4, 3 (we are so proud of you)

M wanted Oireachtas (SRO 08) gear to be sweatpants, grey sweats when she has grey sweats already. Don't you want this really nice blue colored sweatshirt, or pink? "I have a pink one." (She likes blues, purples, and sometimes pinks, but her pink t-shirt is from a feis.) No, she wanted grey sweatpants that are the really baggy kind. Fine. The beautiful sun logo and the Oireachtas name down the leg.

And, on the butt? A 4 on the left side, and a 3 on the other. LOL.

4, 3

First night, Friday: Z&B met L, L's mom, M, and me, at the airport with his lovely daughter, and we drove to the Oireachtas hotel to check it out. This is it? Wow. How, well, resort-like. Correction, this IS a resort. Palm trees, arches, warm weather. The Oireachtas hotel, J.W. Marriot in Orlando, was an excellent location, of sufficient size, with room price arrangements comparable to others (normally much more). Quick in to get the (great, spiral-bound) program, looked at vendors where M found a foundation for her glitter makeup but we were whisked away before we could purchase it. Okay, admittedly, I was also chatting with the woman who I coordinated the dress buying with, her daughter in M and L's competitions. The ballrooms themselves were locked, so the three girls peeked into their respective ballrooms.

Day 1, Saturday:

Way too early Saturday morning, I told M and L to get up on the stage to practice their steps. Really, primarily, I wanted them to get a feel for THAT stage, and to get moving. They stood with big eyes, still behind the others who were on there already, practicing. They've danced for large audiences, they've danced on big stages, yet, this was IT. Ultimately, L loved how she could just travel on the Oireachtas champion-sized stage, so nice and large.

TCRG was there, w/ her breakfast, at 7:50 a.m., ready to watch M and L. TCRG is NOT a morning person; I really appreciate that she made that effort for her girls. I asked about M wearing buckles on her hardshoes, as TCRG wanted M to (M has natural turn out, usually), but M resisted (L isn't to wear buckles, as she has great drive and lift, but not natural turn out). TCRG said that at this point, let M do what she feels more comfortable with, so fine. "FiguresTeacher" (FT) was there, also, whom I also really appreciate, and who also truly cares about the dancers. M was nervous for her hardshoe (hornpipe), I as her mom could tell that, no smiles while dancing, but she really did well. Such a flood of relief; this round is over; L danced it, M danced it, they are not Oireachtas solo virgins any more. The teachers had other dancers to watch, gave specific comments for both girls (including "perfect," albeit no dancer is, and both girls missed a click, but it's quite positive and means the girls danced their own version of perfect to their capabilities, I assume).

Preparation for Round 2, softshoe reels. An experienced Oireachtas dancer sat in our row. I hadn't remembered her hardshoe being I tried to watch 124 dancers (out of 134 registered), but her reel looked fantastic to me, and I told her so. TCRG and FT returned in time for each girls reel. (Texting is a very useful and utilized form of communication at such an event -- no rings going off during a competition, and "M is up in 3 groups, Stage B" gives teachers up to date info to be there to watch, and pep talk as needed.) All TCRG's have the front row reserved and both M's TCRG and FT moved there. L's reel looked great. M was more comfortable than she'd been for her first round, and danced beautifully. She didn't know until afterwards that she'd danced with the young woman who placed 2nd last year, and who had placed 1st in previous years (yet M's rotation did not have her dancing with the young woman who won 1st the past 2 years, and again this year). TCRG and FT were beaming, and told M, "We are so proud of you."

No matter how M places, she did well for herself, and yes, I'm so proud, also. Just as L should be. Just as I told SO's youngest, "Congratulations simply on the honor of being chosen to be here." Yes, I confused the girl by saying congratulations previous to her dancing, but her dad was pleased with the message I was giving. "Did I get my lifts," M asked? "Yes, you got your lifts," she was told. At least, admirably enough and to the best of M's ability. What more can anyone ask of a dance competitor, than to try to take what or her (or his) teacher recommends, and dance her (or his) heart out?

