Volume 8, Issue 6

“I Always Do My Best” – the performer’s mantra
Donagh Corcoran, MA.and Dip Phil., ADCRG

In life and certainly in performance there is always a standard that we work towards. Being clear about this is useful because you know that you wish to achieve something that will represent you at your best. But what does it mean to say ‘your best’. Firstly, it means you knowing that you have worked for improvements from you last performance, Secondly, it suggests that you can be clear about what more you can achieve.

Doing your best is also linked to how far you have developed. For example if I learn to play two cords on the guitar then I may be excellent at these. This should also remind me of how much more there is to learn if I am to become a highly competent musician. In the same way in Irish dancing if you learn basic steps you can perform your best at that level. However, we should all be reaching for the best at the highest level attainable. This is what gives us goals or objectives or results to aim for. Therefore if we continue to learn and develop “our best” will also be changing all of the time. It is from these changes that we get the satisfaction of high achievement.

If you look back at yourself as a dancer over the last twelve months can you trace the improvements you have made? Are there dance elements, technique or steps, you can perform now that you did not have competence in before?

When we are committed to doing our best this should always mean that we are on a road of continuous improvement. In every facet of our life this should be an aim of ours on a daily basis.

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Volume 8, Issue 6

There are growing opportunities for dancers. Catapulted by the success of Irish dancing shows, more and more people are considering educations in theater and careers associated with Irish dancing. There is a lot of money to be made in this business and if you love something, you will be good at it – so what better way to support yourself than to do it with something that you thoroughly love?

A dancer only has to be a mere 16 years old to get paid in some dancing shows, and many of them get paid very well. It is not uncommon to hear about a champion Irish dancer taking time off from high school or college to star in a 4 month long tour. Now, education is certainly important and before you parents out there throw out this idea completely, think about it this way – dancing in a show can certainly broaden the dancer and round off the book learning. Irish dancers are usually extremely dedicated and motivated people. They practice hard and know what it takes to be successful. Sometimes, it seems like Irish dancers have a greater work ethic than most adults! Many are straight “A” students. By participating in shows, dancers further their hard working skills, and the best part is they get paid!

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Volume 8, Issue 6

2006 IDTANA Scholarship Winners

2007 appliction deadline is April 1. Contact Russell Beaton, ADCRG, scarrpia3170@aol.com.

Students Currently  Enrolled in College

$1000 scholarships

• Erin Howell
  Paso Robles, CA, Claddagh School
  Western US Region
  Enrolled at The University of California at Davis, Majoring in biological sciences
• Noreen Hughes
  Bloomfield, NJ, Peter Smith School
  Mid Atlantic Region
  Enrolled at the Catholic University of America (Washington, DC)

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Volume 8, Issue 6

“Previously Loved” Solo Dress
By Zebadiah Beauragard

The Oireachtastical season is finally at an end and all over the world Irish Dancers once again frantically begin their quest to avoid the most unpardonable, inexcusable “Feis Fashion Faux Pas” imaginable: wearing the same solo dress at two consecutive majors!

The fur, feathers, and flowers are flying at the major dressmaker shops as they rush to create the demand, designing new and more exotic varieties of solo dresses that will render last year’s line totally obsolete. Motto: “That dress is so last Feis!”

Feis Moms (women who voluntarily choose to leave mainstream society, renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to devote their lives to the contemplation of their daughter’s next solo dress) are in a panic.  Unlike selling a house, there are no contingency clauses regarding the sale of a previously owned solo dress.

The resale market is glutted with thousands of used solo dresses in every imaginable size, shape, and style and Feis Moms everywhere watch in horror as prices begin to plummet faster than a dancer can lace her ghillies.

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Volume 8, Issue 5

ADJUDICATION Is A Process FOR ALL DANCERS
by Donagh Corcoran ADCRG

One of the great problems with competition in Irish Dancing is that when the winners are announced all the other dancers are sometimes not acknowledged appropriately. The fact is however, that the task of the adjudicator is to select the winning competitors by comparing all the performances and then ranking them through places from 1st to the lower placings. While every performance is therefore examined the gap of appreciation still exists for those who are not placed amongst the winners.

