My 100th post... :)
I'm getting better at watching dancers and identifying faults, weaknesses, and things to work on. To be a good teacher you have to be part-adjudicator, because you need to see things through an ADCRG's eyes. You have to train yourself to spot tiny little errors and small flashes of brilliance that poke through a full performance and could mean an extra 0.5 marks here, minus 0.25 marks there. It could be the difference between qualifying or not. I'm starting to be able to work out why dancers have these faults and where they come from. Why does she go off time there? Oh, because she leans back a touch which alters her trebling position. I feel like I could make constructive criticism.
I've also seen proof that the position of the adjudicator can have a huge effect on your mark. When people say "maybe judge A missed something that the others didn't", a lot of people think that must be just an excuse for an inconsistent set of marks. But if you watch a small competition you really learn how true it is - if you dance steps weakly on your right foot in front of the adjudicator on the right, then there's no escape - but even in your set, when you're alone on stage, it might not come across to the middle adjudicator and most likely won't to the left adjudicator.
There's no way I can express how much my enthusiasm for dancing spikes after just an hour or so at a feis. I've been down on myself and mostly negative this year since the Worlds, and it's because I haven't been to a feis since the Worlds! I must make sure I'm never too busy to go along again. The inspiration from the steps, the things you can learn just by watching - even if I stick with steps that were fashionable back when I was competing, watching more dancers is only going to helpful both for the TCRG exam, where I have to find faults to correct in a stranger's dancing, and in the long run. There are no more competitions anywhere near me for the rest of the year but come January, my car will become the Feis Mobile and I shall honk because I love Irish dancing.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Monday, 21 November 2011
This weekend I have...
- Written out the first five ceilis from Book One and not made too many horrendous mistakes. Just little gaffes here and there.
- Come up with some ideas for steps.
- Learnt the step for Jockey.
- Realised I don't need Jockey unless I fail the dancing exam and end up retaking in 2013.
- Thought I might just as well learn the three extra sets because nobody ever seems to do them at competitions so my hypothetical dancers would stand out, and also because I started this huge endeavour because I simply thought I *should* know the ceilis and the sets.
- Come home from dancing with my toes in one piece.
Score.
- Come up with some ideas for steps.
- Learnt the step for Jockey.
- Realised I don't need Jockey unless I fail the dancing exam and end up retaking in 2013.
- Thought I might just as well learn the three extra sets because nobody ever seems to do them at competitions so my hypothetical dancers would stand out, and also because I started this huge endeavour because I simply thought I *should* know the ceilis and the sets.
- Come home from dancing with my toes in one piece.
Score.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Actual revision schedule
Since designing my Revision Schedule way back in September I erm, didn't revise. BUT I am now, and I've paid 50 boys into my TCRG exam savings account as well.
Last night I wrote out the formations, movement names and bars for every dance in the book. Having not looked at the book for a few months I was worried about this, but amazingly my brain does hold onto these ceilis remarkably well. Here were my mistakes.
Book One -
- Started writing out the body of the High Cauled Cap when I should have been doing the Eight Hand Reel, but quickly corrected myself before I finished
- Called the movement Hands Round by the wrong name in the Sixteen Hand Reel
- In the Harvest Time Jig, called Right Hands Across and Left Hands Across "Right and Left Hands Across" etc.
No massive disasters, unlike in...
Book Two -
- Rince Fada - called the last movement Swing Out when it's Dance Around
- After what felt like hours of agonising I finally remembered that Hook and Chain was the movement I'd forgotten. Great, but I wrote it in the wrong place and flipped it with See Saw.
- The disaster that was Trip to the Cottage. I forgot the body. Yes, you read that correctly. Clean forgot it, and got the number of bars wrong for Cross Over and Lead Around AND both the figures. Dreadful.
Book Three -
- Was trying to write out the dances in book order and failed at this point
- Got the wrong number of bars for a few movements here and there
- Referred to R&L Hands Across etc as "wheels" in Waves of Tory, and missed off The Waves! I know!
- Mixed up the ending of Rakes and Gates - Rakes is Swing Out and Gates is Swing Around. Way to remember this - in Gates you swing around one couple and then dance again with them (albeit in their position). In Rakes you swing out to meet a new couple.
Not totally awful but one or two shockers in there. The next mission, and I do choose to accept it, is to write out every dance in FULL and that's obviously going to take me more than one night. I'll aim to do it over the next fortnight and thinking about it, will probably review a book at a time. Write out, mark, watch videos to refresh. Once I've completed each book I'll revisit some past papers and try and recapture my 90%-ish average mark!
