Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How old should my child be?
The child must be at least five years old. Most children in this area
start Irish dance lessons at the age of 6 or 7, sometimes younger if
they have an older brother or sister in the school. There are also many
more dancers who are starting dancing in their teens.
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What is a typical class like?
Lessons generally follows an academic calendar, beginning in September
and ending in June. Maureen may also accept new students at any time
during the year if space permits. Your child will be grouped with similarly
aged and skilled dancers. These will be the classmates that your child
will develop close bonds with. Beginners (first year students) are encouraged
to stick to the one class/week standard schedule.
A typical class for beginner relies heavily upon practicing the basics,
the reel and jig.. Similarly grouped students will line up and get their
first instruction, typically a reel, called "the sevens." This is one
of the cornerstones of basic Irish dance and it teaches the student
rhythm, timing, footwork and form. It is a deceivingly easy-looking
step.
First, Maureen takes the child by the hand, and calms their fears before
they begin. (Maureen is great with timid children!) Maureen will show
them a few bits of the "step", then the children will mimic her steps.
After the child can repeat the bit back a few times, they go to a corner
to practice what they have learned and Maureen teaches the next child.
After they have all had a chance to practice, they come back to show
Maureen their step
A typical class for an intermediate/advanced student begins with soft-shoed
dances. Students line up and perform reels and slipjigs; alone and with
other dancers. Then students change into hard shoes and perform hornpipes,
jigs and sets. New steps are taught at the end of class.
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What is the expected code of conduct for students?
: When there are many children stomping there feet and jumping about,
things can sometimes seem chaotic. Students are asked to pay special
attention to their flailing legs to avoid possible injuries. Students
are asked to keep their hard-dancing to the designated areas to avoid
excessive floor damage. Students are asked to practice their new lessons
daily. It is very easy to forget steps, unless they practice. Students
are asked to pick up after themselves. As many classes are scheduled
after school, students are permitted to bring a drink and a snack if
they wish. Students who fail to pick up after themselves will lose this
privilege.
Parents: While lessons are in progress, parents are asked to
remain outside the classroom . Maureen needs to devote class time to
focus on your child, not on answering non-critical questions. Be patient.
Sometimes class does not always run on time. Talk to the other parents.-
they are invaluable resources. Introduce yourself to the parents of
your child's same-age/skill classmates. Chances are, you will spend
many competitions with them.
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Where can I find music, shoes etc.?
In the Boston area, we are blessed with quite a few good Irish import
shops, including Bridgets, an Irish Tradition and the Irish Cottage.
(You may also want to check the yellow pages) Both of these shops carry
dancing music and shoes. Many older dancers make their own tapes and
would be willing to make copies of practice music for you if you provided
a blank tape. If you decide to purchase music, the four most common
tapes of practice music are: Feis 1 & 2("The Correct Musical Accompaniment")
Irish Dancing Music (Pat King with Brian Grant) - commonly called "the
Pat King tape "Dance to the Music (Mike Shaffer) Sets & Solos, 2 vols.
(Olive Hurley) - especially good if you're at the prizewinner/championship
level
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What should my child wear?
For practice, simple ballet flats or Irish soft shoes are sufficient
for beginners. Please dress your child in comfortable clothes, preferably
in a skirt/ or loose pants. For competition, soft shoes are required.
Soft shoes can be purchased for about $35 at most Irish Import stores.
Hard shoes are not required for beginners- they run about $100. Your
child does not need a school costume as a beginner. New shoes, "poodle"
socks, and music and may be purchased at the import shops or may be
available for purchase at the feis.
As your child advances, s/he will be required to wear a school costume
for competition. If your child reaches the championship level, s/he
will need a solo costume. The typical costume for intermediate-level
girls consists of: Dress bearing the school design (school costume about
$300) Individually patterned ["solo"] dresses usually mark advancement)
dance briefs - usually the color of the lining of the skirt Pins/thread
for pinning the number Headband/ribbons in the school color or design
white "poodle" socks soft and hard Irish dance shoes (beginners may
have only soft shoe dances)
The typical costume for intermediate-level boys consists of: shirt
and tie long pants OR kilt and knee socks blazer some boys' costumes
include a narrow scarf or shawl soft shoes (boy's) and hard Irish dance
shoes New dancers often borrow/buy outgrown costumes/hard shoes from
other dancers. We have recently changed school costumes so we currently
have no old costumes to be borrowed. All intermediate-level students
will need to either make/purchase new school costumes. Check with Maureen
when your child is ready for her first costume. Irish step dancing apparel
can be expensive, it is best to wait until your child has committed
to dancing before making any major purchase.
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What is a feis?
Unlike tap/ballet/jazz, Irish step dancing does not have recitals; instead,
they have an irish festival called a feis (pronounced "fesh.") A variety
of activities can be central to a feis, and not every festival entails
music or dancing. In the context of Irish dancing, feiseanna are highly
structured competitions, in which dancers from a variety of Irish dance
schools or academies compete for medals and trophies. Advanced dancers
are required to medal in order to advance their ranking.
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What is the first feis like?
For the beginner, many areas have special beginner's competitions. In
our area, this is usually held Mother's Day weekend. In our area, feisanna
are held on Sunday and it is not uncommon to have mass at the feis.
