I’ve started a Cornell School of Irish Dance page on Facebook. If you’re a Facebook user please click to like us. You’ll be able to see blog updates from your Facebook timeline. I’ll also be posting pictures from our shows and events there.
Saturday June 16th will be the date of our end of the year event, tentatively scheduled from 4:30 – 9:00. More information to come very soon.
Last year was a breakout year for the Cornell School at the Oireachtas. We implemented a new training schedule that resulted in a 2nd place for one of our eight hand teams, a 3rd place for one of our four hands, and a Cornell record, 4 solo dancers qualifying for the North American championships as well as many other personal dancer bests. It was a very successful weekend, one we’re going to improve upon for this coming year.
Obviously the training schedule we used last year was effective, so we’re going to leave it largely intact with only a couple of minor changes from last year. On the dancing side we’re going to add an hour and a half of solo dancing on the 6 Wednesdays leading up to the November weekend.
The other change this year… drumroll… it’s going to be cheaper.
Last year to attend the full day summer camp, the full fall workshop, the extra Sunday and Wednesday teams classes was a total of $600. We’re offering the same program, with the addition of an extra weekly solo class this year for just $400.
Below is a tentative schedule of Oireachtas classes.
Summer Camp #1
July 16th – 20th
Summer Camp #2
August 13th – 17th
Kathleen K. Workshop
August 25th – 28th
Fall Workshop
October 26th – 27th
Sunday 1:00 – 3:00 (September 9th – November 4th)
Wednesday 7:00 – 9:00 (October 3rd – November 7th)
I need conformation from all dancers planning on attending to compose the teams. Please email me with you intentions no later then June 16th.
*Students attending the Oireachtas for the first time will only be required to attend half of the summer camp and half of the fall workshop
**Students must attend at least one of the summer camps, they are invited and encouraged to attend both at no additional cost.
The folks over at the Tully School of Irish Dance have a great article on preparing for the feis.
WHAT SHOULD I HAVE IN MY FEIS BAG?
These are some helpful suggestions of what you should pack for a day at the feis!
Dance Supplies:
MOST IMPORTANT!!! Bring your Irish Dance shoes (soft and hard)
- Poodle socks (and even an extra pair)
- Sock glue
- Crocs or sandals to wear around with soft shoes on or with your socks on.
- Black shoe polish, rag (keep in a separate Ziploc bag) Polish shoes the night before!
- Your costume in a dress bag on a hanger
- Your wig and headband if you have one
- Safety Pins for your competition number(and emergencies).
*You should come to the feis with everything on (except perhaps your costume), which can be put on last.
Beauty Supplies:
- Bobby pins
- Small rubber bands for hair under wigs
- Comb/brush
- Small hair spray
- Waterless soap
Extras:
- Bring your feis information, a pen, a highlighter and the feis syllabus if needed.
- Bring a camera-but NO pictures during dancing!
- Bring your own cooler to keep in the car. Most feiseanna don’t allow them inside. Pack small snacks to bring in your dance bag. Bring easy, not messy foods-pretzels, power bars, fruit, etc. Do not eat in your costume!
- Bring a blanket or chair to sit on. Check each feis syllabus for rules about “camping” and what you can bring to the feis as each one is different.
- Bring money for vendors and food.
- Bring a headset and Irish Dance CD to practice steps to while waiting.
- Bring cards, paper and markers, a book-any kinds of small entertainment in case of a wait.
- Bring extra clothes to change into after dancing. A zip hoodie (remember your wig is on!)and comfy pants/shorts are great to wear in between dances when your costume is off.
Extra zip loc bags always come in handy!
REMEMBER: If you forget anything, there is usually a vendor there selling it or a fellow dancer to borrow from! The worst thing you will miss is your own shoes and of course, if you forget your costume, you can’t dance!
What it’s really all about
Yes, a feis is a competition but it is meant to be fun. Just having the courage to get up on stage and dance a complicated set of steps in front of a multitude of strangers, not to mention a judge, deserves an award in and of itself. Doing your best, having fun, and making new friends is what it’s really all about.
Source: Tully School
Our summer beginner session will run July 10th – August 28th. Registration is open now and is offered on a first come first serve basis.
Tuesday Night – Chatham Studio
6:00 – 6:30 Beginner Under 6 – $80
6:30 – 7:30 Beginner 6 and up – $140
Registration is online at http://www.cornellirishdance.com/
This is awesome!
Perhaps an idea for next year’s fusion show…
The deadline to enter the Forest City Feis is tomorrow and you can still register until April 27th with a $10 late fee.
Feising is an important part of the Irish Dance experience, as it provides the “reward” for all of the hard work dancers put in while at class. We encourage all dancers to participate from the youngest beginner to the oldest champions.
You can head over to www.efeis.com to enter.
If you run into any trouble during the registration just give us a shout, we’re here to help.
The Board of Directors had a Board meeting this weekend and also hosted our Annual General Meeting.
Cornell Irish Dancers Association welcomes our new Board of Directors. They are as follows:
President- Karen Wilbur
Vice-President-Kim Cox
Treasurers-Sarah Caron and Rachel Delaey
Secretary-Jackie Dick
We would like express our thanks to Juliette Delaey and Kevin McCauley for their many contributions during their time with the Association.
I know it’s early, but I wanted to get dates out so that people can plan their vacations. These summer camps are open to all dancers ages 7 and up. A minimum of one week is required by all dancers planning on taking part in the Oireachtas.
Camp # 1 – July 16th – 20th
Camp # 2 – August 13th – 17th
9:00 – 12:00 – Open to dancers all dancers ages 7 and up
The mornings will consist of soft shoe technique, stretch and strength, and teams.
1:00 – 4:00 – Open to dancers in Irish Grade 2 and up
The afternoons will focus on solo steps, both soft and hard in preparation for competition.
Register by June 1st please.
