North American Nationals, 2015

Before I get too far into this post, the important thing to know about this year's nationals was that I really did enjoy myself. I enjoyed seeing friends I don't see all that often. I enjoyed watching world-class dancers. I enjoyed the small bit of exploring I did of the charming Providence. I just fear that a lot of this post is going to be talking about the not-so-good parts, so I wanted to state that first and foremost.

Dancing day came around and I was very calm as far as major dance competitions go. Usually I get myself so worked up about 'this is the chance to get that world qualification, so you better do your best,' but not that day. Senior ladies ended up scheduled for July 4th this year, and so my dress received a lot of compliments, and the occasional question about if I ordered a patriotic dress specifically for the day.

I was towards the beginning of the hornpipe round, which was very nice to get it done and over with and not have to wait around for two hours! The downside to that was that my hornpipe really wasn't the best. I over-taped my shoes because I psyched myself out from hearing about how slick the floors were, so my shoes felt sticky. There were screens on either side of the stage broadcasting the dancing to the back of the hall could see, and as I turned to the side on my second and third steps, I could see myself on a one second delay, which threw me off. But I smiled the whole time through!

There was a five hour wait between rounds for me, so after warming up again, I did dance what I felt like was a great reel. I was very proud of how that round felt, and knew that the rest was in the judges hands for the day.

I didn't recall, but that was really okay.

I of course waited around the dancing hall until the awards were given out, and immediately went to purchase the results for my competition upon the completion of the senior lady awards. I was extremely disappointed to find that I ended up tied for 83rd place with many others because we were awarded 0 Irish points. I knew that my hornpipe wasn't it best, but I would have thought my reel at least would have gotten me something. 

So I basically got last place. For the third competition in a row this year.

I think part of the issue is the steps I got in January this year are of a completely new style that I've ever done before. I am especially struggling with the hornpipe and the set. Despite six months of drills, the hornpipe still feels awkward and gets very little sound. Everyone who is an open champ at my school has these same steps, and I'm realizing more and more that Irish dance steps are not one size fits all. I will be asking my TC to see if I can do something that I can pull off consistently, so I can achieve that long-time world qualification goal at Oireachtas.

I thought part of the reasoning for this string of last place was my feis look being too progressive. You know, the no wig, pixie cut, with red or blue bangs to match my dress. I get lots of complements on my hair choice from other feis goers, but through that may have been a factor in my recent last places. After wearing a gorgeous full wig and seeing no improvement, I don't think that's it.

In other news, I leave in a few hours to take part in the inaugural Riverdance Summer Academy in Dublin. There will be WiFi, so I hope to post on Rince go Bragh from Ireland, and possibly from my vacation in London, too! I will for sure be updating the Rince go Bragh Facebook page while I'm there, so make sure you have liked that page to keep up with this fantastic opportunity!

Goals: Have the best time with Riverdance!

Days till Os: 146

Irish Dance How-To: Wig Up a Pixie Hair Cut

I haven't done a how-to video in quite some time!  It was nice to get behind the camera for the first time in what seems like forever to bring you the following tutorial.

I was apprehensive when I first chopped off all my hair last September because of the whole wig issue.  Being a team dancer as well as a soloist, I knew I couldn't get away with not putting a wig in my hair.  I wouldn't call myself a professional in putting a wig in short hair, but I have had a lot of practice with it in the last few weeks (more on that in my next post).

I hope you find this video helpful if you're looking for a solution to put a both a bun wig and a full wig in a pixie haircut.  I am silly at some points, so I hope it's not too distracting.  Enjoy!



Goals: Have a better treble jig at the feis this Sunday
Days till Os: 199

Boston Bash: days 5 and 6

Saturday March 30th

Saturday was again spent mostly in the same competition hall as the day before, this time to watch the senior men dance, and cheer on Colin.  I always love watching the men dance because they are so powerful and at this level, they have quite excellent rhythm.  One thing I noticed as I was watching the dancing was that for their recall round, many of the men danced Vanishing Lake.  I came to worlds not knowing the tune, and left that competition not only having it memorized, but it's my set dance ear worm. It's not my set, but it is always in my head!