The professional adjudicator is expected to evaluate each performance in a meticulous manner. Aspects that are considered in that process are rhythm, carriage, elevation, movement, technical aspects like points, cuts, choreography, execution of steps, range of difficulty in the steps and many other features. The numerical mark that is awarded then reflects the relative merit of the performance against that of other competitors. From this it will be obvious that the contrast and comparison between all the competitors is what should create an objective and clear result. A competition challenges the adjudicator to observe, judge, listen (in the case of heavy dancing) and assess the strong and weak features of the performance. When you have three dancers on the stage at the same time the eye coordination, speed of reaction and ability to take fully into account three performances is a challenge and a great responsibility.

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Volume 8, Issue 5

Dancer To Dancer: What Were They Thinking?
By Erin Reilly

Every dancer has wondered what judges really think about during a competition. What do they look for? Do my appearance and reputation matter? Is there some sort of connection between the judges and other teachers?

Hornpipe questioned three prominent adjudicators, who wish to remain anonymous for obvious reasons. As it turns out, judges are not as unfair as they sometimes seem.

Every single dancer will be disappointed at some point. There will always be competitions in which a dancer will feel as though he or she danced their absolute best – and then the results will show something completely different. A dancer will go over and over in their head what they could have possibly done wrong. Most of the time, it is just impossible to figure out what went wrong, so the low place gets blamed on “the judges just didn’t like my style” or “politics,” or “she just got a new dress.” Is this really the source of the mysterious placings?

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Volume 8, Issue 5

Is it possible to combine a feis or major Irish dance championships with a family vacation that is more than just a quick weekend away from home? The European Championships in Irish Dancing, held on May-30, 2006, in Faro, Portugal, are proof that it can be done, and done very well!. In its sixth year, this championship-only event was a rousing success. [In the interest of truth in journalism, I should point out that I was an adjudicator for this year’s event.]

The European Championships in Irish Dancing are ably organized and run by Eileen Lally and Rose Fitzgibbons, both well-known and highly-respected Irish dance teachers and adjudicators in the Manchester area of England. Rose is also a vice-president of the Irish Dance Commission in Dublin.

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Volume 8, Issue 5

Success in the South
By Katie Hamilton

Profile: The Karl Drake School of Irish Dance

While attempting to complete a click in last year’s North American Nationals (NAN's), 13-year-old Catie Foley fell and tore her hamstring, but not before breaking her arm on the way down. One year and several months of physical therapy later, Foley received second place in her age group at the 2006 NANs and is currently training for the All-Scotlands in October; not to mention the Southern Oireachtas in November and the World Championships in April.

While Foley is one of the top dancers at the Karl Drake School of Irish Dance, her trials and accomplishments aptly represents the spirit of every dancer that comes under the direction of Mr. Karl Drake. And as one of the largest Irish dance schools in the southern region, that is certainly saying a lot.

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Volume 8, Issue 4

Did you know? Overview of 2006 IDTANA Scholarship

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Volume 8, Issue 4

Dancer to dancer: Innovation departs from tradition
Erin Reilly

This July 4th weekend San Diego, California was taken over by Irish dancers. The 75-degree weather, the palm trees and the sparkling coast brought far more competitors to the 2006 Nationals than in previous years. Especially entertaining was the parade of girls in wigs and white socks at the ritzy Gaslamp Quarter and the tropical-themed hotel pool. No doubt the local San Diegans were confused but amused.

It seemed as though everyone had a wonderful time at the Nationals this year. There was so much to do — visit the Spanish Old Town, soak up the sun at the beaches, and of course, see the famous San Diego Zoo.

