems crazy to some, but us dancers consider it a minor side effect to perfection. “If you have to drag your feet out of the dance studio, then you know you had a good dance class,” is what many Irish dancers seem to believe, simply because it’s true! Foot pain is nothing compared to winning and being number one on the dance floor.

Living life as a die hard Irish dancer is a lot of work sometimes. I mean, icing your feet when you get home from dance is only half the battle for becoming a champ. But past the pain, there’s that pleasure of standing on stage with that trophy in your hand, knowing it was all worth it. It’s a good feeling, right?

What’s your biggest pain that comes along with Irish dance? Share in the comments below!

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

Songs for the Nov. 5-6 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS

by PATRICIA MCNAMARA, Feis America Magazine contributor

Heading to the Finger Lakes Feis in New York this weekend, or the Chicago Autumn Feis or Prairie State Feis, both in Illinois? What about Feile Houston in Texas, or Maryland’s Feis Culkin? How about the Colorado Fall Feis, or the Southern Connecticut State Feis?

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!

“Take Me Out” – Franz Ferdinand
The fast—then slow—beat will make you want to pound out your rhythm on stage…even if your legs hurt.


“Move On Up” – Curtis Mayfield
Looking to move up a level? Listen to this and your dancing might help ya get there this weekend.


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READ MORE:
Songs for the Oct. 29-30 Irish dancing competitions – VIDEOS

Songs for the Oct. 22-23 Irish dancing competitions - VIDEOS

Songs for the Oct. 15-16 Irish dancing competitions – VIDEOS
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“Clocks” – Coldplay
The clock’s ticking down until you must get out on stage. Play this beforehand to help mellow out your nerves.


“Feel Alive” – Benassi Bros
The techno beat will get your adrenaline going.


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