I ran straight from watching the senior men competition to get ready for the figure dress rehearsal.  I went to put on my wig, and ran into a slight snafu.  Of all the things I forgot to bring, I never would have thought it would be my wig.  When I was quickly packing (carelessly), I managed to grab the wrong wig.  I didn't realize my mistake until about half an hour before a dress rehearsal the day before competing at worlds.  I pulled the wig out of the bag, and wouldn't you know, it was my old wig that is completely the wrong color.  It was not my teams wig.  After a short freak out, I called around to other team members in the junior figure and was able to borrow the correct wig.  Problem solved.

My afternoon and early evening were dominated by a three hour figure practice and wig/make up tutorial to make sure we were ready.  It was a great chance to talk over with the team things those of us noticed about the staging with the junior figure, and what we can do to make our performance successful.

The night was concluded by eating at the P.F. Chang's bar because my friend and I were not feeling like good explorers.  I also had the good fortune of having excellent post-wig hair.  This once in a lifetime event was documented, and saved for posterity.

                                             Sunday March 31st: Competition Day

Our morning warm up and make up session will live in my mind forever as our best team building time.  We commandeered a bathroom four our team and helped each other achieve a uniform look with out make up and wigs.  Our Zumba-certified senior dancer led us in some of her favorite Zumba routines as a warm up.  We ran through our figure knowing that if we kept it controlled, and had our faces on, we could do this.  We could go home with some hardware from the world championships.

"Breathe"

Looking back a little over six months after being on the worlds stage, I cannot remember much of our performance, I do remember feelings.  During the walk on, I was keeping a cap on my nerves.  I may have been shaking just by the mere thought of dancing on a worlds stage.  My mantra was breathe.  Once the music started, it was smiley faces, chin up, sparkle baby sparkle, and one sassy wink at the judges.  I remember getting off the stage thinking that was not our best.  It was okay.  But not the best.

The entire time the announcer was calling out scores, I don't think I could breathe.  I tried adding up our numbers, but my brain could only focus on those groups that were receiving perfect 100s from the judges.  We were not among them.  Our team ended up placing 8th, the first non-awarded place.  It was mildly heartbreaking, considering the hours (read: years) of practice that we have put into this dance.

After dancing, those of us in the figure who were of age went to one of Boston's many Irish pubs.  We watched a little bit of the basketball tournament, reviewed videos of our performance that our friends and family were able to sneak, and determined that we didn't look as bad as we felt we danced.  It was a great chance to celebrate our accomplishment, and finally relax now that the pressure of performing at worlds was over.

My worlds experience was concluded with Pinkberry and having a mini viewing party for the Season Finale of Game of Thrones since the hotel I was in had HBO.  My greatest hope is that I get to repeat the experience in London this April as a soloist!

Goals: Keep up stamina and health

Days till Os: 24

Mini Update

In this month's edition of Mini Updates: Oireachtas, feiseanna, performances, and a giveaway!

Oireachtas Prep

• As much as I hate to say this, I haven't been practicing as much as I should.  My current practice plan was put on hold from when school started until essentially now.  This week, though, I'm getting back into doing a very focused 20 minutes of drills a day, whether it be stamina, or rhythmic bits from my hornpipe.
• I also suffered a minor set back last Wednesday that had me more scared than anything.  In the first dance practice of the fall and as I was running through my reel's second step, I twisted my ankle.  I judged it to be a minor sprain, as here I am a week later dancing.  Taped up, but dancing.
• This past Sunday was the first day of our Oireachtas team practices. I'm on two mixed teams, which I think is awesome.

Upcoming Feiseanna

• I have registered for both Rhythm of Ireland Feis in October, and the Coyle Feis in November.  More later on individual goals for each feis.

Halfway to St. Paddy's Day

• Performance number two (Fairfax Irish Fest) went very well.  We performed with a live musician, which was a great practice opportunity for the younger dancers performing about being flexible and adaptable with tempi.  I greatly enjoyed meeting with younger dancers from my school who I don't usually see due to being in a different class.

A New Look

• Right before school started, I cut off all my hair! (Well, not all of it, but a lot of it).  I have experimented with a bun wig to great effect.  I can still be the Star Spangled Girl With the Curls...my curls are just much smaller (and held in by many more bobby pins).

Do you want a free pair of ghillies? (Who am I kidding, of course you do!)

