Dates to remember: Our next class Feis will be held on Sunday November 27th 2016.
Class Feis 2017 February Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th
Class Feis 2017 May26th/27th
World Championships Sat April 8th-Sunday APril 16th
Class Feis Nov 17th/18th or 24th/25th
News: Leinster Championships Nov 2016. We would like to congratulate all our dancers who qualified for the World Irish Dance Championships at the recent Oireachtas in Gormanstown. We are very proud of your hard work and all you have achieved. To a total of 48 dancers solo and Ceili. Thank you also to all the parents for your hard work and dedication to the Fegan Academy of Irish Dancing.
Competition: Lets start at the beginning. Do take some time to read.
Competition usually starts with class Feis events. A child could be ready for a class competition maybe a few months after starting a class, depending on their age. This is a fun event. If your child is eager to learn it is the perfect experience. Dances performed are exercise movements, make up dances for the younger children and then on to the real dances for the children who are starting to pick up the steps. Reels, Light Jigs, Slip jigs, Single Jigs, Hard shoe dances such as hard jig and hornpipes.
Class Feis events take a lot of work and are expensive to run. For many years we hired out venues to run these events and we had to charge adults at the door to help cover expenses. Now with our new studio. We have still many over heads, however we do not charge on the door and invite all spectators free of charge to this lovely event. There is a charge for the children to take part in the class Feis and it starts at €20 for beginners. Dances include Exersizes, Reel, light jig and 2 hand jig. As the children advance they have a lot more dances. Fee can cost €25 (Reel,Light Jig,SlipJig, Single Jig, 2 hand Reel/jig and championship hard jig. Fee: €30 Dances such as Reel, Light Jig, Slip Jig, SingleJig, 2 hand Reel/Jig, Championship hard jig and championship soft shoe dance. Also at this top stage a few more of their dances may be included at the same rate. As the class feis is only run once or twice a year the children like to perform all the dances they know. Remembering this is also a competition more dances gives more opportunity to win a prize. Still not everyone can win first place however. There is a reduction for 2 or more children in the same family. Also if parents find a feis too expensive they can also opt out of some of the dances on the day which reduces their entry. ( Some times extra feis events may be thrown on to the yearly calender. Short and sweet and inexpensive)
The aim of our class Feis is not to make money, even though this is our livelihood. These events are to encourage our dancers, award them for their hard work throughout the year. To make them realize that they are good at what they are doing and to make sure they feel confident about their dancing and themselves. These events also encourage parents and children who are very interested to see the potential in their child and maybe send their children for some extra classes. We then get the opportunity to show you that we have the ability to turn your child into a star dancer. This is what we are good at. This is what we were born to do. We are part of the highest organisation of Irish dance and one of the best schools in Ireland and the World today. Irish dancing is not for everyone. We understand this and we cater for all aspects of fun, shows and competition. We are very grateful for all who take part in our school/Academy even if it is for a short time.
Class Feiseanna also gives us the teachers the opportunity to see each child in competition style and pick up on how they are performing. Also we see which areas need to be improved on. Most times we pick up on small mistakes the child may be making that we may not have noticed before. Class Feis events are especially great for the girls who now attending the bigger open Feis events. It is very important for all children to attend their class Feis. It is only twice a year if that and this should be your way of supporting your school and teachers who are our with your children at the open Feiseanna each week giving their time. There will always be beginners but for the advanced groups they grow together and if your child is not taking part with her group then we would have to stop these events. It is also important that we have you here at this stage to show our beginners what beautiful trained dancers we have.
These stages of competition are extremely important for all the children. You will be able to see the improvement and eventually your child reaching the top of the class Feis chain, where your aim should be. This means they at this stage should be doing very well in the open Feis scene and soon sadly to be finished with their class feis events.
Some children enjoy these events so much they decide to come to more classes and this is where we build on our champions and the beautiful school of excellent high class champion dancers we have today. Some beginners may enjoy the Feis so much they want to attend more and this is the stage where I can prepare them for what is known as open competition. Open competition are held throughout Dublin and the country and the children represent our school by dancing out at these events. Class Feiseanna brings together all the children we teach no matter what area or school they come from. I encourage parents to bring along your child and enjoy this experience. Don’t wait for their friends to make the commitment. We see our school as one and we have children waiting for you to join them. Every event brings on improvement in a child’s dance style. Class Feiseanna are very important for the improvement of your child’s dancing The experience they take away from their involvement and watching others is amazing.
