O, What an Experience!
Thanks to some recent snowy/icy weather, I have spent less time in my car shuffling kids hither and yon, and more time at my computer accomplishing job-related tasks, so I’m now treating myself to some time for a long-overdue blog entry…
The 2006 Southern Region Oireachtas, which was held December 2-3, was our family’s first introduction to a “major”, or a championship level competition. (Um, yes, I did help to write an article entitled “Attending Your First Southern Region Oireachtas” even though I had not yet attended one. So now you know that all of the helpful information in that article was thanks to the contributions of experienced dancers or parents on the “Unofficial SRO Website” team, not so much from yours truly...)
Even though this year’s SRO was merely an hour from our home, we splurged and booked a hotel room for the weekend. It was SO worth it! The respite of a quiet space amidst the excitement of the event definitely helped to soothe nervous energy. (Mine, anyway.) DC traffic is extremely unpredictable, so not having to travel each day offered a welcome peace of mind.
We checked into the hotel on Friday evening, explored the competition area, and then settled into our room. Katie’s nerves were so high strung that I was concerned the entire weekend would be a disaster. Can't you tell???
No, no, it wasn’t her mother who was nervous at all! In fact, even younger sister, Ellie, could feel the effect of the pressure:
So after the necessary “Please try to calm yourselves down, young ladies” speech, we joined some friends for dinner. Given the fact that someone else has already shared part of that evening’s experience elsewhere, which included my MegaMargarita indulgence (here or here), I’ll just skip on to Saturday…
One of the nice things about an Oireachtas is that the approximate times are posted for each competition. Katie was scheduled to compete in the U10 4-Hand Competition at 2:00 Saturday afternoon. So after some breakfast, we had time to explore and watch a few friends’ competitions before meeting the team for a morning practice.
After lunch, Bridget, Briana, Madeline and Katie prepared for the big event. They danced beautifully! Photography during the actual competitions is not permitted, so the photos that I have to share are before-, after-, or behind-the-scenes-photos...
During the “down time” after the competition, we hit the swimming pool to unwind. No sooner had we finished swimming and arrived back at the room when Madeline and Briana pounded on the door to let Katie know that the team had placed! This meant that all four girls needed to redress as if competing and attend the award ceremony that evening. Bridget was still in her room, so I let the three girls use my cell phone to call and tell Bridget the good news…
The award ceremony was like nothing I’ve ever attended before! The dividers for the various ballrooms were removed, and hundreds of people crowded into the large hall. First, various “bigwigs” were honored, and gratuitous speeches were made. Then the announcements of placements in various competitions began…
Placements for the U10 4-Hand competition were announced from “lowest” up through first. The giddiness of the 8- and 9-year-olds on our Teelin team was hysterical to watch as each team was called! And when Teelin placed fourth, it was their TCRG who cheered the loudest and bounded onto the stage to hug each of the girls!
It was quite the day! Saturday night we literally fell into bed.
Sunday was “solo dance” day. Katie competed in the U8 Girls Competition which began at 9am.
Over the past year, Katie had met two other girls named Katie at various feiseanna – one Katie from Virginia and one Katie from North Carolina. All three Katies competed at the same level throughout the year, and were now competing at their first Oireachtas. We took to calling them “The Three Katies”, or sometimes “Katie, Katie, and the emergency back-up Katie”.
The fun that these three girls enjoyed together at this Oireachtas was precious beyond measure! High level competitions can be very stressful. But when three 8-year-old friends get together, competitive pressure takes a back seat to the spirit of adventure!
There were, of course, a few bumps along the road. Virginia Katie’s Mom and I were commiserating the morning’s stressors. Coincidentally, both of our Katies had suddenly decided early Sunday morning that their hard shoes “didn’t fit right, they just DIDN’T feel comfortable.” After the calm and patient reassurance of, “They fit just fine yesterday, dear, I’m sure your feet didn’t grow that much over night” had failed to soothe a frazzled 8-year-old, we each resorted to what somehow seemed the only option at the moment…
“Put those #@$& shoes on your feet and get your butt into that competition room right NOW! No, ‘But, Mommy,’ this is the Oireachtas and you WILL dance today! Yes, in THOSE shoes!”
