The
Presents
Feising 101
A guide for parents new to the world of Irish Dance competition
In the Beginning…
The McGrath Academy is full of parents who were once new to Irish Dance. It can be a confusing time trying to figure out what steps are called, what clothing and footwear you need, and trying to translate the occasional Gaelic word into something meaningful. One topic that is always asked about is competing. An Irish Dance competition is called a feis (“fesh”) and plural feiseanna (“fesh-ah-na”). Here we try to address the whats, whys, and hows of feising.
Q: How do I know if my child is ready to compete?
A: From an emotional aspect, only the parent can judge. But generally, if they are comfortable leaving the parent, and do not suffer from severe stage fright, they will be fine! Competing can be a great confidence builder. From a technical aspect, as soon as the dancer knows “two steps” of a dance competently, they are good to go!
Q: What do you mean by “two steps”?
A: During the first year of Irish dance, your child will be learning three dances – the Reel, the Light Jig, and the Slip Jig. These are all soft shoe dances. Each dance is comprised of two sets of steps. Each step is danced first on the right foot, and then repeated on the left foot. Ask your Beginner to show you their “Toe and Heel Step” and their “Jump Jump Step”. Do they know what you mean? Congratulations! They know the two steps of the Reel.
Q: So, we know our dance steps. Now what?
A: Well, first of all, if you wish to compete (or participate in performance opportunities) you must own a McGrath Academy costume. The Dress, also called a Full Costume, is available to girls of all ages and levels. The Jumper is a more affordable option available only to girls under the age of 12. Boys also have a costume consisting of a shirt and tie with dress slacks. Photos are available on our website's For Sale page. The girls' Dress and Jumper orders for NEW costumes are only done once a year, so watch your emails for information on the deadlines. There is also a second hand for sale board on the McGrath website For Sale page.
If you're still not sure whether or not to participate – go watch a feis. Wear your McGrath t-shirt and cheer on your classmates!
Know your steps? Own a costume?
Then let's have a closer look at feiseanna!
Learning About Local Feiseanna…
Here in the Washington DC Metro area, our feis season generally starts Memorial Day Sunday, and concludes the first Sunday in November. Beginners tend to stay fairly close to home…. but there are feiseanna held further a field which you are more than welcome to participate in! At a quick glance, here are the local feiseanna, with their 2007 dates:
27 th May 2007 – Comhaltas Irish Dance Festival
(usually referred to as the CCE Feis)
Emmitsburg , Maryland
16 th June 2007 – Old Dominion Feis
Falls Church , Virginia
21st & 22 nd July 2007 – Nation's Capital Feis
Arlington , Virginia
15 th September 2007 – Baltimore Feis
Brooklyn Park , Maryland
4 th November 2007 – Feis Culkin
Emmitsburg , Maryland
The McGrath Academy website's News page keeps a list of upcoming feiseanna within a 7 hour driving distance. The feiseanna listed above are all within a 2 hour radius of our Northern Virginia locations.
Q: How do I sign up for a feis?
A: All of the feiseanna listed above use an online registration service at a website called eFeis.com. Please visit eFeis.com and familiarize yourself with it – you'll be using it a lot! On eFeis.com you can see where other feiseanna are held, and read information about opening and closing dates for registration, competitor limits, venue and feis website information and more. Our region is classified as “ Southern US ” on eFeis.com. Feel free to open a family account while visiting the website. You will need an account to register for a feis. You will occasionally run into a feis that takes mail-in registrations only. If you are ever in any doubt, just give us a shout!
Q: We're visiting family out of town. Can we compete while we're there?
A: Absolutely! We have quite a few families who take advantage of this great opportunity. Some of our dancers have even competed overseas while on vacation. If you do not see a feis that interests you on eFeis.com, there are other registration services that are more commonly used in other parts of the country: FeisWorx.com and FeisWeb.com… you could visit those sites too. Also there is a complete annual list of feiseanna on the website of the North American Feis Commission.
Registering For Your First Feis….
