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

Going Traditional

A few weeks ago, a brilliant and gutsy idea occurred to me as I was browsing Dance-Again.  I want to attend a competition in a vintage and traditional solo dress with natural hair and minimal make up.  Why?  For the simple reason of wanting to know what it was like dancing in the older, traditional styles.  When I say older, I am referring to mostly the pre-Riverdance era of costuming.  There's just no replicating the exquisite and intricate knotwork of these dresses of old.  There is also a certain poetry in the way they flow while dancing, especially while spinning that dresses of today just don't quite capture.

As I progressed as a dancer, I got sucked into the pageantry of feiseanna.  I am not complaining about this. I love getting gussied up in my fancy dress and my fancy hair with my fancy make up to compete against others.  I believe that the costuming part of Irish dance is all about showing your best self to the adjudicators, and the way us Irish dancers do that is to take the "authentic Gaelic dress is desired" and kick it up a few hundred notches.

Observing the trends of the last few majors, senior ladies really have the gamut of costuming appearances.  Some dancers keep the ever-voluminous curly wigs, while others are opting for natural and classic updos.  Recently, dressmakers has started using more and more traditional Celtic symbols in their dress designs, which balances out the just-as-current bold and often asymmetrical geometric designs.  Even the colors used in dresses range from one, to the rainbow.  So why not break out a vintage dress?

Why not: As fabulous as this looks in my head, I do not see myself as a trendsetter in the dance world.  My TC would think I am crazy.  I do not know when I can feis again, and I only attend a few feiseanna a year right before majors.  Also, finding a vintage dress in good condition that's my size and my price will be a feat in itself.

All wussiness aside, I have put together a few looks that would be smashing (or so I think in my mind).

Traditional ID looks by sekubik featuring shoes

What do you think?  Would you ever don a more traditional look?

Five things injured dancers are tired of hearing

Here is a list of things I have heard from those lovely folks who have little to no knowledge of the dance world and the hazards they didn't know we face.  This is a joke and let's face it, we hear it all...

5. Heeeeeere comes Gimpy!
Or Crutches.  Sir Crutch-A-Lot.  Lame Leg.  My name has remained the same, and having walking aides does not change that.

4. The story of how your best friend's aunt's little sister's math teacher broke her ankle while skiing.
Humans need to feel connected to everything I suppose, and although telling me stories of how people were injured and healed up should make me feel optimistic, but how is this relevant?

3. Does it hurt?
Take a second and think before asking.  If it didn't hurt, I don't think I'd have a cast and crutches.

2. I am just SO sorry!
I know you just want me to feel better, and I know you think sympathy is the answer, but there is no reason you should be apologizing.  My injury is not your fault.  I will be back to my normal life in a few months after lots of dedication and hard work.

1. Oh. My. Gosh. What happened to you?!
There are two ways to explain this.  I could tell someone that I completely tore my antertior talofibular ligament and partially tore my calcaneofibular and deltoid ligaments in my ankle by doing a plushenko during the drill portion of my weekly Irish dance class.  It is usually way simpler to say, "I'm a dancer and I had a bad landing," and avoid the awkward stares and quizzical looks before the subject is promptly changed.  I almost need a sign for the amount of times I have been asked.

Goals: Heal up

And now for something completely different...

I know this is a dance blog but... I gave a voice recital this past weekend as part of a degree requirement. Here's an excerpt from that night:



Upcoming:
Dublin Adventures
New steps!
Continuing my life story

Goals: Get new steps down pat

My excuse? I was bored.

Boredom=new treble reel. The only unfortunate thing about this is that my shins are killing me, and I was only dancing for about half an hour. Not good.

Goals: Save my shins!

Days till worlds: 58

A Slight Deviation...

This is so cool, I just HAD to put it here. It takes all the text in my blog and arranges it artfully I guess you could say.



Goals: Practice for Culkin/SRO
Days till Os: 44 (still)