Competitions
How do you get into competition?
Competitions are held throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, England
and Australia every weekend of the year.
There are different level of competitors and different levels of competitions. A competition is referred to as a "feis" or "feisanna". There are local feis' that students can attend to qualify for regional, national and world championships. Students interested in competing will start at the beginner level and should be dancing for at least six months to a year. Please check with LuAnn, Maureen or Kathleen if you are not sure your child is ready for competition. Once a dancer starts competing they will move through the different levels of competition at their own pace. The levels of competitors are as follows:
1. Beginner
2. Advanced Beginner
3. Novice
4. Prize Winner
5. Preliminary Championships
6. Open Championships
To progress to the next level of competition the dancer must place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in their current level of competition. If they do place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, in their current level of competition they do not have to move on to the next level of competition until the following calendar year.
Beginner: A beginner is a competitor who has not has taken Irish dancing
lessons from a registered teacher prior to September 1 of the previous year.
A Beginner must move into the Advanced Beginner category the next year.
Advanced Beginner: An advanced beginner who wins 1st, 2nd or 3rd place will
advance to the Novice category in that particular dance. Competition
dances are limited to reel, light jig, slip jig, treble jig and traditional
hornpipe.
Novice: A novice who wins a 1st place will advance to the Open (Prizewinner)
category in that particular dance.
Open(Prizewinner): A competitor who does not qualify as a Beginner, Advanced
Beginner or as a Novice
Preliminary Championships are open to those who, at any NAFC recognized Feis
have placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in each of the open (prizewinner) solo categories,
and have never won 1st, 2nd or 3rd in open Championship.
A dancer who wins two first place awards in one calendar year will move on to
championship the following year or as soon as the second win is
achieved in any age category in the following years. Only in the case of
back-to-back Feiseanna (successive days), in which case the first win in
the following years in the first Feis will not change the dancer.
What to wear and how much does it cost?
Shoes
All of the shoes are specifically made for Irish dancing and should be purchased
by an appropriate dealer. Locally the soft shoe can be purchased on McLean
Avenue in Yonkers at the Shamrock Gift shop or at local competitions.
Girls wear a soft shoe, sometimes referred to as "gillies". These are the black, ballet type shoes that lace up around the ankle. A black ballet shoe is fine for the girls to start with until they progress to competition. Both shoes cost around $35.00.
Boys wear a soft shoe that resembles the hard shoes except they are softer and do not have the fiber glass that makes the tapping noise. Beginner boys can also use a soft black jazz shoe. These shoes cost around $45.00.
The hard shoe is a special shoe that has taken on several forms throughout the years. They use to have hundreds of nails hammered into the toe and heel to get the tapping effect. They now use fiberglass and more flexible soles to allow for more noise and comfort. These shoes are worn by both the boys and girls and cost anywhere from $85.00 to $120.00. Please check with LuAnn to purchase a pair of used hard shoes (approximately ½ to 2/3 the price of the new shoes depending on their condition).
All of the above shoes can also be purchased at a local feis or you can contact Patrick Fay at 914-237-1435 to purchase them by mail. You may also try the internet.
Costumes
Girl's costumes are very expensive and can cost anywhere from $400.00 and up. There are school costumes and solo costumes. When competing at the beginner level girls do not need to have a formal costume. They can wear their recital costume or a kilt and blouse.(see above picture) They will need a school costume when they progress on to novice competition or become involved in "dance outs" (performances). The school costume is custom made by hand and embroidered. Please contact her mother Lucille at 793-4230 if you are interested in getting a costume made. We encourage all students at the Intermediate level and above to consider having a costume made. If the costumes are kept in good condition you will be able to sell them to new dancers in the school for a reasonable price once they have been outgrown. Solo costumes are unique costumes designed by the dancer or a dressmaker that are worn in championship competitions. These costumes can cost between $500 and $1,000 dollars if purchased brand new. This is not a cheap hobby.
The boys have it a little easier these days. Traditionally they use to wear kilts, however, to encourage more participation among boys the current trend has them wearing trousers with a poet's shirt. The boys costume is much less expensive since the trousers and shirt can be purchased at any clothing store. Some boys opt to have embroidery put on their sleeves or wear a cumberbun. Normally the trousers are black and the shirt is a color of the boy's choice. Sometimes the shirt will reflect the school's colors, in our case black, red, white or green.
HOME