By now you should have opened a family account on eFeis.com. For most of you, your first feis will be the CCE Feis in May – a word to the wise – this feis reaches its cap very VERY quickly. Registration for the 2007 CCE Feis opened and closed within 15 hours! Keep an eye on your emails as we approach the Spring as you will receive notice from the McGrath Academy that this feis is open. Notification that this feis is open will also be posted to our News page. If you “blink” you will miss your opportunity to compete.
Q: I have an account on eFeis.com, and I am trying to register for a feis but it is all too confusing! How do I know what events to register for?
A: It can be a bit confusing the first few times! If this is your child's first year dancing, or has never competed before, concern yourself only with the events listed as “Beginner” or “Beginner 1”. Then, stop to think: how old was your child on January 1 st of the current year? That will be your child's competing age for the entire calendar year. For example, if your child is 8 years old on January 1 st , 2007, your child will be registering for 2007 feiseanna as an Under 9 – or as we say in Irish Dance speak – U9. Finally, which dances can your child perform two steps for? If in any doubt, double check with Miss Lauren before registering. Sometimes you are registering for feiseanna months ahead and will have to predict which dances will be ready. Expect to pay on average between $6 and $8 per dance that you are registering for.
Q: What is a Family Admission Fee? – or - Does my dancer have to pay admission to enter the feis venue?
A: When registering for a feis, you will sometimes be offered the opportunity to pay for other things in advance… admission bands, feis t-shirts, programs etc. at the same time. A recent trend is to charge the family registering for a feis a flat Family Admission Fee. This eliminates the need for volunteers to man the doors to the venue and handle cash. If this fee is not listed on the registration form be prepared to bring cash for non-dancer's admission fees. These should be listed on the feis syllabus. Dancers' admission is included in their event registration fees.
Q: Do I really need a PayPal account?
A: Having a PayPal account facilitates the registration process. Some feiseanna will allow you to register online and then mail a check. Consult the feis' information page on eFeis.com, the feis syllabus, or if you still aren't sure you can email the feis' Entry Secretary.
** Please be aware that your registrations are not considered "confirmed" until your payment is received by the feis committee. Families have been bumped from feiseanna because they have registered online, but then delayed getting their payment in the mail. Submitting payment immediately via PayPal is really your best bet. **
Now that you're registered….
practice, practice, practice!
Preparing for Your First Feis…
Your dancer has been working hard and is ready to attend their first feis. By now you've learned that it really helps to become a little computer savvy. This applies even after registration. A few days ahead of the scheduled feis date, keep an eye on the feis' website and/or eFeis.com for the feis committee to post their stage schedule. The stage schedule will give you information about what time your events will be danced, and on what stage(s). As a general rule, feiseanna begin between 8am and 9am, and Beginners usually go first. Every feis is different though, so be sure to look up these details. After months of anticipation, you don't want to miss your dancer's 30 seconds of fame! Also, remember that where start times are listed on a stage schedule, these times are only approximate. It is the dancer's responsibility to report to the correct stage at the appropriate time!
But before we can go to the feis, just one question:
Q: What do we need to pack for the feis?
A: Well, the obvious stuff: your shoes and your costume with all its pieces. Check and check again that you are not forgetting your headband or crown, your cape, your bloomers, your poodle socks and sock glue. Don't forget your wig or hairpiece if you are using those. The girls are especially high maintenance and may require any number of little things… bobby pins, safety pins, hairspray and brush or comb. Make up is not allowed for girls under 12 – so leave it at home and be glad while the natural look prevails! It doesn't hurt to bring some ribbon that coordinates with your costume and a small hole punch (both for your competitor number card). A small pair of scissors has come in handy frequently too. Once your dancer moves into hard shoes, you may want to include black duct tape incase the stages are a bit slippery. (Never, never be seen at a performance or competition using grey duct tape!)
Other things you may wish to bring are healthy, energizing snacks and bottled water or Gatorade (but nothing that could stain your costume!), and some form of entertainment in the event of delays. Beginners aren't usually kept waiting around for long between events, but sometimes the scores are slow to come back. Coloring books, reading books, mp3 players / iPods, or GameBoys are great suggestions. You will probably want some casual clothes for the dancer to change into after you are done competing.
Be sure to have your driving directions, printed out stage schedule (highlight your events!), your competitor number card and pre-paid admission wristbands. You may not have your card or admission bands yet… some feiseanna mail them to competitors in advance, but most like you to pick them up at the feis.