• Fellow Irish dance blogger and author, Christy Dorrity is releasing her very first novel for young adults entitled Awakening: Book One of the Geis.  The book is based in Celtic mythology and is about an Irish dancer, so she is hosting a giveaway to win a pair of Hullachan Pro ghillies.  To find out how to enter the giveaway, click here.

Awakening: Book One of The Geis
by Christy Dorrity
Photo: courtesy Christy Dorrity

That's it for me dance fans! Hope your next month goes smoothly!

Goals: Seriously, do your daily 20 minute drills. No excuses.
Days till Os: 73

Blog Challenge: I am grateful for...

1. Physical therapists.
2. Athletic tape and ankle braces and Advil.
3. The TCs who take time out of their day to help us choreograph steps, improve our dancing, and make dance class a fun place to be.
4. Happy and positive team members.
5. Tanning salons to receive that "natural glow" in the middle of fall.
6. Wigs that make hairdos a snap.
7. Sock glue.
8. Duct tape.
9. Padded ghillies, and...
10. Supportive dance friends who cheer each other on, despite being each other's competition come Oireachtas day.

Goals: Stamina tonight, rest my legs the next three days.
Days till Os: 10

Dancing Thrifty

Like many in this economy, I am trying to find a way to keep affording to participate in this sport. As a college dancer, I've had to be especially creative in some aspects, from bleaching old poodle socks, to not being too picky about wig color. After having a few years of experience under my belt, I feel like I can finally share some things I do that allow me to Irish dance on a budget:

1. Sock glue vs. Elmer's glue stick.

• A tube of sock glue costs $10. Glue sticks, if bought during the back to school sales cost 50 cents (or less!). They work just as well for holding up those socks at a fraction of the cost.
• Note: I have used the purple sticks that dry clear, and it does not show through or stain my socks since they're washable.

2. Buying a headband vs. crafting your own.

• I have made three headbands on my own now, and it's easier than one might think. You don't have to be super crafty, or you could easily pass it off as a project for your daughter to do. (Think of how proud she'll be when she tells her friends that she made her own headband!) For me, I had plenty of ribbon and fabric sitting around my house. It beats the $20+ I would have spent buying one!
• Materials: Headband (can be bought at a dollar store), ribbon or fabric for the background, ribbon to decorate (optional), rhinestones, hot glue gun/ GemTac/E6000
• Procedure: Line with ribbon/fabric to match your dress and customize with ribbon/stones.

3. Buying used vs. buying new (shoes)

• Buying new top of the line shoes is fine and dandy, but can get expensive quick ($120 for hard shoes, $65 for ghillies) Buying used shoes might be the way for you to go, especially if your feet are still growing, and you'll be in and out of them in a year. As an added bonus, someone has done the breaking in process for you!
• My dance school is lucky to have Irish dance yard sales twice a year, so that is my opportunity to see if there are shoes there that fit my needs. There's a lot that can be said for some shoe polish and TLC! If your school doesn't have something like this, offer to try on your friend's old shoes and buy them from them for a discount.
• Dance.net is also a good resource to look at. People are out growing and selling used shoes all the time!
• There is also the Voy shoe exchange, and though I've personally never used it, it seems like there are lots of listings.

4. Buying used vs. buying new (dresses)

• Dance.net and Dance-Again are invaluable sources here.
• If you have to have the latest styles, many dresses are being worn only and handful of times before being sold due to growth spurts or retirement at a fraction of the cost. The market is currently flooded with many different styles and sizes. It may take some searching, but you will be able to find something to fit your needs if you are patient.
• Look for dresses not from a big-name designer, but those people who make them for fun in their life. They tend to be cheaper, and often, just a nice. Dance.net is a good source for these (where I have found all of mine in fact, and I've never spent more than $400)
• Look for styles that are classic that will stick around for a while, rather than cutting-edge designs that will only be around for a year or so. That way, you can keep your dress for a few years before updating your look.

5. Rhinestoning all at once vs. in shifts

• The rationale behind this is buy what you can afford now, and add more before the next feis or major. Stone the key parts of your dress first, and add more to embellish as your budget allows. See my evolution of rhinestones here.
• In general, I buy all my rhinestones at local craft stores, or eBay.

