Go Feis - The Irish Dance Blog
by Kathleen O’Reilly-WildRSS 
Recent Posts
- Songs for the 1st – 2nd September Irish Dancing Competitions - VIDEOS
- Songs for the 25th – 26th August Irish Dancing Competitions – VIDEOS
- Songs for the 18th – 19th August Irish Dancing Competitions – VIDEOS
- Songs for the 11th – 12th August Irish Dancing Competitions – VIDEOS
- Championship training for Irish dancers - tips from teachers on Oireachtas Part 1
Archives
by PATRICIA MCNAMARA,
Heading to Pennsylvania this weekend for the Pittsburgh Winter Feis 2011? Or maybe you’re just starting to think about the feiseanna to tackle in 2012.
No matter your competitive destination this holiday weekend, we wanted to share four New Year’s tunes you should add to your own playlist before lacing up and taking the stage. Best of luck to all competitors and be sure to come back and share your results with us!
“Celtic New Year” – Van Morrison
Its mellow tune will keep you relaxed on the ride to competition.
Listen to this song and start envisioning your best dancing marks in 2012.
by PATRICIA MCNAMARA,
Irish dance classes are done for the season! And there’s a lull in feiseanna this week. It’s the perfect time to spend some extra quality time with the family—away from the competitive stress.
Bust out these Christmas classics and you’ll not only be reminded of your rich Irish heritage, but rejuvenated in time to throw those hard shoes on after the holiday feasting dies down.
“Curoo, Curoo” – The Clancy Brothers
The smooth beat of this classic might just put you to sleep.
The progressive chorus of this tune is very powerful…and uplifting.
Eastern Canada More Girls Solo Results
The O'Brien and Sulger families have double the celebrating to do after the New England Irish Dancing Championships held November 18-20 in Providence, Rhode Island. Claire O'Brien, Ladies under 20 Champion and Charlotte Sulger, Girls under 8 Champion are the second child from each family to win the Irish dancing championship in New England in the same year as a sibling. Defending Men under 18 Champion Conor O'Brien and defending Girls under 14 Champion Anna Sulger were delighted to see their siblings climb to the top of the New England podium in 2011. The O'Briens and Anna Sulger are qualified to compete at the World Irish Dancing Championships which will be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2012. Charlotte Sulger is too young to compete at Worlds, whose first competition category is Under 10.
Claire and Conor O'Brien, who grew up in Newton, Massachusetts are both students at Tufts University in Boston, where they are part of dance clubs on campus. Fortunately, the O'Briens are able to continue their instruction at the O'Shea-Chaplin Academy of Irish Dancing, where they have been studying Irish dance since before the age of five.
by CAITLIN BUCK, Now that Oireachtas season is over, we can relax a little. But that doesn’t mean you should take a break from all sorts of exercise. Here are a few of our favorite ab workouts to keep that Irish dancing body in shape during the holiday hiatus.
1) The Plank
by PATRICIA MCNAMARA,
Heading to Ottawa this weekend for Feile Nollaig or to Palm Springs for the Comerford Feile na Nollaig? How about Massachusetts for the O'Shea Chaplin Christmas Feis?
No matter your competitive destination this weekend, we want to share four seasonal tunes you should add to your own playlist before lacing up and taking the stage. Best of luck to all competitors and be sure to come back and share your results with us!
The R&B holiday spin lends a funky rap to keep ya occupied during that long car ride to competition.
At the end of Saturday's awards ceremony at the Southern Region Irish Dancing Championships, the traditional Parade of Champions began! After dozens of teams were awarded medals and perpetual trophies, the older men and ladies took the stage for their solo championship parade! The 2011 Southern Region Irish Dancing Champions from boys and girls under 18, under 19, and 20 & over (a.k.a. Senior) danced for everyone in the ballroom to end the celebration.
McTeggart's 2nd place Zane Glotzpach and 12-Time Regional Champion Jason Hays
at Southern Region Irish Dancing Championships!
Three seems to have been one of the magic numbers last night at the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America - Southern Region Irish Dancing Championships! Three ladies from Drake Irish Dance swept the solo competitions with Amanda Carpenter, Christina Deacy and Catie Foley all clinching the titles for Senior Ladies, Ladies under 20 and Ladies under 19. Catie Foley is the defending champion for the region, having also placed 4th at the North American Irish Dancing Championships in July.
Three young men also rocked the stage, winning championships for Senior Men, Men under 20 and Men under 18. Jason Hays and Alex Mowatt-Larssen, both from McTeggart, defended their 2010 regional titles and Colin Barkell from Maple earned the Senior Men title. To add to the excitement, Hays and Mowatt-Larssen were part of McTeggart's 15 & Over Choreography team which won for the second year in a row!