You may also be wondering what to do with your daughter's hair. With short hair cuts just brush nicely and maybe keep in place with a little hair spray. With longer hair, roll dirty hair the day or night before the feis into Soft Spikes with plenty of spray gel. Do not remove the Spikes until you arrive at the feis! The result is uniform, all-over curls. Ask an experienced parent for advice if you need it! You may eventually decide to use a wig or hair piece.
A Day at the Feis… Part One – Registration and Stages.
The big day has finally come! Now what???? If you are not already in possession of your competitor number card, the first thing you need to do on arrival at the venue is to find the registration table. Give the volunteer your dancer's name and tell them you are from McGrath Academy . As you make the final preparations in your costume, use a piece of ribbon to tie the card around your dancer's waist. Sometimes the feis provides the ribbon, sometimes they will in have pre-punched holes on the card. If not, this is where your feis supplies help. Vendors at feiseanna often sell plastic sleeves for holding the number card, which helps prevent the card from getting all bent up. Depending on the feis, you may need to visit a second table to pick up other pre-paid items. Please be sure to allow plenty of time for registering – at a large feis the lines can be long.
Q: How do I know where to go after we register?
A: Using the stage schedule you printed earlier, follow the signs to the stage that your first event is scheduled to be held on. Usually there are signs pointing the way, but if you can't figure it out don't be afraid to ask a feis volunteer – they are parents of dancers just like you and I! With feiseanna held at schools, the lower level dancers often dance in the gymnasium, with the auditorium being reserved for Championship dancers. Stages are usually assigned a number 1, 2, 3 etc – the Old Dominion Feis, however, gives their stages color names: red, orange, purple etc.
Feiseanna try to keep Beginner events uncomplicated and you will most likely have all your events on one stage… not always though. So consult your stage schedule carefully.
Q: I have found my stage, how do I know when it is my child's turn to dance?
A: All feiseanna operate a “Now On Stage” and “Up Next” system. That is, there will be some sort of signage at the side of the stage that indicates which event is being danced “now”, and which event is scheduled to dance “next”. By following your printed stage schedule you can get an idea of how many events there are until your child's. Most schedules also indicate the number of competitors in each event. When your event number is displayed by the “Up Next” sign help your child locate the Stage Manager. These people are usually easy to spot as they are carrying clip boards or binders. Tell the Stage Manager what event you are checking in for. He or she will check your child's number against the expected list of competitors and ask your child to have a seat in the chairs located next to the stage. This is when you, as a parent, get a short break to stand back and relax for a few minutes. But please be aware that any form of photography of your child while he or she is dancing is prohibited. Violations can result in disqualification.
A Day at the Feis… Part Two – Let the Competition Begin!
Q: How will my child know what to do without me?
A: Your child probably knows better than you what to do! All year long in class, Miss Lauren has been teaching the kids how a feis works. Have you ever heard Miss Lauren say “let's do faux feis Reels”? They may not realize it, but the children are learning how to feis in class.
When your child's event is due to dance, the Stage Manager or their assistant will escort your child's group onto the stage. The children line up and the Adjudicator (“Judge” to you and me) writes the children's numbers on the score sheet. When the Adjudicator is ready the Musician may begin playing…. Yes, the children get to perform to real, live music! The Musician may even be one that plays the music on your child's practice CD. How cool is that? Sometimes the Musician plays accordion, fiddle, keyboard… you just never know. It's good for your child to practice to a variety of Irish Dance music at home.
In Irish Dance events, competitors dance two (occasionally three) dancers at a time. Dance steps vary from school to school, so your child's “partner” will be dancing completely different steps to the same music. You can help prepare your children for competition by encouraging them to ignore their partner, and focus only on their steps. If there is another McGrath dancer in your child's group, they will probably want to sit next to each other after they have checked in for their event. This should be avoided, however. You always want to avoid having a partner from your own school if at all possible. When two dancers are performing the same steps as each other, comparisons will undoubtedly be made (consciously or not) by the Adjudicator – essentially pitting one McGrath dancer against another.
