Motivation to practice Irish dance during the school year

by CAITLIN BUCK, Feis America Magazine contributor

Exhausted or concerned about being buried in homework once the school year kicks in? Sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to practice--especially in HS or college when homework is merrily delivered in a dump truck. Below are a few ways that have given me a little inspirational push in the practicing department.

Goal for the week: Grab a post-it and write down ONE step or element of technique that needs improvement. Stick that goal on your bathroom mirror so you’ll see it often and feel accountable. Focus on improving that ONE thing during ONE week. Achieve it and you’ll feel good.

Surround yourself with words of motivation. Quotes, lyrics from songs, pictures of what you aspire your dancing to look like...motivation is about feeling DRIVEN. You want to light a fire inside your chest, so that when you feel tired after 8 hours of school or work, you can dig up energy to dance for about forty minutes.

Know how you feel is often affected by your thoughts. If you are thinking: I’m too tired, I can’t dance. So much for improving during the summer... Stop! Insert positive words instead like: I can do all things, through which God strengthens me. Drop what you’re doing, give yourself 10 minutes to see if you really DO have the energy. Go out to where you practice, put on a wildly energetic song and just warm up. See how you feel after that.

Get organized. A trick to motivate yourself and quell negative, I don’t have time for this thoughts, is to show yourself otherwise! Sit down with a school planner every Sunday before the week springs into being and purposely pencil in a practice time for dance for every day of the week. Organize your time and you might find that you have more than you thought!

What has helped you with balancing practice and school? Let us know in the comments below!

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Keeping friendships in Irish dance through competition

by ERIN CONCANNON, Feis America Magazine contributor

Being a girl these days, we all feel pressure to look a certain way. Whether it is the way we dress or act, we are always under the spotlight. That rule especially goes for Irish dancers. We must look 100 percent glamorous all the time at competitions…even when we are beyond nervous.

The only true people who know how you feel about constantly being judged are your dance friends. Here are a few tips on learning to cope with the “friendly” competition.

1) Smile ’til your cheekbones hurt. A smile is worth a thousand words, minus all the talking. If you just smile to your friend(s) when they win, that lets them know how much you love and support them as dancers--and as true friends. You don’t have to always be No. 1, remember that!

2) Congrats! Saying congratulations to your friends who have won is always the best way to go. It’s a friendly, easy word. Put yourself in their shoes! If you won, you would want to be congratulated, too, right?

3) Focus on you. If you only ever focus on your dancing, you will survive in the dancer’s world. Don’t worry about what your friends are doing and focus on you. Being a busy body is a bad quality, and will only hurt you and your friendships in the end.

4) Don’t make a face. Giving your parents that look of disgust when you find out your bud has beaten you in competition won’t get you far in the friend department. Just nod and say good job, even if you are ticked with the results.

At the end of the day, remember that competitions come and go. But friendships last a lifetime…especially in the dancing world!

What’s one friendly tip you’d give to other dancing buds out there? Let us know.

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Atlantic City Feis Irish Dancing Championship Results

Home of Lynn Academy's Atlantic City Feis

photo courtesy Atlantic City Tourism

The folks at the Lynn Academy of Irish Dance with locations in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York know what it takes to run a terrific feis! Each spring, Irish dancers mainly from the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions flock to Stamford, Connecticut for Lynn's Annual Spring Feis. Come summer, however, Lynn's Atlantic City Feis attracts Irish dancers from the Southern region too. This year's Atlantic City Feis was held August 20-21st at the Sheraton Atlantic City and featured a Costume Irish Dancing Exhibition Party on Saturday night, to the delight of feis-goers.

Results were tabulated by expert Alan Schrader of FeisWeb, and championship results are posted here. Congratulations to all the competitors, especially those who placed. Feis America gives out a special chair to those dancers - Bridget Albrades, Gina Carriero, Aine Claire Sheehan, Owen Luebbers, Lachlan Nidds, Nicholas Paulson, Peter Ryan and Colin Vecchiariello -whose perfect performances delighted the adjudicators and won each the Championship in his or her event! Of special note is the three-way first place tie for Open Championship Girls under 10 which was awarded to Sierra Donovan, Farran Dougherty and Kasey Methven. Outstanding!

Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 8
1 Tara Sheehan (McDade-Cara)
2 Darin Douglas Carlin (O'Rourke)
3 Daniel Callanan (Lynn)
4 Meghan Rose Farrell (Hunt)
5 Jacquelynn Hanna (McDade-Cara)
6 Sheila Hulseman (Peter Smith)

Preliminary Boys and Girls under 9

1 Ronan Burke (Shea-Jennings)
2 Mairin Mcdonnell (Cummins)
3 Anna Donovan (O'Rourke)
4 Peyton Davis (McGrath)
5 Sophia Rachel Papados (Culkin)
6 Olivia Boyce (McDade-Cara)
7 Lia Kroll (Mulvihill-Lynch)
8 Abigail Kerensky (Mulvihill-Lynch)
.
Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 10
1 Emma Walsh (Marie Moore)
2 Katherine Kivimaki (Boyle)
3 Emily Steege (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
4 Aislinn O'Brien (McDade-Cara)
5 Lenna O'Handley (Ni Fhearraigh-O Ceallaigh)
6 Mary Kate Rider (Shea-Jennings)
7 Kada McGovern (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
8 Kyra Caffrey (Broesler)
9 Mary Kelly (Cummins)
10 Erin Carbaugh (McDade-Cara)
11 T Rachel Delate (McDade-Cara) and Deirdre Kelly (O'Grady-Quinlan)
.
Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 11
1 Olivia Crossey (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
2 Erin Rose Miller (O'Grady-Quinlan)
3 Laura McGroary (McDade-Cara)
4 Erin Flynn (McDade-Cara)
5 Meaghan Lynn (Gilleoghan)
6 Alyssa Rothman (Peter Smith)
7 Claire Boyle (McDade-Cara)
8 Julia Eltzholtz (Ardmore)
9 Erin Fitzgerald (Broesler)
.
Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 12
1 Mary-kate Bane (Mulvihill-Lynch)
2 Mackenzie Murray (Peter Smith)
3 Kayla McMennamin (Coyle)
4 Megan Dano (O'Grady-Quinlan)
5 Rachel Hughes (McDade-Cara)
6 Nina Hart (O'Grady-Quinlan)
7 Alayna Langan (Lynn)
8 Abigail Kress (Sabo School)
9 Tatijanna Klinkenbergh (Culkin)
10 Shaina Boyce (McDade-Cara)
11 Katelyn Toombs (Broesler)
12 Katie Clauson (Lynn)
.
Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 13
1 Nora Burke (O'Grady-Quinlan)
2 Clare Hernon (Shea-Jennings)
3 Erin Doran (Peter Smith)
4 Melissa Sweeney (Lynn)
5 Kathryn Facelle (O'Rourke)
6 Douglas Lyon (O'Rourke)
7 Emily Parry (Peter Smith)
8 Matthew Larson (Culkin)
9 Kathryn Foster (Peter Smith)
10 John Dinelli (Inishfree)
11 Katie Feenan (O'Grady-Quinlan)
12 Haley Finley (DeNogla)
13 Nick Klinkenbergh (Culkin)
14 Sabre Pusey (Boyle)
15 Aleah Jensen (Culkin)
16 Madeline Maloney (Culkin)
.
Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 14
1 Faith Ishler (Hooley)
2 Maggie Hall (Broesler)
3 Kara Grzeszczak (Shea-Jennings)
4 Sarah Durso (McAleer)
5 Emma Davis (Boyle)
6 Emma Lisa Senecal (DeNogla)
7 T Fiona Garguilo (Hagen) and Leanne McGroary (McDade-Cara)
8 Sandra Wilson (Verlin)
9 Shannon Svitek (Petri School)
10 Laoise Tyndall (Marie Moore)
11 Megan Shugrue (Donny Golden)
12 Allison Flood (Patricia Murphy)