Overall, the competition week ran smoothly. However, this year the dancing was inexplicably different. Articulating this distraction is difficult to pinpoint yet necessary to express. It would appear that the Irish dancing community has traded in traditional dancing movements for theatrical, gymnastic-like moves. In fact, one would be hard pressed to see a traditional or old-school style of dance anymore.

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Volume 8, Issue 4

As I See It: Music to my ears
Russell J. Beaton, ADCRG

Every once in a while, a dancer on stage at a feis has real trouble starting to the music. Someone tries to help by counting off the introduction, but there is still a problem. When I ask the dancer what is wrong, I sometimes hear, "but, that's not the right song!" Aha! The problem is not just with starting to the music. The problem is more a lack of comfort with a variety of tunes and musical styles. What will help this child to conquer his or her dependence on a particular tune, or more precisely with a particular musician's interpretation of that "right" tune?

It should be apparent to most folks that, if a child only practices to one particular tune as played on one track of one particular CD, whether at home or at class, the potential for problems later in performance — especially in feis competitions — is very great. Let's face it, we are all creatures of habit, and it is too easy to keep using the same music repeatedly. It is vital that dancers have the opportunity to practice to a variety of music, both live and recorded. Dancers these days are fortunate to have many choices in recorded practice music. Any number of CDs by a whole host of talented musicians are available, whether in local music stores, at feis vendors, or even on-line. There really is no excuse for a dancer becoming reliant on one tune as interpreted by one musician on one recording.

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Volume 8, Issue 4

How To: Buy a solo dress
Kate Hamilton

With the Oireachtasi (qualifiers for the World Championships) looming just around the corner in November, Irish dancers may be anxiously awaiting the arrival of a brand new solo dress, lovingly designed and custom-made (and generously-paid for!) just in time for the big competition. While the dress alone doesn't win a competition, it adds confidence, color and sparkle, which results in a more engaging and enjoyable competitor who stands out among her peers.

Many dancers have become accustomed to the routine of securing a new solo dress in time for the major competitions; however, for first-timers, the process can be daunting. I still remember the first time my mother and I set out into the treacherous world of dressmakers, in search of an affordable, attainable and available dressmaker. The process should not be difficult or cumbersome, but exciting and fun for all parties involved: the dancer, her family, the teacher and the dressmaker. Repeat: it can be fun! After quite a few years of experience with costumes and dressmakers, here's how it goes:

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Volume 8, Issue 4

Irish Dancing: The good features of life's journey
Donagh Corcoran, MA., Dip Phil., ADCRG

When any student commences Irish Dancing they are entering on a journey that is very beneficial in many ways. These benefits can include: new ways of learning, skills and knowledge about being part of a group, practice and the importance of the personal discipline this requires, the opportunities for performance, and of course the development of personality.

Teaching the dancer is for every dancing teacher both an individual and group task. Every student is different and has to be related to on a one-to-one basis. The teacher will give knowledge about steps, movement, carriage and rhythm to a group of students. However, the actual performance of these requires individual attention. Students each learn at a different pace. This has nothing to do with intelligence. It simply reflects the different ways in which students assimilate knowledge and check their understanding of this. In fact sometimes, in my experience, an intellectual person will be among the last o acknowledge that they have understood and got the sequence of skills in any particular lesson. Therefore concentrate on your own learning and not that of anyone else. You are a learning person in your own right and will continue to be through your life.

To become part of a new group takes time. We do not know the names nor have we perhaps ever met any of the group previously. Get to know the names as early as you can. The reason for this is simply that it makes integration easier. Also we all like to be acknowledged by name so it quickens your acceptance into the group. Groups are made up of people with different personalities and temperaments. Some are competitive while others are not. Of course disagreements are a part of life also and this will happen within a group. The most important thing for you is to enjoy each person in the group for the contribution they make to your dancing experience. You do not have to change for the group. Continue to be yourself and let them get to know the real you. This will be only one of many groups you will be a part of during your life so enjoy the challenges each one presents.