Thankfully, it seemed to work - crisis averted! Once in the competition room, the girls wanted to be with each other more than with their parents, anyway…
After the first round of hard shoe dances, there was a break and the stage was available for practice. Practice for these girls soon gave way to the importance of childhood…
...like measuring to see who was taller…
…or “checking under the hood” to see each other’s bloomers…
The second round of the competition was the soft shoe round, and then there was a break before the recalls would be announced. That would be one of the most tense times of the weekend… did she recall? Does she get the chance to perform her set dance?
Katie had danced her first two rounds very well, and thankfully felt very good about her performance. After the second round, each dancer was given a very nice certificate and a souvenir key chain. The overprotective parent in me wanted to shelter not only Katie but every dancer from the possible heartbreak of the next step in the game. But it is, indeed, part of the game. So we smiled, hugged, expressed our genuine pride, and did everything possible to emphasize the benefits of this first major experience…
…and sure, we did still hope that she’d get a recall…
When it was time, the entire room was asked to remain silent until all of the recalled competitor numbers had been announced, and then cheering (or commiserating) would be permitted. Numbers were read in order, so each dancer was aware that if they did not hear their number called in sequence it meant that they were done competing for the day. Two of the three Katies were able to sit next to each other while the recall numbers were announced…
Yes, even I had the opportunity to “silently” express how it felt to hear not only my own Katie’s number, but each of the other Katie’s numbers, as well!!!
These were some very excited girls, who were thrilled to be able to continue the amazing ride of this Oireachtas experience together!!!
At this point, I must share our perspective on a few of the “hot topics” of Irish dance…
Irish dance solo dresses are a work of art. The average price range of a solo dress is comparable to the average price range of a wedding gown. So when my friend’s Mom, who has made many wedding gowns, offered to make Katie’s Irish dance for little more than the cost of fabric, we gratefully accepted! She used the same basic dress design as the school dress, chose bright bold color fabrics, and created a simple Celtic-looking embroidered appliqué. It is a perfect first dress for Katie! We’re extremely grateful to Judy, and are currently in the process of trying to convince her that it might be worth it to attempt the Irish dance dressmaking adventure again sometime…
Two other hot topics in Irish dance are wigs and make up. Curls are simply “part of the look” for Irish dance competitions these days. Katie has stick-straight hair, so we succumbed to wig-wearing fairly early in the game. There is a specific bun wig style that Katie's TCRG prefers, and Katie wears that wig with her school dress. However, the curls from that wig catch on the sequins of Katie’s solo dress cape, so we switched to a cute little bun wig for this dress. (I hope to keep her “little” for as long as possible!!!)
Even in this U8 Girls group, I was amazed at the number of dancers who wore extremely bold makeup on their young faces. Katie commented on it several times throughout the day, and started asking if we could get some “fancy glitter make-up" to try. Not being much of a make-up person myself, I really wanted nothing to do with putting anything of the sort on my young blonde’s sensitive skin. So instead, I said that if she recalled, I would pull out the lipstick from my purse and let her wear it for her final round.
Not two minutes after the recall numbers were announced, Katie said, “Mom, pull out the lipstick! I’m dancing fancy for this round!” And so, my neutral-shade lipstick was worn with pride…
Thankfully, the third round also went off without a hitch, and then it was time to relax, visit with friends, and enjoy the rest of the competition scenario! All dancers who competed in the third round would be awarded a placement of some sort, so after dinner Katie dressed in competition garb once again to head to the ceremony.
This being the final night of the SRO, the Figures Choreography and Dance Drama competitions were held in the large hall before the ceremony began. They were a lot of fun to watch! And then it was time to get as close to the stage as possible and wait for the U8 Girls competition to be announced…
Nope, couldn’t get any closer than that!!!
…which is exactly what this Oireachtas experience was all about. These high level competitions are a world unto themselves. Our goal for the weekend was to absorb as much as possible, stay sane amidst the pressure, learn for the future, and have fun along the way. Was it stressful at times? Yes. Was it fun? Very! Therefore, was it worth it? Definitely, yes!
You know, as with everything in life, it’s not what you win, but how you play the game. We couldn’t possibly be any prouder of Katie with the way she handled this weekend. So Katie’s placement in the group of 36 dancers in the U8 competition probably shouldn’t even be part of this story. But since you have patiently read this extremely lengthy blog entry, I’ll share with you that Katie placed 12th… and her TCRG invited her to travel to Ottawa, Canada in July 2007 for the North American Irish Dance Championships. Let the fun continue!!!