Last night I wrote out the formations, movement names and bars for every dance in the book. Having not looked at the book for a few months I was worried about this, but amazingly my brain does hold onto these ceilis remarkably well. Here were my mistakes.
Book One -
- Started writing out the body of the High Cauled Cap when I should have been doing the Eight Hand Reel, but quickly corrected myself before I finished
- Called the movement Hands Round by the wrong name in the Sixteen Hand Reel
- In the Harvest Time Jig, called Right Hands Across and Left Hands Across "Right and Left Hands Across" etc.
No massive disasters, unlike in...
Book Two -
- Rince Fada - called the last movement Swing Out when it's Dance Around
- After what felt like hours of agonising I finally remembered that Hook and Chain was the movement I'd forgotten. Great, but I wrote it in the wrong place and flipped it with See Saw.
- The disaster that was Trip to the Cottage. I forgot the body. Yes, you read that correctly. Clean forgot it, and got the number of bars wrong for Cross Over and Lead Around AND both the figures. Dreadful.
Book Three -
- Was trying to write out the dances in book order and failed at this point
- Got the wrong number of bars for a few movements here and there
- Referred to R&L Hands Across etc as "wheels" in Waves of Tory, and missed off The Waves! I know!
- Mixed up the ending of Rakes and Gates - Rakes is Swing Out and Gates is Swing Around. Way to remember this - in Gates you swing around one couple and then dance again with them (albeit in their position). In Rakes you swing out to meet a new couple.
Not totally awful but one or two shockers in there. The next mission, and I do choose to accept it, is to write out every dance in FULL and that's obviously going to take me more than one night. I'll aim to do it over the next fortnight and thinking about it, will probably review a book at a time. Write out, mark, watch videos to refresh. Once I've completed each book I'll revisit some past papers and try and recapture my 90%-ish average mark!
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Applying.
I'm going to take my forms in to class next week and ask my teacher to sign me off. Then I'm going to send them into the office and I'll officially be a candidate. For which exam? Depends what my teacher says. I'm going to ask if I can start attending her solo classes to prepare because I just can't do it on my own - and her steps are so beautiful, I desperately want to be able to do them. But I want to apply for May and I don't think I'll be ready by then. Perhaps I'll show her my own steps and get her appraisal of how ready I can get before then. Either way. Taking the plunge and applying for something before the month is out.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Revision schedule
I know, I know. I only ever do the booksmarts. But I'm really quite enthusiastic about doing the TMRF, in as few as 8 months if at all possible (ie if there is a May exam in Britain/Ireland and if it hasn't filled up yet). So I might just as well revise.
Tonight I'm going to concentrate on my workouts - more and more I'm learning that everything in the body is linked, and my physio has given me some core and glutes routines to do which will help support my knees and ankles, and in turn put less pressure on my arches. So I'm going to give that a real concerted effort tonight because the sooner I get into the swing of it then the sooner I'll see the benefits and hopefully we'll be starting to do some solo soon at class (meaning a second class per week, I hope).
On Thursday evening I plan to write out all the basic ceili information - so, name of dance, formation, music type and tune if appropriate, list the movement names including repeats, the duration of each movement and of the whole dance. Then I'm going to start at the beginning and write them out in full, and I shall do at least one per day until I'm through the entire book. Hopefully there won't be too many mistakes - if there are I'll try those ones again, and finally when I'm happy I'll start doing some practice exams as well.
If I feel like a need a break from ceili I pledge to put my iPod on a do a music quiz (not on the TMRF but it doesn't hurt to refresh) rather than playing games or whatever.
You know, I'm still not sure whether I want to be a teacher, not with my very own school anyway. I'm very much a follower, not a leader. Perhaps I could join someone else's school, if they'd have me, and do exactly what they told me to do. But in any case I really, really, really want these qualifications. I would like to run a feis and help out at other people's. I would like dancing to be a bigger part of my life. Not with any lofty goals of producing 6 World Champs every year (I don't know how they do it, amazing). But just because I love it, and for no other reason.
Tonight I'm going to concentrate on my workouts - more and more I'm learning that everything in the body is linked, and my physio has given me some core and glutes routines to do which will help support my knees and ankles, and in turn put less pressure on my arches. So I'm going to give that a real concerted effort tonight because the sooner I get into the swing of it then the sooner I'll see the benefits and hopefully we'll be starting to do some solo soon at class (meaning a second class per week, I hope).
On Thursday evening I plan to write out all the basic ceili information - so, name of dance, formation, music type and tune if appropriate, list the movement names including repeats, the duration of each movement and of the whole dance. Then I'm going to start at the beginning and write them out in full, and I shall do at least one per day until I'm through the entire book. Hopefully there won't be too many mistakes - if there are I'll try those ones again, and finally when I'm happy I'll start doing some practice exams as well.