We celebrate our winners on the day with lovely prices and also award perpetual trophy awards at each Feis. These awards are given out to the best dancer on the day picked by the adjudicator. The best worker in class picked by the teacher and many other awards also. The perpetual awards are kept for one year. You should have your name engraved on it and then it is sent back at the end of the year and given out again and each year passed on. It is nice to have your name on it as it passes through the years. We do engraving at the feis and this service costs €3 per name tag or you can have it done outside the school. This is not a problem. It is nice to have some of your trophies engraved with dates and your child’s age so you can look back in years to come.
Feis events are very beneficial for each stage of your child’s development and if missed your child can miss out on a really nice stage of Feiseanna. If very keen to learn and improve in Irish dance do listen to your teacher and follow our guidance.
At a class Feis/competition each child is given the opportunity to experience and enjoy competitive dancing in a relaxed atmosphere. Every child will receive at least one award, after that it will be the best on the day who will receive more prizes. All prizes are set before the event depending on how many in each group etc, Your child will get the chance to meet many new children from our other classes some of similar age and grade as themselves. Great friendships are made through dancing.
We also have our dance shop on the premises “DanceLand” where you can purchase all your dance gear.
What should your child wear?
Anyone with a full costume should wear this of course. If you are only starting out, children should wear the club black circular skirt/ black club t shirt, white dance socks and hairband. All available through myself or in our dance shop at the Fegan Academy.
Boys should wear black trousers,socks and a nice shirt.
Advancing in feis mode. Next Feis (open Feis’s)
These events referred to as open feiseanna are held all over the country. Usually we would send beginners out to a feis around the Dublin area. Children may not be ready for an open feis until after a year or more of dancing. We are perfectionist and we do like all our class to be very well trained before wasting time and money entering too many feis’s. When we feel your child is ready we will let you know and then starts the experience of the open feiseanna.
There is great fun to be had as children try to improve and win their grades. See our section on grades (about dancing) This can be where many children take off on a path of their own and make Irish dancing their main hobby. Others may just decide to drop in and out when they can. Whatever suits is what you should do.
COMPETITION ENTRIES
Class feiseanna may be paid by sending fee requested in an enclosed envelope with child’s name and class on the front of envelope. It may be given to me at the end of a class or at the event.
Open competitions for grade feiseanna are usually paid on the day of feis. When you arrive at the feis there is usually a table set up at the back of the venue with persons taking the entries. You enter your child’s name,dances they will compete in and the name of the school “Fegan Academy”.
Pre entry competitions: Please follow instructions for all pre entered Feiseanna. Unfortunately we do not make the deadlines and we must have Feis entries off in time. There may be an extra charge put on your entry to cover costs of that particular entry,postage,exchange of money visa charges etc.
AGE LIMITS: open feiseanna.
The age of a competitor shall be taken as on the 1st of January. Where a competitor’s birthday falls on 1st January he/she shall, for the purposes of competition be regarded as under the age attained on that day.
Do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
Winning
Winning is great and can give a child great confidence. Winning comes with hard work and dedication.
There may be a day one friend wins and the other may not do well. This is and will always be difficult for children and parents to deal with. It is hard to watch your child upset. However this is a lesson in life. It is very important how the adult deals with this situation as to how the child will see the situation. If your friend wins, try to feel happy for them. I know this can be difficult at times. It is their day and you will definitely have your day if you keep up the practice. You can always talk with us and tell us how your child is feeling after such events. Please parents remember like everything in life things take time. Winning takes time.
I know for some winning is important, especially the children. We also love to see you win. However the improvement is the biggest thing of all for us. We have no doubt in saying with improvement comes the winning. The style the grace and the perfection of a child’s dance performance is what we thrive on. The transformation into a beautiful dancer. We respect the adjudicator’s decision at Feis events but once we know you are ready to win even if you do not win, we are very happy and know your day will come.
PERFORMANCES:
As teachers we do not have legal copyrights over our material. However we work extremely hard on all material given to the children for the benefit of Feis events. These steps may not only be danced by your child but there may be many other children in the class working on them also. Therefore it is extremely important that you do not allow your child to put our steps up on any social media or similar. This is one of the reasons why our organisation and others do not allow any video recording at any of the Feiseanna as steps can then be copied. Please do check with us if your child has been asked to take part in a show or similar. We can provide show material for these events.
Please ensure you fill in all forms when joining up. We have a very active web page and Facebook and would like written permission from each parent to allow your child’s photo to be used or not as the case may be.
Thank you.