The 2006 Southern Region Oireachtas, which was held December 2-3, was our family’s first introduction to a “major”, or a championship level competition. (Um, yes, I did help to write an article entitled “Attending Your First Southern Region Oireachtas” even though I had not yet attended one. So now you know that all of the helpful information in that article was thanks to the contributions of experienced dancers or parents on the “Unofficial SRO Website” team, not so much from yours truly...)
Even though this year’s SRO was merely an hour from our home, we splurged and booked a hotel room for the weekend. It was SO worth it! The respite of a quiet space amidst the excitement of the event definitely helped to soothe nervous energy. (Mine, anyway.) DC traffic is extremely unpredictable, so not having to travel each day offered a welcome peace of mind.
We checked into the hotel on Friday evening, explored the competition area, and then settled into our room. Katie’s nerves were so high strung that I was concerned the entire weekend would be a disaster. Can't you tell???
No, no, it wasn’t her mother who was nervous at all! In fact, even younger sister, Ellie, could feel the effect of the pressure:
So after the necessary “Please try to calm yourselves down, young ladies” speech, we joined some friends for dinner. Given the fact that someone else has already shared part of that evening’s experience elsewhere, which included my MegaMargarita indulgence (here or here), I’ll just skip on to Saturday…
One of the nice things about an Oireachtas is that the approximate times are posted for each competition. Katie was scheduled to compete in the U10 4-Hand Competition at 2:00 Saturday afternoon. So after some breakfast, we had time to explore and watch a few friends’ competitions before meeting the team for a morning practice.
After lunch, Bridget, Briana, Madeline and Katie prepared for the big event. They danced beautifully! Photography during the actual competitions is not permitted, so the photos that I have to share are before-, after-, or behind-the-scenes-photos...
During the “down time” after the competition, we hit the swimming pool to unwind. No sooner had we finished swimming and arrived back at the room when Madeline and Briana pounded on the door to let Katie know that the team had placed! This meant that all four girls needed to redress as if competing and attend the award ceremony that evening. Bridget was still in her room, so I let the three girls use my cell phone to call and tell Bridget the good news…
The award ceremony was like nothing I’ve ever attended before! The dividers for the various ballrooms were removed, and hundreds of people crowded into the large hall. First, various “bigwigs” were honored, and gratuitous speeches were made. Then the announcements of placements in various competitions began…
Placements for the U10 4-Hand competition were announced from “lowest” up through first. The giddiness of the 8- and 9-year-olds on our Teelin team was hysterical to watch as each team was called! And when Teelin placed fourth, it was their TCRG who cheered the loudest and bounded onto the stage to hug each of the girls!
It was quite the day! Saturday night we literally fell into bed.
Sunday was “solo dance” day. Katie competed in the U8 Girls Competition which began at 9am.
Over the past year, Katie had met two other girls named Katie at various feiseanna – one Katie from Virginia and one Katie from North Carolina. All three Katies competed at the same level throughout the year, and were now competing at their first Oireachtas. We took to calling them “The Three Katies”, or sometimes “Katie, Katie, and the emergency back-up Katie”.
The fun that these three girls enjoyed together at this Oireachtas was precious beyond measure! High level competitions can be very stressful. But when three 8-year-old friends get together, competitive pressure takes a back seat to the spirit of adventure!
There were, of course, a few bumps along the road. Virginia Katie’s Mom and I were commiserating the morning’s stressors. Coincidentally, both of our Katies had suddenly decided early Sunday morning that their hard shoes “didn’t fit right, they just DIDN’T feel comfortable.” After the calm and patient reassurance of, “They fit just fine yesterday, dear, I’m sure your feet didn’t grow that much over night” had failed to soothe a frazzled 8-year-old, we each resorted to what somehow seemed the only option at the moment…
“Put those #@$& shoes on your feet and get your butt into that competition room right NOW! No, ‘But, Mommy,’ this is the Oireachtas and you WILL dance today! Yes, in THOSE shoes!”
