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 ERIN CONCANNON,
Joe Bitter from Carey, Birmingham, England
2011 British Nationals Irish Dancing Champion
Mackenzie Mahler from Blakey, Canada
2011 British Nationals Irish Dancing Championship
by CAITLIN BUCK, Feis America Magazine contributor
Excitement was tangible inside the historic Josephine Theater in San Antonio, Texas last month. The Inishfree School of Irish Dance, under direction of World champion Neill Reagan and former Lord of the Dance lead Patrick McCarthy, was about to open the curtains on their first recital!
A total of 19 acts, the show, dubbed "Celtic Rhythm", was a showcase of Inishfree dancers ages 4 to adult and Irish musicians Jim and Maggie Fox. The funds from the recital helped send Inishfree dancers to the 2011 North American Irish Dancing Championships and provided an opportunity to invite some very special guests from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Eight-year-old Inishfree dancer Meredith Slimp is an inspiration as she danced herself into Prelims and onto the National’s stage this year, not letting her diabetes stand in the way. As she danced in the “Cotton-Eyed Joe” number, her love of dance absolutely glowed in her bright smile.
Inishfree hopes this is the first of many recitals to come as the school extends across the south into Austin, Texas and Mexico.
Photo Credit: Caitlin Buck
Kieran Jordan, founder of Boston Percussive Dance
The famous Granada Theater in downtown Santa Barbara, California is the venue for the red carpet premiere of "Ireland - The Show", a Rapidfire Entertainments production.
Co-produced by Ethan Walker and Owen Barrington and choreographed by Sinead Fallon, the show features six exceptional world-class Irish dancers with live music performed on-stage. With no leads, no 'click track' and a significant financial and emotional investment, "Ireland - The Show" promises to move the fortunate audience tonight who gets to be a part of its birth.
The top ten girls Under -17A take the stage for awards at the 2011 North American Irish Dance Championships.
Top 7 and World Qualifiers Ladies under 18a
with Champion Kelly McCourt from Gray (CT)
Jennie G. from Clarkson with McClanahan’s Colleen M., Darcy G. and Clare S. before the flash mob
Dancers sneak towards the flash mob at Nashville’s Riverfront Park
Dancing up a storm at Riverfront Park!
One favored plus to attending huge Irish dance competitions? Catching up with your buds from different schools. The 2011 North American Irish Dance Championships, which took place July 2-6 in Nashville, Tennessee was the perfect spot for buds to come together and support one another, making some new friendships along the way.
Thanks to
For more Feis Followups delivered to your mailbox every other month, subscribe NOW to North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine, Feis America!
by ERIN BAILEY
After 10 years of dancing my body hurt. My feet had been broken, my hips and knees were starting to become worn down and I had accomplished my goals. It was an easy decision for me to hang up the shoes and hand down the costumes to the next generation of dancers. I’ll never stop being an Irish dancer, but when I graduated high school, I stopped being a competitive one.
This wasn’t the case for many of my peers, though. Some found teachers with schools near their universities and continued training. Others kept their dancing shoes tapping by gathering the dance community together at their respective universities and starting a club.
At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, there is a large presence of students hailing from the Chicagoland area. Not surprisingly, many former Irish dancers. Upon realizing this, a group of girls gathered a few friends and began IDentity, a registered student organization allowing U of I dancers to continue their love for the sport.
by ERIN CONCANNON
Sometimes nerves can get the best of us, but when you’re dancing your heart out and trying your hardest to be No. 1, you can’t afford to have your nutrition let you down.
One of the biggest tips I’ve learned from dance is to always eat healthy. Trust me, it will help you in the long run. So while you’re packing up your dancing bag and prepping for the next feis, consider grabbing up these goodies.
Don’t forget to pack your bag with other travel-sized snacks like granola bars and pretzels to munch on between rounds and results. Remember, you can never have enough healthy goods to keep you energized throughout the day…and potential long trip home.
and Ryan Kilcoyne (PA)
Nashville, Tennessee has one of the greatest fireworks displays every Independence Day and this year, the continent's very best Irish dancers kicked up some sparks of their own here! The team titles for the North American Irish Dancing Championship teams and most of the boy's solo titles were up for grabs on Monday, July 4th at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
Amy Bessey, Lizzie MacLellan, Kristen Towey and Victoria Goddard
from Proto-Casano (MA) enjoy the colorful fountain show
at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
Feis America hosted a Meet ‘n Greet for the Moms to Reel Boys FaceBook group at the North American Irish Dancing Championships in Nashville, Tennessee. Kristen Wilkins, mom to ‘reel boy’ Griffin Wilkins coordinated the gathering of Harney Academy (MA), joining with Kristin Tousignant from Ontario, Declan Meagher from Marie Moore in New Jersey and Ethan Long from McTeggart.
"Grandma Jane" with Megan Ferrara
from Harney (MA)
Cora and friend waiting for recalls Saturday.
Cassidy Brown and Cameran Rohan from Griffith (CT)
with Megan Ward from Pender-Keady (CT)
Alexis Plavel, Keiren Noe and Taryn Howells
from Maguire (AZ)
Emily Marino from Rince na Tiarna in New York
2011 North American Irish Dancing Champion under 10
Gabriella Wood from Petri School (NY)
2011 North American Irish Dancing Champion
Ladies under 19
Congratulations to 2011 North American Irish Dancing Champion for Ladies under 19 Gabriella Wood from the Petri School in New York. This is Wood’s SIXTH North American National Irish Dancing Championship (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010). She is also a two-time World Irish Dancing Champion (2005 and 2009), having won 2nd place in 2011 and 3rd place in 2010. An undefeated Mid-Atlantic Region Champion since she started competing in 2003, Wood also holds the 2007 Great Britain title and the 2005 All Britain championship titles.
Saturday at the North American Irish Dancing Championships in Nashville, Tennessee! Dancers and teachers practicing, mingling and making great memories at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
Boland School unifies with great purple tees!
Waiting on awards!
Nadine Martin from Doherty (England/Wales)
2011 North American Irish Dancing Champion
Ladies under 20
Greetings from Nashville and the Irish Dance Teacher's Association of North America's flagship event, the North American Irish Dancing Championships! Saturday’s competitions for titles in six age groups culminated in an exciting celebration last evening in the Delta Ballroom.
Welcome to Nashville, home of the 2011 North American Irish Dancing Championships! Here meet some of Feis America's friends and fans for life as they check in and start to explore the amazing Gaylord Opryland Hotel! Good luck to all of you on qualifying to dance here at NAN... it's a great achievement!
Caitlin Gash and Katie Lawler from Sheila Tully (IL)
National qualifiers from the Harney Academy of Irish Dance in Massachusetts
checking in after the flight to Nashville from Providence!
Hello from Nashville, Tennessee and the Gaylord Opryland Hotel where the 2011 North American Irish Dancing Championships (NAIDC) have started today! Hosted by the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America (IDTANA), this year's event honors past presidents of the organization.
