Prepping for SRO 08

2008 Southern Region Oireachtas: SRO Quick Links

This is a summary of links on their website. Note the addition of a link to results. I'm hoping "those following along at home," such as my mother, will be able to check there if I'm so busy racing M from (hopefully!) recalls (with wig) to her 8-hand (with natural hair, curled) 1/2 hour later, on Saturday. Or for her 4-hand Sunday that's only a couple competitions before her Dance Drama.

Sunday at an excellent ceili, I was talking with a friend, LF, who will return to this year's SRO to defend his title. His team won first place in the adult 4-hand mixed last year. He pointed out to me that if I'm to (look on the schedule to find his comp to) watch them this year, that it's a MIXED team. Smiling, "Well, I didn't think it was all boys." "It's not all girls, either." LOL.

I also talked w/ DAID (Dad Addicted to Irish Dance), SO, whose daughter is a first-time "O" goer. She's in U-12, so will dance the same hardshoe (hornpipe) and softshoe (reel) as M does. I suggested that he may catch M and her Irish Dance school in their dance drama, as there are no other competitions held in conflict, and they are immediately before awards on Sunday, where he'll be, anyway. "And, what exactly is that?" Oh, he doesn't know. Dance Drama is when dancers all from the same Irish dance school, perform a story, all via dance. Music and props are allowed, but no talking by the dancers (only by the introducer). It was a bit odd to me that I was the one with more knowledge in something Irish stepdance related, as SO was our main mentor entering Irish stepdance. I'm extra thankful now that M had some experience on teams at Oireachtasi in previous years, to get that extra feel for an Oireachtas.

Yes, we're excited, no we're NOT ready as we're both under the weather blah I hate she's sick, I hate me being sick. E is counting the days and holds out hope for the weekend, wondering if she was just getting anxious while I was hoping she didn't throw up. It wasn't anxiety; they'd had 45 minutes of "stress management" pilates to end their official rehearsal time last night, and all give a rock. I think it was a play on the word Oireachtas (or-rock-tus, I think, roughly). She does get stressed over huge homework loads, and insisted on not missing any class time today even though she's not quite well. Nor am I but yes I came to work.

Hopefully she'll recoup her energy by Saturday bright and early check in at obscene hours of 7:00 a.m. for dancing 8:00 a.m. I'll just have to get our logistical stuff ready, yanno, that get to dance friends house to borrow a "flat cap" for M to use in dance drama, and I'm waiting for her inhaler refill to get approved and ready for pickup, oh, and finish laundry to pack. And double-check. And hope her "excuse letter" gets approved at school (thanks, Z&B), her biggest stressor. And verify that yes we do want SeaWorld tickets, promised to M 8 years ago.... At least I know where I'm taking the hermit crab, and who is watching our dog and cats, obtained a second pair of jazz pants as the first don't fit, that E is driving us to the airport, and who we're sharing a ride w/ to our hotel.

Last Friday, M had a gig at a charity event. Her tailbone hasn't been bothering her. She had hurt her calf running a 5K on Thanksgiving oy. I wasn't sure she should be dancing at this gig. ends up, she felt better dancing and moving it, than not, and worked it out by Monday, phew. M was w/ her dad over the long Thanksgiving weekend and this gig a lovely event particularly for younger children, so with M's half-sister, Si, scheduled to dance, why not have/ let M dance. Si, poor kid, was sick. I went to watch M and the others, and M had me stay backstage to help her get dressed and to talk. I was zipping up M's solo dress. "Oh, that feels a little tight." I paused. Wait, what'd M just say? "Oh, no, honey, this dress is going to fit you for another 2 weeks!" Someone else laughed, and suggested that perhaps it's from her Thanksgiving dinner. "I'm not wearing a shirt under it, either, Mom," M pointed out, as normally she also wears a cami or snug t-shirt. When Grandma bought M this dress not long ago, M had a shirt on under. I HOPE the dress fits through "Big Shows" in March. It HAS to fit through this weekend! It will, right?

It will all be an overall rewarding time, yes? I want her to feel well, I want her to do her best, no matter how that means against others (she needs to fell well and rested first, though). I'm so proud of her and how hard she's worked. She has REALLY worked hard, extra practices, etc. I hope she has a great time, no matter how she scores. Besides, TCRG said Dance Drama wasn't to win, albeit she wants it to look really good, it's to help insure that they all end up having a good time. It'll end their SRO 08 experience (well, then awards). Isn't enjoying it all, what dancing with friends should be?

photos from Culkin Feis 2008

This is M in her new dress, lined up to dance her hardshoe at the Culkin Feis held at Mount St. Mary's gymnasium the first Sunday of most Novembers. They danced two at a time, thankfully. Three at a time is too much for this age, IMHO, even if allowed if the stage is of sufficient size.





She did very well in her hornpipe (hardshoe dance). She also danced a reel in her ghillies (softshoe dance). Reel had always been her best and favorite dance, even treble reel went well (done in hardshoe). I'm not sure if it's the concentration on hardshoe to improve it, or all the percussion and hardshoe work in the performing troupe, or what, but her reel now, comparatively, needs more oomph or something. Still beautiful, however; it'd be difficult to say that any dancer at the preliminary champion level doesn't dance wonderfully for any dance.





Honestly, if a dancer has joy on his or her face, like the girls in their beginner school jumpers at a fundraiser last Sunday who were dancing their reels and slipjigs in time to a live band for the fun of it, not as their performance, it's all good.





Both TCRG and "FiguresTeacher" said that M was showing off her dress. It's not the dresses, really, it's how a dancer feels IN the dress (or costume, some dancers are boys and while they rarely wear kilts for competitions, they don't wear these fru fru dresses and "Shirley Temple" hair, i.e., wigs). The confidence, the joy, can carry over into how a dancer dances, combined with the technique and timing and hard work and natural ability, yadda yadda.





Unfortunately, photos aren't allowed to be taken while a dancer is in motion during a competition. A friend took this one of the line up. Note the other styles of dresses -- they get fancier and "more modern" as the levels get higher. (The girl in the red dress got 1st. Most of them become friends, or at least friendly, with each other. One girl shown is M's bestest dance friend, L, who placed right next to M; their results can be all over the place yet they're still super supportive of each other.)



Updating: Official feis photographer, Zebadiah Beaugard, took a great shot of three of my favorite dancers, during their treble reel. And, don't they look happy? (I couldn't get it to post anywhere but on top, first. Yes, he takes some great photos.) Thanks, Z&B! See a link to his blog on my site here.