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Volume 8, Issue 3

Book finally gives Irish dancers a hero of their own

If youve ever attended one of the early two hundred feisanna held North America each year, you've probably been impressed by the variety of Irish merchandise sold by the vendors who are a staple at the events. The thousands of young dancers who attend each feis can find t-shirts with Irish homilies, jewelry with Celtic designs, histories of the Emerald Isle, and even Irish underwear. Unfortunately, they cannot find books about Irish dancers like themselves.

Scratch that last item.

Author Rod Vick recently released Kaylee's Choice, a novel about a ten-year-old girl, Kaylee O'Shay, whose father wants her to be a soccer star like he was. Kaylee, however, discovers Irish dance, and this new interest pulls her away from old friends and her father. The novel includes a forword by Sean Beglan, former principal dancer with Riverdance.

• www.kayleeoshay.com

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Volume 8, Issue 3

Dancer to Dancer: East meets west
Erin Reily

There are definite assumptions about Irish dancers based upon what part of the country they live and study. There are beliefs that some regions are "more competitive", some are "flashier", others "take their dancing more seriously" and some just produce "more champions." In my experience as an Irish dancer from the East Coast of the United States, I have always heard people say that my region is the leading competitive Irish dancing region in North America because of our dancing styles, our cutting-edge dresses and our talented teachers. I believed these assumptions ten years ago when I had never even heard of dancing schools or competitors from the South or the West. However, today I compete with many dancers from Canada, the Mid-America, West and Southern regions who are just as talented, have the same style and wear designer dresses. What used to be significant regional differences in North American Irish dancing has quickly diminished. Today, North American Irish dancing has no regional stamp.

Cities like Boston, Philadelphia and New York became the early centers of Irish dancing in North America. When Irish dancing first became popular in the United States, it was mainly focused on the East Coast where many Irish immigrants lived, settled and opened up Irish dancing schools. With the global success of “Riverdance”, the demand for Irish dancing instruction in Canada, Mid-America, West and the relatively new Southern region has grown tremendously. According to the North American Feis Commission, the number of Feisianna per year and the number of schools per region are evening out across North America. In addition, I have seen just as many dancers from regions other than mine at major competitions in the United States and Ireland. I look at all dancers as equal competitors who, with the right style, steps, dresses and determination, can win the World Championships.

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Volume 8, Issue 3

Desmond ‘Dessie’ Penrose ADCRG
1925- August 12, 2004

It was a dark time in Ireland in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. Ireland was emerging out of a fight for independence into civil war and an economy often associated with third world countries. The economy of Ireland was so depressed that finding a job often required immigrating to another country. So it was with many seeking their fortune in America, one young man, Desmond ‘Dessie’ Penrose, arrived in the United States on St. Patrick's Day 1956. He went to work at Eastman Kodak where he retired in 1983.

Desmond was born and raised in Dublin. Dessie, as he was known, was the youngest of 12 children born to Mary and Peter Penrose. Music, dance, and merriment in general were part of the Penrose household. Maire, Des’s older sister and herself an accomplished dancer, tells us how Des came about to dance at the age of 10 years old.

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Volume 8, Issue 3

The Bracken School of Irish Dance
Katie Hamilton

It sounds far-fetched, but Tom Bracken A.D.C.R.G. has created a learning environment than incorporates mutual respect, high expectations and pure fun that allow his students to study the art of Irish dance – and enjoy every minute of it. Sometimes classes run a little longer and that’s perfectly okay; in fact, these students are even grateful for the extra practice.

“If classes are an hour and a half, it will go on for another hour and a half,” said Open Championship dancer John Smith, 20. “For Worlds [World Championships of Irish Dance, Rince na Cruinne] we stayed until 11:00 or 11:30 at night sometimes. It’s really generous of him [Bracken] and we give him the same back.”