If I feel like a need a break from ceili I pledge to put my iPod on a do a music quiz (not on the TMRF but it doesn't hurt to refresh) rather than playing games or whatever.
You know, I'm still not sure whether I want to be a teacher, not with my very own school anyway. I'm very much a follower, not a leader. Perhaps I could join someone else's school, if they'd have me, and do exactly what they told me to do. But in any case I really, really, really want these qualifications. I would like to run a feis and help out at other people's. I would like dancing to be a bigger part of my life. Not with any lofty goals of producing 6 World Champs every year (I don't know how they do it, amazing). But just because I love it, and for no other reason.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Still here, still dancing
I think I actually forgot about this blog for a while. Somebody just emailed me and told me to look at it - I don't think I told them it's mine. Haha.
Where are we up to? I still go dancing once a week and I'm still having physio which is quite intensive at times. It's only now beginning to dawn on me that really I'm stuck with these exercises for the rest of my life - quite naively I thought that I will do them until I got better, and then I would be better, so I wouldn't need to do them. I don't think it works like that, does it? I need to do them forever, or at least for as long as I want to dance.
We had a little summer break for a couple of weeks as most schools do so I didn't dance at all, literally, for six weeks. I had physio during that time and I do think slight improvements have been made, but I haven't touched music, written, trad sets or own dancing for years. I still remember everything - we've recently taught the Fairy Reel and all the figures of the Cap and I could do them book-free - I just haven't done anything with it for a while.
I need to do solos. I still think I might do the TMRF first just to achieve something even though it's a waste. In fact I might even put in for May next year, why not? I know everything I need to know. And it would finally put paid to the stupid idea I have every now and then, of doing "one last competition". But I DO need to do solos. Especially now the trad sets have been increased. I will do the TCRG one day, I just wish I'd done it when I was 20. Real life is totally in my way.
Where are we up to? I still go dancing once a week and I'm still having physio which is quite intensive at times. It's only now beginning to dawn on me that really I'm stuck with these exercises for the rest of my life - quite naively I thought that I will do them until I got better, and then I would be better, so I wouldn't need to do them. I don't think it works like that, does it? I need to do them forever, or at least for as long as I want to dance.
We had a little summer break for a couple of weeks as most schools do so I didn't dance at all, literally, for six weeks. I had physio during that time and I do think slight improvements have been made, but I haven't touched music, written, trad sets or own dancing for years. I still remember everything - we've recently taught the Fairy Reel and all the figures of the Cap and I could do them book-free - I just haven't done anything with it for a while.
I need to do solos. I still think I might do the TMRF first just to achieve something even though it's a waste. In fact I might even put in for May next year, why not? I know everything I need to know. And it would finally put paid to the stupid idea I have every now and then, of doing "one last competition". But I DO need to do solos. Especially now the trad sets have been increased. I will do the TCRG one day, I just wish I'd done it when I was 20. Real life is totally in my way.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Jean Day Two
This is the main menu for the Jean Butler Masterclass. As you can see it's mainly light shoe on the left and hard shoe on the right, so I'm mainly on the left side to begin with. I admit I didn't bother with the warm up although I did do my physio exercises instead, then did everything but jump work as I'm upstairs. The balancing toe work had my arches really sore which I'm hoping is a good thing. Leg work is working my quads as well, might do a few squats after I've signed off just to reinforce. In fact yes, I will.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
A month with Jean
I bought this dvd when it first came out but it's been languishing on the shelf. I recently saw a link to it on YouTube and thought I might just as well give it a watch, and then I learned that some of the exercises are the same as my physio has me doing, so I thought I might just as well give it a go. For a month, not everyday, but alongside my other physio exercises to see how it helps. I've got two weeks before my next dance class so hopefully when I go back I will see a difference already.
I'm limited on space due to home improvements at the moment so I'm just focusing on the light shoe stuff that I can do on the spot. Yesterday, the first day of the month, I did the balance work plus my physio's arch and ankle exercises. Today I worked through more of Jean's - from memory; balance work, point work, point pull back etc, hop and kick out, and leg work. I forget some of the correct names, I'll try and do a screen grab tomorrow.
I definitely "felt it" in my arches both days, and in my legs today during the leg work. If you can't feel it it's not doing you any good, so I'm hopeful.
Other things I've done recently: review the first figure of the Four Hand Reel, and quiz myself a few times on music. I keep getting the Piper wrong even though, when I know I'm listening to the Piper, I really like the music! Often I'll write something else first and then realise it's the Piper so it's not all bad, but I would really like full marks in this section and who knows what nerves will do so I need to get it first time. It's short enough to put on my dance list so I will do. I've got 100% a couple of times, a few 98%s. Quite happy.