Recalls would be after lunch. Um, okay. Lunch had started late, but no indication that it'd still be the full hour. It was much much longer than that hour (I will assume that correct tabulations took longer in part as U-14 girls was the largest group in the entire Oireachtas). I could not find anything adequate (boxed sandwich lunches were $20., and famous coffee shop didn't have their full selection of real food offerings at this spot. I also got TCRG a glass of wine that evening, for, get this, $14. yikes!). Yeah, dance school "team" friends had gotten to a grocery story, and M and (vegetarian) L could EAT something real. FINALLY, the competitor's #'s were being announced. L's was skipped over. Oh. Um, she didn't recall. Three judges each for Round 1 and Round 2, someone caught something and didn't catch something, I guess. We felt badly. M's competitor # was thee last one called. She recalled. Yeah, M's first Oireachtas and she recalled! Very exciting for her! The girl in the row with us, did not recall. Her mother said it was a surprise (I think she'd qualified for NANs previously even), but that's how it is sometimes. Some dancers had looked so fantastic, it was not a surprise to hear their competitor #'s announced.

Now, for M's set. It took SO long of a wait, FT told M to get out of line for a while (M had been called up to confirm her set dance, and the speed, so the live musicians could play it accurately). Another long wait, her 8-hand team (including L) was not only preparing and checking in next door, but needed to go on soon. FT (and others) told me to be sure M is not worried about making the 8-hand, but to concentrate on her solo's, i.e., set. The 8-hand stage had been informed of the conflict and juggled the order of those teams (and, I suspect, others from U-14 solo's also had a conflict with their U-15 8-hand figures teams). More waiting, so another inhaler break time, just in case, as consultations with M's pulmonologist has M currently taking her asthma medicine approximately 10 minutes previous to dancing, so she doesn't "die." M was the third to last competitor to dance her set, Drunken Gauger, which was only danced by two others in her entire competition. (One of these was the girl who won first place again for the third year in a row, and yes, danced fabulously all three rounds.) M's set looked good, to ME, anyway. TCRG and FT both ran in from watching (repeated World Qualifier cannot miss his round dancer) with his set, to catch the ending of M's. "She looked strong." Good. She did NOT "die," which is sometimes our biggest goal for M. There are three new adjudicators (judges) for Round 3, for nine judges total. One of her set dance judges actually ranked M as 16th, her highest ranking out of all nine judges.

M's 8-hand, Trip to the Cottage, well, they looked really good but with such height differences........ M had to change from poodle socks, to tights, and take out her wig, and un-braid her hair for the natural wavy (vice curly) look, and change dresses, and retake her inhaler as I followed her team up to next to dance lineups to take the inhaler and chamber from her. They did not recall, but they'd looked good, and danced it cleanly. They can be proud.

M not only recalled in her solo competitions, but she got 43rd place out of 124 dancers / competitors, WOW, amazing us all (two spots away from qualifying for NANs even). One of her dance friends got 4th, and truly deserved it just one of those absolutely consistently amazing dancers. M was so very happy up on stage there during awards. I'm so happy for her.

Day 2, Sunday:

I'd braided M and L's hair in preparation for their 4-hand dance, Humours of Bandon, in the afternoon. FT / TCRG decided curled hair, not wavy, so L's mom pulled out a curling iron and spent time curling their hair. The four girls danced in O-15 category, i.e., an age group up for three of them, but they are a good team. Being able to dance well solo is not the same thing as being able to dance well as a team member, and even those who can dance well as a figures team member may not gell well with that particular grouping of people. M was so tired waiting, having never caught up on rest from being sick earlier in the week (okay, I was still tired, too).

THIS IS NOT LETTING ME PARAGRAPH ANY MORE UGH UGH UGH. I tried to watch SO's daughter, albeit had missed her Round 1 (also hornpipe), and Round 2 (also reel). I just couldn't get a ride earlier, and needed a real breakfast, and the shuttle was going to cost I hear $19. per person each way. But, I'd called SO, and he said F had recalled. Wow, that's awesome, and I paused. "You didn't expect this, did you?" He expressed some relief along with pride, surprise, and happiness, "No." She'd just moved up to all Prizewinner dances in her regular feiseanna competitions, so this Oireachtas solos for her was thought of as being for the experience and to learn from it. Awesome, I'd catch her set, then, and kept checking her room and SO was to text me but did not. Between watching our dance school's dancers, and helping M get ready for her 4-hand, and trying to reserve seats, I missed F's set. Daggnabbit. I caught her just after, however, and told her how happy I was for her, and visually her makeup and demeanor and everything looked good, so I told her she'd looked really good. (I complained to SO later that he did not text me!)