Feisanna are an all-day affair and it is not uncommon to see the whole
(extended) family. The atmosphere can be characterized as controlled
chaos. Don't be surprised if things are running behind schedule. Competitions
are difficult to predict and one delay early in the day will affect
the whole day's schedule.
For the first competition, your daughter should be dressed in a kilt
and a blouse. She should wear white ankle socks. Girl's hair should
be pulled away from the face and secured with a ribbon. The hair should
be curled-Shirley Temple-style (see preparing the hair).
For boys, a kilt or pants and button-down collared shirt is preferred.
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How do I prepare a girl's hair for a feis?
(Information contributed from the O'Connor School
of Dance reprinted with permission)
According to standard, girls' hair is worn in ringlets. The top section
of hair is tied in a ponytail, and curled into ringlets to match the
rest.
Prepare your child's hair at least 24 hours before it needs to be ready.
Wash your child's hair and dry it thoroughly. Avoid using conditioner.
(If there is time for hair to dry completely while in curlers, it can
be effective to roll it while wet. Be advised, however, that the slightest
dampness will cause the curls to droop almost immediately.) Gather the
top section of hair into a pony tail (sort of a top knot). Separate
hair (including pony tail and bangs) into small sections. Saturate each
section with spray gel, wrap bottom of section in end paper, and wind
section vertically around a small sponge roller. Cover the curlers with
a hair net once the spray gel is dry.
The morning of the feis, remove the rollers gently, winding each ringlet
around your finger if necessary to retain the curl. Do not brush hair
(except bangs). Spray hair all over with gel or hair spray. Cover hair
with a net until dance time (make sure the spray is dry first). Whatever
you do, don't use velcro rollers!
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What do I do at at the feis?
(Information contributed from the O'Connor School
of Dance reprinted with permission)
Dancers should be present and ready to dance one-half hour before scheduled
start time. (This means dressed, haired, and numbered.)
Upon arrival, check in with your teacher. Your teacher will give you
a card with a large number printed on it. This is the dancer's number,
which your child wears pinned to the front of the costume at the waist.
(If your child has already received her number in class you can skip
this step) Next, you need to find out when and where your child will
dance. Check the back of the card with the dancer's number - often the
list of registered dances is there. Consult the schedule to find out
(a) what time and (b) on which stage each event takes place. (Schedules
are often printed in the feis program and/or displayed in various places
about the feis.)
Have a look at each stage on which your child will be dancing, and
note the area next to the stage where the dancers line up. There will
be a feis staff member there, checking in the dancers for each event..
Children should check in for each event as soon as the dancers in the
preceding event walk out on stage. Direct your child to the person checking
in the dancers. Once your child has checked in, take off. Be brave.
There's nothing more you can do, so pick a spot, watch, and enjoy.
NOTE: Events are likely to be scheduled out of numerical order, so
you will need to keep an eye on the day's progress to make sure your
dancer is at the right stage at the right time. Events are grouped by
age and skill level, and brand new dancers may dance their solo events
one after the other on the same stage, but there is no guarantee this
will be the case. Your child wears the same number for all dances. Do
not throw out this numbered card-she may need it to pick up her medals.
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How are awards distributed?
Awards are distributed differently from feis to feis. In our area, the
most common practice is to halt the dancing periodically for award presentations,
during which the results are announced and dancers are called to the
stage to receive their medals or trophies. Another method involves posting
the results of the non-championship categories and providing an award
distribution center. For on-stage presentations, dancers should be in
full costume and wearing their numbers. When figure awards are given,
all team members go on stage. The announcer may call only the event
number, the rankings, and the competitor numbers. Dancers must listen
for their numbers and rank (1st, 2nd, 3rd. etc.), and go immediately
on the stage if they are called.
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What should I really expect at a Feis?
Delays.
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What should I bring to the feis?
(Information contributed from the O'Connor School
of Dance reprinted with permission)
The girls get hot in those dresses between dances. Some girls wear body
suits underneath and bring shorts so they can hop out of the costumes
during gaps in the dancing. It is a good idea to have a large, button-up
shirt available to cover the girls' dresses for meals on the fly. Food
is generally available for purchase at the feis, however a few snacks
and a water bottle can be awfully handy. It is not a good idea to plan
to run out for a meal during the day, as the schedule may change or
your teacher may want to squeeze in some practice.
Bring things for your dancers and their siblings to do between dances.
Yes, they may never touch them, but at least you'll have an answer when
they wail, "I'm bored." Books, cards, and one-piece games and crafts
seem to be the favorites. Avoid noisy items, as noise is always a problem.
Bring things for yourself to do, or perhaps more to the point, if you're
dragging along a somewhat reluctant spouse, bring things for him or
her to do. It has been our experience that the reluctant spouses do
the most whining. Lastly, bring a still camera, but DO NOT BRING a video
camera. Videotaping of the dancing is STRICTLY PROHIBITED - NO EXCEPTIONS!
This is a rule from on high (Dublin, that is). It is strictly enforced,
to protect the propriety of the choreography. Really, the most important
thing to remember is to ask a fellow parent when you have a question.
Feis parents are a stunningly friendly and helpful lot, and anyone will
be happy to help you out.
Failte, new parents. Enjoy!
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