Saturday, 23 July 2011
1994
Spent a good portion of the day watching the 1994 Worlds DVD. It's definitely coming back to me. It's just hard when you're on your own - I love my ceili class and they're a really lovely bunch of people, so friendly and fun, but it's solo I struggle with and I don't have anybody to help me with that. So you fall out of the routine and then you lose the motivation to get back into it and then you start doubting yourself. But as always, when I start watching dancing again I remember why it will never leave me for good.
Friday, 22 July 2011
Book Three revision
I'm actually more astounded by the fact that I nearly got all these in the right order, than the fact that I got them nearly all right. I can't believe I've remembered everything. I'm clearly meant to do this exam. If I wasn't, and if I didn't genuinely love and care about dancing, I would never have remembered 30 fiddly ceilis. No pun intended. It's given me a right little lift, this has.
Firstly I got Gates and Rakes the wrong way round but then you're not tested on book order so who cares? And my one mistake was in Gates itself, calling Right and Left Wheels 'Right Hands Across' by mistake. But that was it. It's actually pointless me having posted three separate book updates, or posting at all - I thought I'd have so much to correct, so many mistakes. Wow. Wow wow wow.
BUT let's not get carried away; I do need to know how to actually perform/teach the movements as well as just the names of things. So to revise:
10) Fairy Reel - everything after the second rings, just to be sure
11) Duke Reel - quick refresh throughout
12) Lannigan's Ball - double check on all terminology and positioning
13) Gates of Derry - need to actually sort out the issue of repeats which I have completely ignored up until now but is being discussed on the TCRG Voy.
14) Bonfire Dance - just the Rose, just to be sure.
Happy Friday :)
Firstly I got Gates and Rakes the wrong way round but then you're not tested on book order so who cares? And my one mistake was in Gates itself, calling Right and Left Wheels 'Right Hands Across' by mistake. But that was it. It's actually pointless me having posted three separate book updates, or posting at all - I thought I'd have so much to correct, so many mistakes. Wow. Wow wow wow.
BUT let's not get carried away; I do need to know how to actually perform/teach the movements as well as just the names of things. So to revise:
10) Fairy Reel - everything after the second rings, just to be sure
11) Duke Reel - quick refresh throughout
12) Lannigan's Ball - double check on all terminology and positioning
13) Gates of Derry - need to actually sort out the issue of repeats which I have completely ignored up until now but is being discussed on the TCRG Voy.
14) Bonfire Dance - just the Rose, just to be sure.
Happy Friday :)
Book Two revision
Well, I did manage to get these in book order however I did make one or two mistakes. In Glencar Reel I got all the movements right but forgot to add Full Chain on the end. Unsurprising as I can't get to grips with it. And in the Antrim Reel I mistakenly called Swing Out to Next Couple, Swing and Exchange Partners. However I did remember that I'd got that wrong before marking - while writing out Bonfire Dance actually. So chuffed I remembered all of Tunes and Paddy's Day!
So, to revise from this book (in addition to Book One revision)
6) Antrim Reel - just needs a quick refresh, especially the dance downs/sidesteps
7) Glencar Reel - in full
8) Three Tunes - All movements
9) St Patrick's Day - refresh the body
So, to revise from this book (in addition to Book One revision)
6) Antrim Reel - just needs a quick refresh, especially the dance downs/sidesteps
7) Glencar Reel - in full
8) Three Tunes - All movements
9) St Patrick's Day - refresh the body
Book One revision
I haven't touched the vast majority of ceilis for absolutely ages. We do the Four Hand Reel (but no figures) and a few of the Eight-Hands in class, but for months I haven't even looked at a past paper, video, or Ar Rinci Foirne itself. It's about time I started revising again so today I tried to write them all out, in book order. Not in full, obviously, just movement names, formations and numbers of bars.
First of all Book One.
I didn't get them in book order. Put Siege in before Humours rather than 9th. BUT - I didn't get anything wrong. All movement names present and correct, all bars correct. The girl done good. But I want to revise...
1) Four Hand Reel, 1st figure - Figure of Eight and Rings of Three
2) High Cauled Cap, 2nd figure - Circle and Cross, both versions
3) 16 Hand Reel, all
4) Humours of Bandon, both figures - Advance Through Centre and Centre Meet
5) Eight Hand Jig, 2nd figure - Right and Left Chain and Right Hand to Opposite Lady
First of all Book One.