Thankfully, it seemed to work - crisis averted! Once in the competition room, the girls wanted to be with each other more than with their parents, anyway…
After the first round of hard shoe dances, there was a break and the stage was available for practice. Practice for these girls soon gave way to the importance of childhood…
...like measuring to see who was taller…
…or “checking under the hood” to see each other’s bloomers…
The second round of the competition was the soft shoe round, and then there was a break before the recalls would be announced. That would be one of the most tense times of the weekend… did she recall? Does she get the chance to perform her set dance?
Katie had danced her first two rounds very well, and thankfully felt very good about her performance. After the second round, each dancer was given a very nice certificate and a souvenir key chain. The overprotective parent in me wanted to shelter not only Katie but every dancer from the possible heartbreak of the next step in the game. But it is, indeed, part of the game. So we smiled, hugged, expressed our genuine pride, and did everything possible to emphasize the benefits of this first major experience…
…and sure, we did still hope that she’d get a recall…
When it was time, the entire room was asked to remain silent until all of the recalled competitor numbers had been announced, and then cheering (or commiserating) would be permitted. Numbers were read in order, so each dancer was aware that if they did not hear their number called in sequence it meant that they were done competing for the day. Two of the three Katies were able to sit next to each other while the recall numbers were announced…
Yes, even I had the opportunity to “silently” express how it felt to hear not only my own Katie’s number, but each of the other Katie’s numbers, as well!!!
These were some very excited girls, who were thrilled to be able to continue the amazing ride of this Oireachtas experience together!!!
At this point, I must share our perspective on a few of the “hot topics” of Irish dance…
Irish dance solo dresses are a work of art. The average price range of a solo dress is comparable to the average price range of a wedding gown. So when my friend’s Mom, who has made many wedding gowns, offered to make Katie’s Irish dance for little more than the cost of fabric, we gratefully accepted! She used the same basic dress design as the school dress, chose bright bold color fabrics, and created a simple Celtic-looking embroidered appliqué. It is a perfect first dress for Katie! We’re extremely grateful to Judy, and are currently in the process of trying to convince her that it might be worth it to attempt the Irish dance dressmaking adventure again sometime…
Two other hot topics in Irish dance are wigs and make up. Curls are simply “part of the look” for Irish dance competitions these days. Katie has stick-straight hair, so we succumbed to wig-wearing fairly early in the game. There is a specific bun wig style that Katie's TCRG prefers, and Katie wears that wig with her school dress. However, the curls from that wig catch on the sequins of Katie’s solo dress cape, so we switched to a cute little bun wig for this dress. (I hope to keep her “little” for as long as possible!!!)
Even in this U8 Girls group, I was amazed at the number of dancers who wore extremely bold makeup on their young faces. Katie commented on it several times throughout the day, and started asking if we could get some “fancy glitter make-up" to try. Not being much of a make-up person myself, I really wanted nothing to do with putting anything of the sort on my young blonde’s sensitive skin. So instead, I said that if she recalled, I would pull out the lipstick from my purse and let her wear it for her final round.
Not two minutes after the recall numbers were announced, Katie said, “Mom, pull out the lipstick! I’m dancing fancy for this round!” And so, my neutral-shade lipstick was worn with pride…
Thankfully, the third round also went off without a hitch, and then it was time to relax, visit with friends, and enjoy the rest of the competition scenario! All dancers who competed in the third round would be awarded a placement of some sort, so after dinner Katie dressed in competition garb once again to head to the ceremony.
This being the final night of the SRO, the Figures Choreography and Dance Drama competitions were held in the large hall before the ceremony began. They were a lot of fun to watch! And then it was time to get as close to the stage as possible and wait for the U8 Girls competition to be announced…
Nope, couldn’t get any closer than that!!!
…which is exactly what this Oireachtas experience was all about. These high level competitions are a world unto themselves. Our goal for the weekend was to absorb as much as possible, stay sane amidst the pressure, learn for the future, and have fun along the way. Was it stressful at times? Yes. Was it fun? Very! Therefore, was it worth it? Definitely, yes!
You know, as with everything in life, it’s not what you win, but how you play the game. We couldn’t possibly be any prouder of Katie with the way she handled this weekend. So Katie’s placement in the group of 36 dancers in the U8 competition probably shouldn’t even be part of this story. But since you have patiently read this extremely lengthy blog entry, I’ll share with you that Katie placed 12th… and her TCRG invited her to travel to Ottawa, Canada in July 2007 for the North American Irish Dance Championships. Let the fun continue!!!
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