2013 Goals and Aspirations

It's amazing how far I have come in the world of Irish dance.  When I started in 2007 as an adult beginner, my only goal was to simply learn anything and everything about this amazing dance form I have admired for so many years.  A year later, my goals shifted to the realm of competitive dance; something I swore to myself I'd never do after spending nearly a decade as a competitive gymnast.  Little by little, I upped the ante for myself from getting to novice, to preparing for prizewinner, to competing at my first Oireachtas and moving to the champ levels.  Now that I'm at the top level of dance, it's weird to me that my goals have hardly changed at all.

Granted, I did spend 75% of last year injured or recovering from an injury.

For 2013, my goals include to:

1. Continue to improve my turnout and cross technique in my dancing,
2. Begin to place more consistently in my competitions at feiseanna,
3. Recall at nationals, and ultimately
4. Qualify for the world championships as a soloist.

I aspire to be the best team member I can be by coming to practice with a pleasant and helpful attitude.  I aspire for good health and stamina.

In other news for this year...

• Feiseanna and majors I will be present at:
• World Championships (March)
• CCE Feis (May)
• Old Dominion Feis (June)
• North American Nationals (July)
• Rhythm of Ireland Feis (October)
• Feis Culkin (November)
• Southern Region Oireachtas (December)
• New dress, new dress by Elevation Designs!
• If you're wondering where the Shut the Feis Up posts disappeared to, the author (my boyfriend) has enlisted in the Army.  He is currently at basic training in Georgia, so he is unable to continue to write blog posts.

Goals: Work through new hornpipes and reels

Days till NANs: 179

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