I didn't get them in book order. Put Siege in before Humours rather than 9th. BUT - I didn't get anything wrong. All movement names present and correct, all bars correct. The girl done good. But I want to revise...
1) Four Hand Reel, 1st figure - Figure of Eight and Rings of Three
2) High Cauled Cap, 2nd figure - Circle and Cross, both versions
3) 16 Hand Reel, all
4) Humours of Bandon, both figures - Advance Through Centre and Centre Meet
5) Eight Hand Jig, 2nd figure - Right and Left Chain and Right Hand to Opposite Lady
Monday, 18 July 2011
Starting Today.
The plan is to kickstart my enthusiasm for this dance form. I'm forcing myself to go to class tonight - I know I'll be fine when I get there but sometimes the thought of actually getting there puts me off so I don't. I have a headache and I had physio this morning for my not-improving feet, so those would be two reasons not to go. But I AM going to go because I know I'll be fine when I get there. Hopefully I'll be able to just dance rather than teach; sounds kinda backwards I know, but I just want to enjoy myself and get some exercise tonight. So that's step one of the plan. Step two will have to wait until the weekend as I'm so outstandingly busy at the moment, but I plan to go over all of my traditional sets. Probably just around the house and therefore not in shoes, but it's a start as I must not forget them. From next Wednesday, I'm going to start my solo practices again. Here we go.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
I love Irish dancing.
I do. I love it, I genuinely love it.
So why is this so hard? Why have I done nothing for weeks?
It's always come back to me before. I so hope it comes back to me this time. I'm trying. I watched a few slip jigs on YouTube earlier, so beautiful - Rebecca Reed from the SRO. And some beautiful reels - Sarah Oldam from this year's NAN. I think I need to see some dancing live again, it's been a while. I love it so much. Why do I let it slip away from me?
So why is this so hard? Why have I done nothing for weeks?
It's always come back to me before. I so hope it comes back to me this time. I'm trying. I watched a few slip jigs on YouTube earlier, so beautiful - Rebecca Reed from the SRO. And some beautiful reels - Sarah Oldam from this year's NAN. I think I need to see some dancing live again, it's been a while. I love it so much. Why do I let it slip away from me?
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
I don't know what to write.
I thought it was probably about time I posted an update, but I've been staring at the screen for a few minutes thinking about what on earth I could write.
I've gone to my Monday ceili class every week. Occasionally we co-teach, other times like last night I just participate. I'm not at all confident with teaching. I don't even speak loudly enough! Perhaps it's because they're an established group already and I'm the new girl, I just feel a bit out of my depth and I much prefer just dancing along rather than teaching along. That's all I expected when we joined - I just wanted to learn by dancing. They've been very good to me by allowing me to teach but I didn't expect it at all.
We've been working on the Cross Reel for a wee while which is ace because I'd never danced it before. Lead, Extended Sides, Full Chain, Gentlemen Interlace, Back to Back, Exchange Places, Figure of Eight and Ring, Circle Round and Hands Across, Finish. I do remember things!
Solo dancing, very apathetic at the moment. I'm so injured and although I'm having physio for various things, it seems to be making other areas worse. For example my Achilles aren't playing up anymore, but instead the outer calf is killing me. My arches aren't improving and I sprained my toe the week before last whilst practising solos so I haven't done any practice since then. My leg that nearly killed me is so weak.
I think dancing's making me quite sad at the moment because I truly thought I could get there, however long it took, but it seems I can't.
I've gone to my Monday ceili class every week. Occasionally we co-teach, other times like last night I just participate. I'm not at all confident with teaching. I don't even speak loudly enough! Perhaps it's because they're an established group already and I'm the new girl, I just feel a bit out of my depth and I much prefer just dancing along rather than teaching along. That's all I expected when we joined - I just wanted to learn by dancing. They've been very good to me by allowing me to teach but I didn't expect it at all.
We've been working on the Cross Reel for a wee while which is ace because I'd never danced it before. Lead, Extended Sides, Full Chain, Gentlemen Interlace, Back to Back, Exchange Places, Figure of Eight and Ring, Circle Round and Hands Across, Finish. I do remember things!
Solo dancing, very apathetic at the moment. I'm so injured and although I'm having physio for various things, it seems to be making other areas worse. For example my Achilles aren't playing up anymore, but instead the outer calf is killing me. My arches aren't improving and I sprained my toe the week before last whilst practising solos so I haven't done any practice since then. My leg that nearly killed me is so weak.
I think dancing's making me quite sad at the moment because I truly thought I could get there, however long it took, but it seems I can't.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Dream
Normally when I dream about dancing, I'm the dancer. I can usually execute bicycles and double clicks as well, which leads to momentary excitement and then crushing disappointment when I awake. This time around, I dreamt I was the teacher. Make of this what you will.
