Marie Moore School of Irish Dance

Scotch Plains - Pennington

The Beginner's Stage

Click here for feis list

All the information, and then some, you need to know about Irish Dance.

First Feis

Just entered for your first feis? No real idea what to expect when you get there? Read on!

Your first feis will almost certainly be at our Garden State Feis.

When Marie and Frank feel a new dancer is ready to enter a competition,
they will consult the dancer's parents and provide instructions on how to enter the feis, etc.

As parents, do talk to the parents of more experienced dancers --
their advice can be very helpful. In the end, though, you'll only find out what a real
feis is like when you go to your first one. Many feiseanna are held in large schools and community halls,
and are usually full of dancers and their families rushing to and fro in what seems like utter chaos.

Don't be fooled, though -- most of them do know where they are going, but you won't be the
only first-timers there, and we all went through the same learning curve.

Tip number one: leave yourself plenty of time for your journey, finding your way to the right
place at the feis, putting on the costume, warming up, etc. Giving yourself plenty of time means
you can enjoy the experience. After all, that's the point!

Tip number two: be sure your dancer has had something to eat, and drinks plenty of
liquid during the competition. Studies suggest that as little as 10%
dehydration results in significant loss of muscle power.

Arrival

Congratulations! You've passed the first test -- finding the venue -- and have managed to park the car.
Grab all that gear, load up the kids (that's what they're for, isn't it?),
and make your way to the entrance. You might have to hunt around,
but head for the place where the majority of people are coming and going, and ask somebody.

At the entrance, you may have to pay a few dollars for each adult, unless you paid a family fee
when you registered. Dancers and other kids are usually free. You may also be able to buy a program,
which will hopefully list all the entrants in each age group and grade.
The names might not mean much to you at this stage, but you will soon be able to
match names to faces if your dancer continues to compete.

Unless registration has been done in advance and you already have a competitor number,
the next job will be to find the registration desk to obtain your dancers number.
Ask the person on the door where this is, or follow the signs.

Tip: If you don't have a timetable, try to find out which competition is
immediately before yours in the same hall, and which dances are included in that competition.
This is useful so that you can tell when it is nearly time for you to be ready.

Armed with your dancer's number, the next job is to find out where within the venue your competition(s)
are being held. The main hall, probably with a stage, is often reserved for championships.
Non-championship competitions are usually staged in sports hall, gyms, etc.
Ask the feisworkers where you should go, and look for signs, arrows, etc.

You may find yourself in a 'split' hall.
This is where one musician sits between two or three 'stages' and
plays for all competitions at the same time. Somewhere between the audience and
the dance area(s), there will be a small desk and a chair for the adjudicator.

Setting up

Now you've found the right hall, the next jobs are to find somewhere to sit! Foldable sports chairs are great.

Unlike championship dancers, who need to highlight their features on stage, beginners usually dance right under the adjudicator's nose, and heavy make-up can be very off-putting -- especially on younger dancers.

A couple more tips, then: if you have time, find the cafeteria, a changing area,
or a quiet corner, and do the hair job; and remember that if all else fails, there will be a changeover of
dancers and parents when the previous competition ends. If you are quick (and you sometimes need to be!)
you will manage to grab a couple of seats. Now you can relax a little --
at least until your competition is about to begin.

Nearly time

It can be difficult at first to know when the previous competition is about to end (see our tip, above).
Competitions generally (but not always) run to a similar pattern, however, with a number of light dances, possibly a trophy light dance, then a number of heavy dances, and possibly ending with a trophy heavy. If in doubt, look out for the parent of a dancer who is competing. They will most likely know what dances are still to come.

At least 20 minutes before your competition is to start, your dancer should have socks and shoes on, and be going through his/her warming up routines, and practicing the steps of the dance about to be performed.

With ten minutes to go, check that the dancer has been to the loo -- difficult in full costume! Then it's time to get the costume on (including pinning or tying the number in place), check that laces are tight, and that socks are clean and 'glued'.

Lining up

Before each dance, the dancers are called to line up at the side of the stage.
Don't be surprised if lots and lots of dancers suddenly appear --
these competitions can sometimes be large. Somebody will be there to help --
especially with younger dancers.

Dances are usually performed with three dancers on stage at a time, but Marie and Frank will
have coached them in what to do before and after dancing.
A smile is good from time to time -- everybody likes to see dancers enjoying themselves.

That's it. Your dancer is on stage. Good luck!

Etiquette

If you go to enough feiseanna, you will see people doing the strangest things. Some dos and donts are:

Do:

* Be quiet and stay seated while dancers are performing.
* Respect the fact that some dancers are nervous or easily distracted.
* Remember to praise your dancer for his/her efforts.
They've done well just getting up there!

Dont:

* Take flash photographs or video while dancers are on stage. This is against An Coimisiún rules.
* Allow other children to run around noisily.
* Comment about other dancers/parents/adjudicators/musicians/etc.
* Complain loudly if your child doesn't win. Like the referee in football, an adjudicator never changes his/her mind!
* Allow food or drink to be spilled on the floor
(most competitions are food- and drink-free zones anyway -- although dancers' drinks are usually OK).
* Use hairspray or other aerosols in confined spaces -- they can cause breathing problems for some people.

Feis Checklist

As with most things, everybody has their own way of preparing for a feis.
One useful item is a 'feis checklist' -- it saves trying to remember everything each time.

Below is an example checklist. It probably includes things you don't need
(especially if you're a fella!) and omits some others, but it might form the basis of your own.

* Costume and shawl
* Makeup
* Costume bloomers
* Shorts
* Crown/tiara
* bandaids/blister first aid
* Wig/hairnet/spray/etc
* Safety pins
* bobby pins
* Hairbrush
* Competition number (or pick up at feis)
* Hair ties
* Maps/directions
* Light shoes
* Record book/pen
* Heavy shoes
* Elastics for heavy shoes (if you use them)
* Camera (film, batteries?) NO photos of dancing on stages please:)
* Poodle socks
* Tape for shoes/scissors
* Drinks (plenty)
* Shoe shine kit
* Snacks
* Holder or cord for number
* Books/puzzles for long waits

Click here for feis list

*Beginners info courtesy of www.mcgahanlees.com

Locations include Scotch Plains and Pennington, NJ.
For further information please call (908) 322-9099 or email us at cunniffex3@msn.com.

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