Around this time every year, there is a western regional competition for Irish Dancing called the 'Oireachtas'. As for this year, this event commences tommorow. It's location varies throughout the years, and as long as I've been competing, they've varied from Kelowna, Edmonton, Vancouver... but this year, were back in Edmonton.
The friday usually consists of some younger competitions plus the team dancing towards the end of the night. As for my School, we have 2 8-hand teams entered, and a couple of 4-hands. I'm in an over 16 8-hand that will be dancing the 'cross reel', and every saturday up to this competition, we have been working on 'perfecting' them. Not quite sure how we are going to do tomorrow, cause we have a pretty tough competition. As for my 4-hand, we have deemed ourselves "The Dream Team", and we would really love to win it this year. GO DREAM TEAM.
The saturday will be the solo dancing. In the solos, you dance either a trouble jig/hornpipe and reel/slip jig. After you have danced those dances, the adjudicators will place each of the dancers, and if you are in the top 50%, you recall. In a recall, you get to dance a 'Set' dance, which is a personalized dance that you dance all alone on stage.
Some of my set dances in the past have been 'The Three Sea Captains", "The Story Teller", "The Planxty Drury", "The Downfall of Paris", "The Drunken Gauger (my personal favorite)", "The Bonepartes Retreat (which is my current dance)" and my school is now working towards "The Blackthorn Stick". Other randoms I've learned--- Hurry the Jug... Oh, the Irish and their names...
Moving on... Once you've danced, they place you. At the end of the night, they have a huge ceremony where you are still in full costume, and they reward your competition on stage. I'm not quite sure, most of those who recall qualify for the Nationals, and the top 10% will qualify for the worlds, and the top 5 get sashes. Lucky Bitches.
At the end of the day, I'm already qualified for the Nationals, and as for qualifiying for the worlds...? That would require much more time and effort than I can give.. But we'll see how it goes.
Wish me Luck.
-Happy Blogger
Episode 2 - A Bucket of Beeps
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