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Volume 8, Issue 3

As I See It: Competitive Do's and Don'ts
Russell F. Beaton, ADCRG

One of our special abilities as human beings is our ability to decide that a behavior or attitude no longer makes sense, or at least it does not work well under certain circumstances.  Recent experiences while judging feiseanna here and abroad have caused me to reach some conclusions about what I will broadly call “competitive stage do’s and don’ts”.

First, I would like to address a recurring behavior that needs to be changed. At a typical feis, dancers perform in solo events two or three at a time. As a general rule, as these dancers finish their performance of the two required steps, they stop right where they are on the stage, bow to the audience/judge, and then in many cases turn to bow to the musician, before attempting to return to their place in line. Now, I fully understand that bowing is a typical stage behavior, which indicates respect for the judge and musician and which recognizes the applause from the audience. All of this sounds positive! Shouldn’t we be training our dancers to do this? As I see it, the answer is “absolutely not”!

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Volume 8, Issue 3

Practice, the exhilaration and the frustration
Donagh Corcoran, MA., Dip Phil., ADCRG

Practice involves time, attitude, planning, purpose, motivation, objectives and achievement. So often little or no consideration is given to these important aspects of practice. Just as in Irish Dancing, these same elements can be applied to study or sport. The central figure in all of this is you. Are you doing your daily or weekly practice out of habit? Or do you expect outcomes such as definite improvement and a greater sense of satisfaction? If you are serious about being a better dancer then you should be interested in having a personal plan to help to get you there. When practice happens in a well-structured way then you are likely to be pleased with your results. If this reaches a high level then you may be so happy that you are exhilarated by your efforts. On the contrary when it is poorly organized work then you are more likely to have feelings of frustration because of your lack of preparation and progress.

Practice requires time: It cannot happen unless time is allocated for it. The best thing to consider is to have a timetable. Now this should be something that is realistic and which you will adhere to. It is of no value allocating 1 hour per day to practice when your actual experience is to avoid it or shorten the period. Always consider having a timetable that you will strictly keep. Therefore if your practice period for dancing is 5 minutes per day it is better to have this than to list something you have neither the patience nor intention to follow.

Volume 8, Issue 2

Irish dancer charms audiences yesterday and today
By Tom Fitzgerald

Before Riverdance the Show and Feet of Flames, before the Trinity Dance Company, and well before coffee Internet service providers had commercials featuring Irish dancers, three young girls from Garden City Long Island captured the hearts of Americans with their precise choreography and lightening fast feet. From September 5, 1965 to February 26, 1967, Christine, Barbara and Debra Boland appeared on nationwide television four times on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour introducing millions of Americans to Irish dance. The Ted Mack Amateur Hour, in it's hey-day, was a must see television program comparable to American Idol today. A sensation each time they appeared, Chris, Deb and Barb were invited back to perform because Americans voted them the best performers on each show.

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Volume 8, Issue 2

Dancer to dancer: On confronting and controlling stage fright
By Erin Reilly

No one ever died from stage fright. However, according to surveys, most people would rather die than perform on stage. Irish dancers know this feeling all too well, but there are ways to cope with stage fright once you learn how to control it.

Many of the top performers get stage fright. If you have ever seen Riverdance or Lord of the Dance, it looks like all the dancers are fully confident in their dancing capabilities. They come out onto the stage with bold body language and a fierce attitude. However, many of these performers still experience stage fright – after all these competitions and shows, it can be extremely nerve-racking for them to come out on stage each night.

You may experience stage fright from time to time, but it usually does not disappear permanently. However, you can learn to control this feeling. It is important to first get the feeling out in the open. Understand that you are nervous and realize that many people competing with you are also experiencing stage fright. Once you make your fears known, you can work on getting the feeling under control.

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Volume 8, Issue 2

Dress for the Occasion
by Kate Hamilton

In competition, a dancer's dress is almost as important as the dancing itself.