I was at the World Championships, back in Dublin, with my sole qualifier. A little girl called Ruby O'Callaghan who had never qualified before. She had recalled in the U13 and we were warming up for her hornpipe set - I think it was Ace & Deuce. I told her she'd already surpassed any expectations and made us all very proud, so just go out and enjoy it. At results time, they called the scores out in reverse numerical order and she was 210. In dreamland, the scoring wasn't quite like it is in real life - she got 200 for her jig, 515 for slip, and 800-and-something for her set. She'd won! We went to the toilet on the upper floor to get her into her dress and touch up the make-up, but we got shut in there and they started her presentation without her. We finally made it back into the arena hall, and saw the podium filled but for the top spot, and marched backstage.
I told one of the sisters (you know!) running the stage that it was disgusting but by the time I was starting my rant, Ruby had gone up on stage to get her globe and I just started bawling. The sister hugged me and said I would teach many more champions in my time. But the steps were broken and I couldn't get up on to the stage to congratulate her - the sister had to climb up and drag me up after her.
I woke up briefly at this point, and must have missed a lot as by the time I got back to sleep Ruby was dancing the Blackthorn Stick on stage at the British Nationals.
Fingers crossed I get a Ruby.
I was at the World Championships, back in Dublin, with my sole qualifier. A little girl called Ruby O'Callaghan who had never qualified before. She had recalled in the U13 and we were warming up for her hornpipe set - I think it was Ace & Deuce. I told her she'd already surpassed any expectations and made us all very proud, so just go out and enjoy it. At results time, they called the scores out in reverse numerical order and she was 210. In dreamland, the scoring wasn't quite like it is in real life - she got 200 for her jig, 515 for slip, and 800-and-something for her set. She'd won! We went to the toilet on the upper floor to get her into her dress and touch up the make-up, but we got shut in there and they started her presentation without her. We finally made it back into the arena hall, and saw the podium filled but for the top spot, and marched backstage.
I told one of the sisters (you know!) running the stage that it was disgusting but by the time I was starting my rant, Ruby had gone up on stage to get her globe and I just started bawling. The sister hugged me and said I would teach many more champions in my time. But the steps were broken and I couldn't get up on to the stage to congratulate her - the sister had to climb up and drag me up after her.
I woke up briefly at this point, and must have missed a lot as by the time I got back to sleep Ruby was dancing the Blackthorn Stick on stage at the British Nationals.
Fingers crossed I get a Ruby.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
"If you get it wrong, you have to get it right. You can't just leave it."
Wise words from a ten-year-old. And she (Julia, Jig) is right - you can't just leave it. This is why I was never a particularly good dancer. I would start off practising my reel, only I couldn't get the timing or I couldn't do that bicycle...so I'd move on to slip jig instead. What Julia, or Brogan, or Claire would have done, is to keep practising until the timing was stuck in my head, or get between two chairs and figure out that bicycle. And to be fair, that's not even just a champion's mindset. That's just a hardworking mindset.
It's slowly dawning on me that things worth doing need work. Why did I never put my shoes on and drill trebles? Why did I just accept that I would miss them occasionally on my left foot? Now that I've drilled, I don't miss them on my left foot. Why did I just accept that I couldn't hit clicks? Now that I've drilled, now that I've actually caught on to the concept of pointing and turning out, I CAN hit them. Not consistently still, but I'm getting there, because I am no longer just leaving it when I get it wrong. This is so infuriating to me. Ten year olds know this stuff - why didn't I? I did know it deep down, but why didn't I apply myself?
I can't remember whether I wrote about Monday's class or not. There again, during the warm up I was really concentrating on turning out and crossing my skips. I looked down, and everything was where it was supposed to be. It was working.
I ran through Sweets again, and caught up the people who hadn't been there the previous week. It was R's first time doing it as she couldn't go last week so she was nervous, but picked it up a treat. Such a lovely dance. We then moved on to Cross Reel and I took turns teaching it with the regular teacher - he's definitely better than me! I'm too meek. I need to speak up and have a bit more fun with it. We got through lead, extended sides, full chain and gentlemen interlace - next week back-to-back, which I've never taught and can only dance as top gent or lady. Nevertheless, should be interesting. No class next week due to the bank holiday so just my Wednesday practice session - more heavy jig work. No use moving on until I've got both steps PROPERLY right, because as Julia says: "If you get it wrong, you have to get it right. You can't just leave it."
