The Irish word feis (pronounced “fesh”) means festival, but is more commonly used to describe a sanctioned Irish dance competition. Dancers who compete must be students in good standing of a TCRG certified instructor who is registered with the Irish Dance Teacher's Association of North America. With instructor's consent, these students are eligible to compete in NAFC feiseanna (plural of feis, pronounced “FESH-nah”).
Some students enjoy the opportunity to compete, and some students prefer to focus their efforts on other aspects of Irish dance. Choosing to compete is a personal decision, and Teelin supports and respects each dancer's various interests.
(Note: Irish dance competitions are NOT related to performing with the Teelin Irish Dance Company. Some students are involved with both, some students with just one or the other, some students are not involved with either and just dance for recreation.)
TEELIN GUIDELINES
Follow the guidelines listed in the documents below, and remember to check with Maureen before advancing to the next level (EXCEPT, if a dancer wins first in a novice competition, then move that dance up to prizewinner right away). Please report your wins to the "competitionstuff" email. Happy feising, Teelin dancers!
Teelin Guidelines for Participating in Irish Dance Competitions
Irish Dance Competition Levels: Information for Moving through the Ranks
Everything You Need to Know About an Oireachtas
Oireachtas Figure Teams: Considerations for Paticipation
GETTING STARTED
Dancing in a feis requires a lot of concentration. Competitors of the same age and experience level perform their competition dances on stage to live Irish music. During each competition, two or three dancers perform their steps simultaneously, yet choreography is unique to each school, so competitors are each dancing different steps. It can be a great way for dancers to build confidence. But, competing can also be overwhelming if you are not prepared. Start with the following resources...
Feiseanna 101 - an article written to introduce Teelin families to Irish dance competitions
Attending Your First Feis - a photo story to help prepare for the big day
Tips for Competitors
FEIS JOURNAL
The Teelin Feis Journal is a helpful tool for dancers competing in Beginner through Prizewinner levels. It allows competitors to log each dance, which steps they performed, what their results were, and any notes they may want to remember. Please request your marks from each feis that you attend, enter the information in your Feis Journal, and share the journal with your Teelin instructors.
Teelin Feis Journal
Feis Journal Log Sheet (if your journal needs more pages…)
For even more information about Irish dance competitions, visit the library at diochra.com.