ANOTHER PARAGRAPH SIGH!!!!!!! There were either 46 or 44 teams dancing the O 15 (over 15) 4-hand. TCRG went up to our girls, and let them know that her Irish dance teacher was watching, so don't embarrass her in front of him. Actually, we all know that these girls wouldn't, and that they'd take that as an extra push. FT talked with them, also. They saw some other real good teams, and when they went up, then danced their best. Yeah for them, as FT said, "Not perfect, but..." and something about how awesome it was.

ANOTHER PARAGRAPH Now, to prepare for Dance Drama, which L's mom was a major parent helper with so I stayed as seat holder. Their team went second out of three teams, and the audience really seemed to enjoy it. TCRG's goal was to allow her dancers to end on a good note, have a positive experience, and entertain with a good dance show. People laughed with little angel flipped her hair like a harumpf to the little devil, they laughed when the disc jockey came out in his get up, and when wife and mistress pretended to be upset with philandering husband. It was fun, it was really good, just technically they missed a couple things so got third out of three. They still cheered, they were still so proud as a team. Yes, TCRG, you accomplished your goal with this.

ARGH ON THE PARAGRAPHS!!!!!! My adult friend, LF, and his mixed-ceili team successfully defended their first place title, yeah! SO's daughter not only recalled, but placed well at 23rd; M thinks that F may have even qualified for NANs! Just amazing.

And, the 4-hand team? They huddled linked together, bouncing up and down as team # and team # were called for placement, from 22nd place (or 23rd?), down to top 10 teams, to top 5 teams. They screamed and cheered and eagerly went onstage when their team was called as 4th place. "I don't even know if they realize how big this is," FT said. Eh, maybe, maybe not, but they are thrilled. :)

PARAGRAPH Long weekend, pricier as we couldn't just walk back and forth from Oireachtas hotel to Overflow hotel nor get readily to affordable food options like we could in Atlanta, but eh, life goes on. My daughter is very, very happy to have been 43rd (solos), and 4th (4-hand), and enjoyed the experience of getting 3rd (dance drama). So, 43, 4, and 3rd, with a good team of dancers and parents and teachers.

TO ADD EARLIER IN THE POST ONCE BLOGGER ALLOWS ME TO DO THAT OY OY OY: I found out on the flight to Orlando, that a costume piece I'd purposefully removed from M's dress bags, a piece used more typically for dance performances with her performing troupe, is also one of the costume pieces she must have for the dance drama performance. Oh. We did not tell M this. I did reach the dog walker, and E. "I was about to go shopping for the (his 3rd dance group) gift exchange tomorrow morning, how important is this?" "Critical." He did meet up with dog walker, who'd gone in to retrieve said dress, and found the "overnight delivery" location, which of course was to close within about 20-45 minutes after our plane landed. I went ahead and asked him to send down M's eyeglasses, also, somehow left in her school bag. M described it as the Vera Bradley........ um, E, just look for an eyeglass case. The package made it, and not until Sunday night, when FT was nice enough to drive M and me, along w/ FT's daughter and herself, to dance school party, that M knew that this costume piece / dress had not flown down with us. At one point of the dance drama, M is in front of that section of dancers wearing that particular dress. As SO said, him also a sometimes member of that 3rd dance group, "Yes, I can tell E that it was critical."

ALSO TO ADD AS I CAN'T EDIT THIS ENTRY PROPERLY RIGHT NOW: M and L's dance friend E who I'll need to get a nickname for, didn't dance her solo's! We were worried, had finally found her name in the program book, but oh, she'd had a stress fracture. She couldn't dance in her school's choreography, but she did dance in one or two figures teams, and I think one placed. It was good to see M's various dance friends, even C boy, who danced really well for himself and talks with M and L at this point.

MORE: and, M's new solo dress? I had no problem zipping it up her back anytime this past weekend; it fit fine again. phew:) Very nicely, the woman whose daughter won 1st place in U 14 last year wearing the gold sequined solo dress, watched M dance in it this year. Admittedly, her daughter is good friends with another competitor in this year's U 14 solo competitions (who WQ'd I think, yeah). Still, this woman came up to me after awards Saturday night, introduced herself to us and spoke well of M, congratulating her. It is nice to meet others, and I'm please to know she did this. Her daughter still placed quite highly in her (U-15 ) competition, but not as highly. I hope she's still pleased.