It's slowly dawning on me that things worth doing need work. Why did I never put my shoes on and drill trebles? Why did I just accept that I would miss them occasionally on my left foot? Now that I've drilled, I don't miss them on my left foot. Why did I just accept that I couldn't hit clicks? Now that I've drilled, now that I've actually caught on to the concept of pointing and turning out, I CAN hit them. Not consistently still, but I'm getting there, because I am no longer just leaving it when I get it wrong. This is so infuriating to me. Ten year olds know this stuff - why didn't I? I did know it deep down, but why didn't I apply myself?
I can't remember whether I wrote about Monday's class or not. There again, during the warm up I was really concentrating on turning out and crossing my skips. I looked down, and everything was where it was supposed to be. It was working.
I ran through Sweets again, and caught up the people who hadn't been there the previous week. It was R's first time doing it as she couldn't go last week so she was nervous, but picked it up a treat. Such a lovely dance. We then moved on to Cross Reel and I took turns teaching it with the regular teacher - he's definitely better than me! I'm too meek. I need to speak up and have a bit more fun with it. We got through lead, extended sides, full chain and gentlemen interlace - next week back-to-back, which I've never taught and can only dance as top gent or lady. Nevertheless, should be interesting. No class next week due to the bank holiday so just my Wednesday practice session - more heavy jig work. No use moving on until I've got both steps PROPERLY right, because as Julia says: "If you get it wrong, you have to get it right. You can't just leave it."
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Progress
I did as much as my feet would allow me to do tonight and, dare I say it, I think I've made an amount of progress. I started off just by going over the trads to warm up, then put the shoes on and did some treble and treble/click drills for a bit. Then I moved on to jig and you know what, it was ok. On one of my steps I was hitting most of the walkover clicks, and the donkey click as well which I NEVER get. The little fiddly trebles were ok as well. I'll keep this step! My second step needs a bit more work than I gave it, but it was getting there too. I can't quite do the stamp combination on the left foot and back trebles are pretty weak, but I can do the toe-over-toe on the left now and I fixed the ending so it's easier to go from right to left. Maybe I can do it after all.
Friday, 20 May 2011
TMRF
I'm considering it. I know it doesn't count towards the TCRG, and I know that all I'm doing is adding another nearly €400 to my bill.
But on the other hand, why not? I honestly believe I could pass the TMRF if I took it right this minute. I know that book - I KNOW IT. Who knows if I'll ever be confident enough in my dancing ability to take the TCRG? Who knows if I'll ever be fit and injury-free enough to put in the practice required to get to an exam-worthy standard? Wouldn't it be better just to get a qualification under my belt?
There must be plenty of people who've done the TMRF and then gone on to take the TCRG. Many years ago, I read an interview with Owen McAuley (formerly Setanta, now Haughey-McAuley). He took the TMRF - indeed, he took all three.
The main reason I'm putting this exam off is because of my own dancing. If I managed to get into the Glasgow exam for the TMRF, I could still put in for the May exam in 2012 and do solos. Perhaps. And when it came to the full TCRG, I'd already know what to expect of the exam process so I wouldn't be so nervous.
How beautifully ironic that, as a former dancer who never really taught before and never did ceili before, it's the dancing section that's causing me the most grief.
But on the other hand, why not? I honestly believe I could pass the TMRF if I took it right this minute. I know that book - I KNOW IT. Who knows if I'll ever be confident enough in my dancing ability to take the TCRG? Who knows if I'll ever be fit and injury-free enough to put in the practice required to get to an exam-worthy standard? Wouldn't it be better just to get a qualification under my belt?
There must be plenty of people who've done the TMRF and then gone on to take the TCRG. Many years ago, I read an interview with Owen McAuley (formerly Setanta, now Haughey-McAuley). He took the TMRF - indeed, he took all three.
The main reason I'm putting this exam off is because of my own dancing. If I managed to get into the Glasgow exam for the TMRF, I could still put in for the May exam in 2012 and do solos. Perhaps. And when it came to the full TCRG, I'd already know what to expect of the exam process so I wouldn't be so nervous.
How beautifully ironic that, as a former dancer who never really taught before and never did ceili before, it's the dancing section that's causing me the most grief.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Time for an update
It's been such a long time since my last update. I don't really have a reason for that but rest assured that the lack of updates doesn't mean a lack of work.
One of my girls bought herself some hard shoes on eBay a week or two ago, so we've spent some time on treble drills and really just showing her how to use the shoe. This has done ME the world of good as well although my foot injuries haven't thanked me. I feel like I'm gaining a bit more control over those feet and shoes, and am working out how to get the best sounds again. It's coming along.