Beginners will always have a Counter on stage – that is, a parent or older dancer volunteer who will count the music off for the children so they know when to begin dancing. Your child will perform their two steps, give a courtesy bow to the Adjudicator and Musician, and return to their position in line at the back of the stage. After all dancers have performed, and the Adjudicator has had time to finalize the ranking and any comments, the Stage Manager or assistant will dismiss or escort the group from the stage. Gather your child, congratulate them on a job well done, and prepare for the next event. If your next event is on a different stage, it's wise to be keeping an eye on that stage's “On Stage” and “Up Next” signs incase the other stage is running ahead of schedule.
With dances done…
How did we do?
A Day at the Feis… Part Three – Seeing Results.
By now your dancer has done their events and will sit through the agonizing wait for the scores to be posted. At some feiseanna the wait is brief, at others painfully slow! Take this time to change, snack and/or shop the vendors.
Q: How do I know how my child did?
A: After you've finished dancing, ask someone where the scores will be posted. Somewhere, in a room or hallway, there will be poster boards taped to the wall. The poster boards will have the events listed in numerical order, followed by columns for 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place…. as many places as that feis has chosen to give awards for. It's not uncommon to award 4th , 5th , or even 6th place… and often there will be multiple awards given within each place. The Adjudicator is usually allowed discretion in who deserves recognition and can award accordingly. Find your child's event number(s) on the poster board. Then look across the row and see if your competitor number is listed. If your child's number is on the poster board, they have won a prize! Have your child report to the awards table with their competitor number card to sign for their prize.
Another great way of seeing how your child did is reading your score sheet. Most feis now include your marks and Adjudicator comments in your entry fee. Sometimes these are emailed to you within a week or so after the feis, sometimes they are available to pick up the day of the feis. Read the feis syllabus for clues as how that particular feis handles score distribution, and whether or not these cost extra. The score sheet is loaded with valuable information such as how your child ranked overall. Through Adjudicator's comments (which, unfortunately, you're not always lucky to get) you can often find out what the dancer's strengths or weaknesses are – a clue as to what to focus on in practice.
**Whatever your child's feis results please remember to be a positive and encouraging influence on them! They have been working so hard in class, and it takes a lot of guts to compete!**
After the Feis…
You've spent months getting ready to compete and it's hard to believe that it's all over… well, until the next feis anyway!
Q: How do I know when my child is ready to move up a level?
A: Beginners are entitled to remain in Beginner level for an entire year, by which time they will not only be more experienced dancers, they will be more experienced competitors too. Unless the parent and Miss Lauren together decide otherwise, your child will move up to Advanced Beginner after one year of lessons.
It is important to keep a record of your feis results. In Advanced Beginner, a result of 1st , 2nd or 3rd in a dance requires the child to move that dance up to the next level on January 1st of the following year, regardless of when the award was won. It gets even tougher after that. A Novice dancer can only advance their dances with a 1st place win!
A sample feis record sheet is included here for your use. If you prefer you can find vendors at feiseanna or online that sell Feis Journals.
Wow – this has been a lot of information!
What if I still have questions?
Where to Get More Information….
Please don't ever hesitate to ask a more experienced McGrath Academy parent for help or advice. We're a friendly lot, and we've all been where you are now. Approach a parent at class, or use the resources below:
New Parent Mentor
Jennifer Spedden – jjsped@comcast.net
McGrath Academy Online
For all the latest school news, photos, and second hand dance items.
The website also lists local vendors, feiseanna, and recommended practice music.
http://www.mcgrathirishdance.com
The Teelin School website
Yes, we're actually recommending you look at this link from our friends at Teelin. They have put together a fantastic slide show presentation called First Feis. It will help you visualize everything that you've just read about.
http://teelin.com/firstfeis.htm
Feis Listings and Registration
For a calendar listing of all feiseanna in North America visit:
http://www.northamericanfeiscommission.org/
The feis registration service you will find most helpful in your first year:
Soft Spikes Hair Curlers
Soft Spikes are foam curlers that many of our Beginner and Advanced Beginner girl dancers use to give their hair a special look for feiseanna. They can be purchased at various feis and online vendors including:
http://www.softspikecurlers.com/