Mini Update

Old Dominion Feis: My school's feis is in less than a week, and I'm very excited!

• I will be dancing in all sorts of fun competitions including: old ladies open champs, 3-hand, 4-hand, and 8-hand competitions.  This will be my first local feis where I do some ceilis!
• When I'm not dancing, I'm running all social media outlets.  For champ results and more on the day, be sure to follow @OldDominionFeis on twitter, and like the Old Dominion Feis 2013 page on Facebook.  I hope all my years of blogging don't let me down!
• This feis also marks the start of my 6th year of feising!

Solo dress for sale!

• My red plaid solo dress. $450 with free US shipping.
• Dress was made in 2011 by Jennifer Blackerby.  It has been worn for a grand total of two competitions.  The dress is covered in hundreds of rhinestones I hand-glued on. There is plenty of let out room as it was altered from a 35” bust.  It fits comfortably on me now; not too tight, not too loose.  The dress also come with two headbands, but no bloomers…sorry.
• Dress measurements: 34” bust; 27.5” natural waist; 32” dropped waist; 15” across back shoulders; 31” total length.  It was altered down from a larger size, so there is let out room!
• Optional: I have size 5 (27” waist) pants that match the dress’ plaid perfectly.  I’ll throw them in for an extra $25.
• Drop me an email (RinceGoBraghBlog@gmail.com) for more info.

Nationals: Is quickly approaching in less than a month

• I'm looking into renting a nearby dance studio for an hour at a time when the school years is over so I have a nice place to practice with mirrors and a sprung floor.  Between my own practicing and scheduled dance classes, I'm hoping to dance five days a week.  While I know two to three weeks isn't much time to fix long-term issues, I'm hoping to hit stamina hard.
• I'm busy brainstorming my outfits for the handful of days I'm there.  In a perfect world, there is free wi-fi at the Hilton so I can quickly blog about my outfits each day.

I'm overwhelmed with the amount of positive response I've received on my new solo dress.  I still can't express how awesome it makes me feel when I dance, and having other dancers compliment my design idea is truly icing on the top.

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and with it, my wonderful summer break!  I can't believe how fast my first year of teaching went.  Here's to many more fun years!

Goals: Drill reels.
Days till NANs: 25

Mini Update

Injury recovery

• I have finished my first round of physical therapy!  Already, my ankle is nearly back to full strength and flexibility.
• I began my second round of physical therapy three weeks ago and will finish the day before I leave for New Orleans.  This was recommended for extra strength since I'm still not 100% back with my dancing abilities.
• At my recent visit to my podiatrist, he said that everything was healing nice and tight like it should. 
• My dancing is improving on the daily.  As of Monday, my slip jig is finally feeling back to it's pre-injury self, I even added an over back into my lead!  My hard shoe focus is mainly getting my stamina back up.
• Fun fact: I use a roll and a half of athletic tape each day I dance to tape up both ankles for injury prevention and maintenance.  I own a case of athletic tape for this reason, and I will probably be halfway through this box by Oireachtas.

Oireachtas news

• My confirmed dances for the big day: solos (senior ladies), mixed four-hand, ladies eight-hand, and figure choreography.  It promises to be a long day since the southern region so lovingly puts all the senior solos and all teams on the same day.
• I designed the shirts you'll see my dance school wearing at this years Oireachtas.  I won't give any sneak previews, though.  You'll have to wait till the SRO to see them, but let me say, we will stand out.
• We recently were on a two week break with dance classes, and while it doesn't fall at the most opportune time, I was able to fit in small drilling sessions at home, which have had varying degrees of success.  Less success after Sandy hit and I got behind in job things.

Other dance things

• October has passed, and with it my five year dance-iversary!  Happy five years of dancing to me.
• This past weekend was Feis Culkin, which I chose not dance in.  I decided to save my ankles from intense competition until my Oireachtas marathon day.  Regardless, I did have nightmares the night before the feis about showing up late to dance even though I wasn't registered.
• Check out these pants.  Just look at how perfectly they match my solo.  Plan on me wearing them at the Oireachtas.

• Also in my Oireachtas fashion suitcase: this Captain America shirt to rock on the day that I'm dancing so I can be the Star Spangled Girl with the Curls.  I still have to do some tailoring for easy over the wig removal...