A stranger to a feis may mistake the venue for a Las Vegas casino, blinded by all the sequins, bright colors and outrageous fabrics of the solo dresses. Feisianna are perfect opportunities for girls to show off their "bling" – their solo dresses – which have transformed into wearable works of art. With Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne 2006, the World Championships having just passed in late April, the newest elements of dress fashion will quickly become trends and push the boundaries of dressmaking even further.

"We try anything people ask for," said Katherine Dwyer of Kilkenny Irish Dance Costumes, of Kilkenny, Ireland. "If we get requests for it, we do it for them."

It was only a few years ago that velvet dresses embroidered with designs derived from the Book of Kells were standard. Today, dresses are built from a variety of fine fabrics and covered with appliqué material in all kinds of imaginative geometric shapes.

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Volume 8, Issue 2

The Chieftains capture allure of adoring fans

The Chieftains prove that if O'Carolan were alive today ... he would make a grand record producer. You can expect them to pay homage to the ancient one that kept the music alive during a troubled time in Irish history, and a dear friend. Although the master Chieftain Harper, Derick Bell (1932 - 2002) is missing all who have seen an earlier performance enjoyed the playful exchange between Paddy and "ding-dong" Bell, as he was affectionately known. "To my friend Derek who I know is listening," says Paddy as he plays Brian Boru's March on the whistle to open their show.

After forty-four years the Chieftains still capture the allure of their adoring fans. The ageless Paddy Moloney and front man have not lost a step and they continue to entertain sell-out crowds and foster the local fare of Irish traditional dance and music talent. But what keeps the Chieftains going?

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Volume 8, Issue 2

Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne Results

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Volume 8, Issue 2

The competent and confident performer
by Donagh Cororan ADCRG

Nothing comes easy. This is not a negative thought but a challenge. Whenever we are doing something difficult those three words should be an incentive to continue. We should all have a commitment to learn new things. By understanding why they are important we grow in knowledge and effectiveness as people. Learning is graduated. Knowledge is also acquired over time and not at a particular moment. Therefore when we see a competent and confident performer as a dancer or musician we are experiencing the result of many hours of positive preparation. The word preparation is very important because each new effort to become competent is a higher state of preparation.

Competence can be attained at different levels. A beginner dancer will learn basic work. Within the range of that work he / she can be assessed on a competence scale. When teachers are dealing with such dancers they have to develop improvement strategies to extend the level of competence of each dancer. It is important therefore to consider what stage each dancer is at within the grade in which they have learned steps or elements of steps. In fact this is very important to the establishment of the correct foundation to dancing for a beginner. It is also important perhaps to stress that being in a hurry is not a successful route to being a competent dancer. It takes time to move towards perfection. While we never get there the challenge is to go as far as you can in developing technique and ability. It is the outcome of both of these that we experience in the performance by a dancer.

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Volume 8, Issue 1

An evolution of Irish dance:
the figure choreography

Irish dancers from around the globe will flock to Belfast, Ireland in April for Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne 2006, the World Championships of Irish Dance. Each year boasts the best Irish dancers and new steps. The solos are incredible; the ceilis, stunning; the dance dramas, artistic; however, it is the figure choreography that has become the most anticipated competition at the Worlds. The dance to watch, the figure choreography has evolved into a symbol of progressive Irish step dance; a breathtaking feat of arm and feet movement that evokes gasps and cheers, all in under 4 minutes.

"It's all a big accident, one big happy accident," Mark Howard, T.C.R.G., Founder and Artistic Director of Trinity Academy explained. Trinity Academy, located our of Chicago and Milwaukee, is widely regarded as a pinnacle of innovative Irish dance. With an unprecedented 24 World titles, Trinity remains the first and only American team to have brought home gold for the United States. Howard credits Trinity's world-renown figure choreography, "The Dawn", as one of the crowning jewels of his work. "The Dawn," which won the 1998 Worlds, not only introduced new moves in the choreography department, it pushed the genre as a whole.

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Hornpipe Magazine

Irish Dance: Music, Film, and Culture

Guaranteed to make you more Irish!

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