13 Jessica Sheridan (O'Rourke)

14 Rachel DiMauro (Lynn)
.
Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 15
1 Erin Hillegas (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
2 Sheppard Somers (Hagen)
3 Olivia DeScala (Peter Smith)
4 Claire Johnston (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
5 Jacquelynn Fritz (Broesler)
6 Isabel Wasserzug (Culkin)
7 Gaby Toombs (Broesler)
8 Molly Volk (Hunt)
9 Jaclyn Timoney (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
10 Autumn Ramirez (Sabo School)
.
Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 16
1 T Millie Beichner (McAleer) and Emily Murphy (Culkin)
2 Caitlin Romanczyk (Peter Smith)
3 Emma Kennedy (Hurley)
4 Brennen Peters (Boyle)
5 Laurissa Senecal (DeNogla)
6 Kelsey Gallagher (Coyle)
.
Preliminary Men and Ladies 16 & Over
1 Megan Davitt-Loysen (Teelin)
2 Caitlin Dougherty (Rhythm of Ireland)
3 Jacque Clark (Lynn)
4 Michelle Rueb (Tir Na Gael)
5 Jennifer Castellano (Petri School)
6 Victoria Franklin (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
7 Megan Boszko (Peter Smith)
8 Taylor Hollister (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
9 Victoria DeJesus (O'Grady-Quinlan)
10 Elizabeth Crouse (Marie Moore)
11 Brittany Jackson (Kerry)
12 Laura McKeon (Teelin)
13 T Morgan LaPointe (O'Grady-Quinlan) and Grace Hulseman (Peter Smith)
.
Open Championship Girls Under 9
1 Bridget Abraldes (Mulvihill-Lynch)
2 Maggie Webber (Mulvihill-Lynch)
3 T Lily Anne Bruer (McElligott) and Simone Loysen (Culkin)
.
Open Championship Girls Under 10
1 T Sierra Donovan (O'Rourke) and Farran Dougherty (Broesler) and Kasey Methven (Broesler)
2 Paige Diecidue (Mulvihill-Lynch)
3 Grace Mahon (Shea-Jennings)
.
Open Championship Girls Under 12
1 Riley Maeve Dolan (Broesler)
2 Seana Isaac (O'Grady-Quinlan)
3 Kerri Betz (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
4 Gianna Cheeseman (Broesler)
5 Haylee Kirk (McDade-Cara)
6 Chloe Williams (Ardmore)
7 Kasey Van Doran (Flynn)
8 Emily Lizins (McDade-Cara)
9 Maeve Abraldes (Mulvihill-Lynch)
.
Open Championship Girls Under 14
1 Aine Claire Sheehan (McDade-Cara)
2 Ciara Murphy (Petri School)
3 Anna May Fitch (Shea-Jennings)
4 Abby Coyman (Lynn)
5 Lily Schwoerer (Lynn)
6 Emme Toombs (Broesler)
7 Ciara Burke (Coyle)
8 Breanne Toolan (O'Grady-Quinlan)
9 Katie Hosey (McAleer)
.
Open Championship Girls Under 16
1 Blair Croce (Early-McLoughlin)
2 T Hannah Coyman (Lynn) and MaryKate DiChiara (Inishfree)
3 Taylor Collins (Petri School)
4 Abbey Croce (Early-McLoughlin)
5 Mary Thayer (An Rince Mor)
6 Isabella DeJesus (O'Grady-Quinlan)
7 Audrey Hutton (Burke-Conroy)
8 Laura O'Hanlon (Lynn)
9 Michaela Hollister (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
10 Nicole DeSouza (Petri School)
.
Open Championship Girls Under 18
1 Gina Carriero (Lynn)
2 Theresa Oei (Griffith)
3 Shannon O'Gorman (Ryan-Kilcoyne)
4 Brianna Sheehan (O'Shea-Chaplin)
5 Moira Ragen (Culkin)
6 Colleen Strazdas (Peter Smith)
7 Elisabeth DiMauro (Lynn)
.
Open Championship Ladies 18 & Over
1 Samantha Merritt (DeNogla)
2 Meagan Moffett (O'Shea-Chaplin)
3 Emma Roithmayr (O'Rourke)
4 Keira Murphy (Mulvihill-Lynch)
5 Shannon Corrigan (Early-McLoughlin)
.
Open Championship Boys Under 12
1 Colin Vecchiariello (Gilleoghan)
.
Open Championship Boys Under 14
1 Owen Luebbers (Broesler)
2 Aaron Wolf (Bell)
3 Alex Lucas Papados (Culkin)
.
Open Championship Boys Under 16
1 Lachlan Nidds (Broesler)
.
Open Championship Boys Under 18
1 Nicholas Paulson (Broesler)
.
Open Championship Men 18 & Over
1 Peter Ryan (Smith-Houlihan)

Colorado Wedding Features Irish Dancing Bride and Friends

Weddings are always happy occasions but when you invite your Irish dancing friends, all your guests enjoy a special treat! Lisa Anderson started Irish dancing with the Bennett School of Irish Dance in Denver, Colorado at 15 years old and fell in love instantly. She quickly rose through the competitive ranks to Preliminary Champion, but an injury forced her to stop.

Lisa Irish-danced a little in college, but it just wasn’t the same, she says, so she stayed involved with the Bennett School as much as possible between semesters. She enjoys teaching the 5-6 year olds and as a graphic designer, has created many fun t-shirts for Bennett School Irish dancers for competitions and events.

Lisa met her husband Isaac Hess at a church activity about 18 months ago while home between semesters. When she finished college, the two began seriously dating, fell in love and planned to marry quickly. Lisa tells us, "One of our dates was actually taking him to my dance studio and dragging him into learning some ceili dancing!".

At their wedding a few weeks ago, Bennett School Irish dancers including teachers Bill and TCRG Molly Bennett, and a host of friends, danced for guests.

Lisa says, "Isaac told me he isn't much of a dancer but he picked it up really fast which is why we ended up dancing together in a group dance at my wedding! Nothing brings two people together like dancing does, especially when neither of you remember the steps and end up laughing the entire time."

With the wedding behind them, the newlyweds have a little more free time. Lisa looks forward to getting back into shape and competing at the Open Championship level again. Feis America and Irish Central congratulate the happy couple and thank them for sharing their photos and story with us and Irish dancing fans here on the blog.