Goals: Stamina/sharpen steps

Days till Os: 25

The long and winding road...

It's been a long and awesome four years of dance.

FOUR. I can't believe I can say I've been dancing for that long.

I started in October of 2007 in a humble little adult dance class at a local dance school that closed down in the spring of 2009. If you would have told me on that night I stated dancing that I would be make it to the highest level of competition and attend a world championship within four years, I would have told you to get out of here. At that time, I would constantly be on Youtube looking up all sorts of dance videos. Four years ago, I just wanted to pursue a passion I had. Who cares where it took me. I just wanted to dance.

There are many things I have accumulated over four years:

Countless numbers of poodle socks. Awards up the wazoo. Dancer cards for every feis I have entered. A variety of wigs. Calves of steel. More make up than really necessary. Two different dresses worth hundreds of dollars. Bunions. Not to mention the friends I have made and the experiences we have shared.

And there are also the things I have done over four years:

Hanging out in bars underage. Performing at a rock music festival with hundreds of people in the crowd (and a mosh pit). Packing up every single dance item I own, just to attend a feis. Going out of the country for the first time in my life. Traveling six hours away with four other dancers to share a hotel and go feis before worlds. Being on a parade float.

On this Thanksgiving day, I just want to also mention that I would not be where I am in this world without the support of all my dance teachers (past and present) and the wonderful support of the dance community.

Goals: Practice Tr, F, Sa, Su, Tu, W, Tr, pack

Days till Os: 8 days, 21 hrs

Quick Update

1. Saw Jig this past weekend in Maryland with my boyfriend (who I think enjoyed it...). It was awesome as well as inspiring.

2. Strictly Irish Dancing: if any of you fellow American dancers haven't seen it, there is a link on the Drake school's website. It is a lot like Jig, but gives more background on the history of Irish dance, costumes, etc. rather than the focus being solely on the dancers.

3. My first feis of the fall is coming up this weekend (Rhythm of Ireland). My hopes for this feis will be to place higher than second to last (because that's the highest I've placed at a feis ever in open champs), and to make it through all my steps without having any major stamina issues.

4. I have decided my big focus before the Oireachtas will be on crossing my legs, for two reasons. One: because it needs work, and two: when I'm crossing m legs, my turnout is better and doesn't look as terrible.

5. My 4-year anniversary in Irish dance passed this past week. Expect a post on that soon!

6. As for STFU (Shut the Feis Up), expect that first post coming up this week!

Goals: Stamina, cross

Days till Os: 53

Two Years of Dance!

This month marks my second year of dancing. It's amazing to see how far I've come in the past two years...

So far, I have reached the preliminary championship level. It took so much hard work, but it was worth it, especially since I'm doing something I love. While I've only had one prelim feis, I feel like I'm finally where I need to be, and competing aganist people who challenge my dancing ability. Being in prelim means I actually have to work hard to achieve a spot on the podium, whereas before, placing was almost a given.

"You can do anything in life you set your mind to, provided it's powered by your heart."

I have had two solo dresses, and it's interesting to really experience the confidence gained when you KNOW a dress looks awesome on you, verses just the thrill of purchasing that first solo. My pink one did me well for the grades, and I think the blue one suits me perfectly for the championship levels.


It's a bit funny to think I have only been competing for a bit over a year now. Just to have gotten to where I'm at astonishies me when I really sit down and think about it. I remember working so hard in all of the 13 gymnstics I took, just to qualify as an alternate for the eastern national team. Here in Irish dance, I have gotten an award at everys single feis I've gone to, except for my latest feis (which I understand, I was thrilled to not get last). That being said, I've made quite a collection of shiny objects:


Coming into Irish dance, I feel like I've had an a bit of an advantage. Since I started as a college student, I had 19 years to get used to my body and how to manipulate it, as opposed to the cute, but flailing, seven year old dancer. I know about perseverance and how to keep myself motivated from my years as a gymnast. I also retained quite a bit of my flexibility, strength, and agility that I worked hard to achieve in gymnastics. Having quite a few years of dance training in other disciplines have helped out too.

"Great dancers aren't great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion." -Charles Baudelaire

Goals: Practice for Culkin/SRO
Days till os: 44