6. Bleaching older poodle socks

• I have collected many many pairs of socks in my few years of dancing. In general, I have one pair of socks I save for feiseanna (they currently sparkle), but a few years ago, my year-old "white" feis socks just weren't white enough, so I bleached them because I didn't want to waste money buying yet another pair.
• To bleach socks: The ratio is one gallon of water to a half cup of bleach. Leave set for two hours, take socks out and rinse, then wash as normal. This is something to do one or two days before feising.

7. Wig tips:

• I have dark brown hair. I have had wigs that vary from dark brown, to black, to reddish brown, to dark brown with lighter brown highlights. For me, it has come down to seeing wig styles I like for sale on dance.net, and purchasing them used for anywhere from 25-50% off.
• My biggest tip here is don't be picky! You can alter your pouf color to match using hair spray, talc, or even mascara if you're desperate.

8. Make up tips:

• With so many different products available today, it would be very difficult for you to not find cheaper options to create a look to go with any dress. I do most of my make up shopping at Target. They have a wide selection of brands and products to fit any wallet.
• Check what you already have before buying custom dance make up. Don't underestimate the smoky eye--it can go with nearly any dress.
• Many dance schools ask dancers in the same team to have a uniform look. If your dance school requires you to buy make up from brand name stores, ask to borrow your friend's and match the colors at your local drugstore with less expensive brands. You will save lots of money doing this, and you will keep with uniformity.
• My make up must haves: foundation, bronzer, eye shadow and liner, volumizing and lengthening mascara, and lip stain

9. Tanning tips:

• To get those fantastic legs, you don't need to shell out money for tanning bed sessions ($5/session) or a spray tan ($30). You don't even need to buy the most expensive tanning potion out there. I have been using Loreal Sublime Bronze in Deep Natural Tan that I found on the shelves at Wal-Mart for $8.48. I find it gives me an even tan (and it even sparkles!). With these less expensive self-tanners, you may have to put on more coats (say, once a day for a week), but you can get just as dark. You may also have to see what product works best for you because everyone's skin is different.
• Bonus: To save on tanner (and avoid streaks) with lotion tanners, mix in a pump of regular body lotion.

10. Feising:

• Really look and see which feiseanna are the most important for you. I try and do at least one, maybe two right before a major. If you are feising for feising's sake, cutting out one or two will save you $50-100 of entrance fees, not to mention travel costs.
• Shop around to see if there are cheaper hotels nearby. This is more for the Oireachtas and other larger competitions (that don't require you to stay in the block). It also depends on one's own preference of hotel amenities (and sometimes cleanliness). Sometimes, it requires a bit more driving, but ultimately, you will save a little of your precious moolah.

There are some aspects of the monetary side of dance that just cannot be cut (tuition, feis fees, travel costs), but hopefully now you have some ideas to ease your financial burden.

Goals: Get rest, tan, make a packing list

Days till Os: 11 days, 10 hrs

Mini Update

1. Feis Culkin: Out of 16 dancers, I got 16th. I was particularly disappointed in the moment because it was the best I had ever danced to date, and being that I placed so well at Rhythm of Ireland with so-so dancing, it was slightly upsetting.

2. I'm getting a new dress for the Oireachtas! Stay tuned for pictures as soon as it arrives. I also have a new wig I'll be wearing at the Oireachtas. (and with that, new make-up look, etc.) The coolest thing is that I have Hollister plaid that almost exactly matches my dress. Hello color coordination...

3. Also updated in my look is that I've started taping the strap on my hardshoes white so it blends with my sock. So far, my foot looks cleaner. I can't really tell when I'm dancing, so this needs peer review on our Sunday practice.

4. We have been working a lot of stamina in class (three, then four, then FIVE steps), and while I had a bad day with that in class the other day, I got a comment on my set from one of the guy dancers that you can tell I've worked really hard and am looking good. Practice really does pay off, and that positive comment gave me an extra boost to know that my hard work has not been in vain.

5. I have found that practice is a good stress reliever when I've had a tough day with my middle schoolers. It's so nice to put on my hardshoes and pound away the frustration on the dance floor, rather than to dish it out on the students.

6. All the extra practice brings me to a confession: I really want top ten at the Oireachtas.

Goals: Cross, stamina

Days till Os: 14 days, 15 hrs.

Need wig help?

Goals: Keep improving cross and stamina

Days till Os: 22