Have you been to a wedding where Irish dancing was a special part of the ceremony or celebration? Share your stories here at Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog.

Subscribe to North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine, Feis America and get stories like these and photos from Irish dancing events across the U.S., Canada and Mexico delivered to your mailbox every other month! A subscription makes a terrific gift for your favorite Irish dancer or teacher!

Photos courtesy of Bennett School of Irish Dance's Debbie Newton and Kristin White

Five tips to improving an Irish dancing step

by BRIAN PARRY, Feis America Magazine contributor

Easy ways to get those steps down…besides doing what your teacher tells you.

When I was 11, and just getting into the Novice/Prizewinner level, I was convinced I would never get the slow hornpipe down. Between the syncopated timing and the complex footwork, it seemed like nothing was going right in that step. Now, the hornpipe is both my favorite dance and the one I am strongest in. Why? Mainly because I worked hard at getting it all down. Here are some methods that might help you, too, when struggling with a step.

1) Find someone else who has the steps you are trying to acquire and copy them. While they are practicing those steps, hang back a bit and dance the steps with them, making sure that you don’t get in the way or unduly distract them. The trick with this technique is to make sure that whoever you are copying is doing the steps correctly, or run the risk of learning bad habits.

2) Be stubborn about it. And by stubborn, I mean focus on nothing but the footwork and the music. Every time you foul up, stop, go back to the beginning and do it over again correctly. Practice is only good when you do the steps right.

3) Ask another dancer for help. Remember, there are other resources out there when your TCRG is tied up. Find another dancer who has had the steps you are trying to learn and ask them to help you out. Tell them about any changes the teacher made to the choreography in your case. And just be polite. Kindness can go a long way.

4) Get your pride involved. This works best if you are dancing with a sibling who is learning the same steps. “How dare they get those steps before I do” is the sort of attitude you want. But at the same time, be careful that you keep it internalized. Prove you are just as great of a dancer as any of your siblings through your hard work, not verbal jabs.

5) Tape it. If you can get a videotape of another dancer correctly doing the steps you are trying to learn, then videotape yourself doing the same steps and try to contrast the two. Seeing it visually might help put the pieces together in your head.

What are some tricks you use to get a step down? Let us know.

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Irish dancing photos from the 2011 Arizona State Championships

The U17 Open Championship placers


Two of the Bracken champions with one of their fans!


Three Bracken Preliminary Champs hoist their trophies aloft


Bracken fans and supporters


The 2011 Arizona State Championships were held this past weekend and, as you can see from these photos, it was a blast. Only a few more feiseanna left for the rest of summer!

Thanks to Feis America Magazine contributor Helene Ossipov for sharing her terrific photos!

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McMenamin Academy Feis Irish Dance Open Champion Results and Photos

The 2nd Annual McMenamin Academy Feis on August 14, 2011 was held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Irish dance families who also registered for the Milwaukee Feis on August 13th were in for a weekend of back-to-back feising fun! After opening ceremonies and anthems, competitions got started right away with figures and first feis competitions.

Here are the Open Champion results as tabulated by our friends at FeisWorx! Visit FeisWorx for complete results.

Open Champion Boys under 13:
1st McKimmon Engelhardt (McNulty School of Irish Dance)

2 Michael Wall (Cashel-Dennehy)

3 Henry Schnabel (Richens-Timm, Indiana)

4 Raphael Hallerman (Rince Nia Academy)

Open Champion Boys under 15:

1st Donovan Lyon (Rince Nia Academy)

2nd Mitchell Hollman (Glencastle Irish Dancers)

Open Champion Girls under 12:

1st Sophie Steigerwald (Cashel-Dennehy)

2 Mairead King (Dillon-Gavin)

Open Champion Girls under 14:

1st Kristen Anklewicz (Sheila Tully Academy)

2 Gabby Hughes (Sheila Tully Academy)

3 Sarah Elizabeth Hubbard (Trinity Academy)

4 Suzanne O'Meara (Cashel-Dennehy)

Open Champion Girls under 16:

1st Rachel Knapp (Dillon-Gavin

2Tie Finola Hughes (Cashel-Dennehy) and Emma Reynolds (Mulhern)

4 Ashley VanHandel (Yeates Academy of Irish Dance, OR)

Open Champion Girls under 18:

1st Mina Margaret (Rince Nia Academy)

2 Allison Wall (Cashel-Dennehy)

3 Katie Wilhelms (Trinity Academy)

Open Champion Ladies 18 & Over:

1st Kathleen Jorgensen (Cashel-Dennehy)

2 Ellen Harris (Cashel-Dennehy)

3 Caitlin Livingston (O'Hare School of Irish Dance)

Share your photos and captions from the Milwaukee and McMenamin feiseanna with us on Feis America's FaceBook fanpage and we'll add them here on Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog!

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