This week I was given the chance to teach a HUGE class - well, huge by my standards. 16 dancers! It was a ceili class so we went through Sweets of May and they were fantastic, we got through the entire dance (all four figures) within about 40 minutes. So impressed. I didn't want to keep them going over the same material all night though so we moved on to Lannigan's Ball which I taught as a 16-hand. I had to spend some time teaching them the rising step as not all of them had done it before but we got through the first four movements - perhaps I'll get to finish it next week alongside the regular teacher. I didn't break sweat but it was great practice and good fun: "cotton-eyed Joe", "think speed!". Good times.
The Sweets of May
First Figure - Rings
Body - Cross Over and Back, Advance and Retire, Ringing the Bells
Second Figure - Lead Round
Body
Third Figure - See Saw
Body
Fourth Figure - Sides Under Arms
Body
Repeat Rings
Lannigan's Ball
Rings
Quarter's Hook
The Rise and Grind Step
Lead Round in Centre
Flirtation
Stack Up
Lead Round
Rings
The previous week we'd done Trip to the Cottage (although not the first figure unfortunately) so it was good to get a few dance-throughs of that into the legs. I'm confident on Cross Over and Lead Around and on the body, but I often fluff the figures when writing up exam papers. To revise!
One of my girls bought herself some hard shoes on eBay a week or two ago, so we've spent some time on treble drills and really just showing her how to use the shoe. This has done ME the world of good as well although my foot injuries haven't thanked me. I feel like I'm gaining a bit more control over those feet and shoes, and am working out how to get the best sounds again. It's coming along.
This week I was given the chance to teach a HUGE class - well, huge by my standards. 16 dancers! It was a ceili class so we went through Sweets of May and they were fantastic, we got through the entire dance (all four figures) within about 40 minutes. So impressed. I didn't want to keep them going over the same material all night though so we moved on to Lannigan's Ball which I taught as a 16-hand. I had to spend some time teaching them the rising step as not all of them had done it before but we got through the first four movements - perhaps I'll get to finish it next week alongside the regular teacher. I didn't break sweat but it was great practice and good fun: "cotton-eyed Joe", "think speed!". Good times.
The Sweets of May
First Figure - Rings
Body - Cross Over and Back, Advance and Retire, Ringing the Bells
Second Figure - Lead Round
Body
Third Figure - See Saw
Body
Fourth Figure - Sides Under Arms
Body
Repeat Rings
Lannigan's Ball
Rings
Quarter's Hook
The Rise and Grind Step
Lead Round in Centre
Flirtation
Stack Up
Lead Round
Rings
The previous week we'd done Trip to the Cottage (although not the first figure unfortunately) so it was good to get a few dance-throughs of that into the legs. I'm confident on Cross Over and Lead Around and on the body, but I often fluff the figures when writing up exam papers. To revise!
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Post-Worlds come-down
It's hard, being surrounded by amazing dancing for days on end and then returning to the "day job" with a bump. Nobody cares about slip jigs and globes and ceilis here. I have a head filled with inspiration and choreography and excitement, but no-one to share it with and a pile of real work to do. It's actually been a real shock to the system. But before I get on to that, some ridiculously talented little ones:
I need to sort this out in my own head, so here's where I am.
Ceili Written
I still think I could pass this today. Rather than doing endless practice exams, I recently decided to just type out all of the ceilis with figures and all of the more difficult other ceilis, without the book. I finally got round to "marking" it the other night, and it's not that bad. The ones that need work are:
High Cauled Cap - specifically second figure
The Three Tunes - full review
Trip to the Cottage - small review of the figures
Lannigan's Ball - middle section
So I'll review those over the next couple of days.
Music
I'm starting to get the odd 100% on this now when I practice by putting my iPod on shuffle. This too I think I could pass today.
Ceili Teaching
I'm just not getting the numbers in class to really give this a go. If I had to take the exam today then I'd give it my very best shot - I'm confident I'd get the movements in the correct order and most of them I think I could teach correctly, but I definitely need to somehow get more practice on this.
Solo Teaching
Obviously I do this twice a week now, but it's becoming a slight worry. I don't know what I'd do with a champ dancer as I haven't sorted out my own steps yet, and I'm wondering if I'd remember to pack everything in. You have to ask to see their steps, pick a suitable step instantly, demonstrate, teach, pick up on faults, lilt, correct...and then all of the things that people have told me about that aren't on the syllabus. Someone told me they did a few drills of a specific move in their exam. What?! Are we really expected to do that? Someone got told off for dancing along too much. Will I remember to leave them to it? I don't know, I'm obviously overthinking it but it just kills me not knowing exactly what's expected of me. Praying I get a beginner or primary dancer - I have steps coming out of my ears for those levels.
Solo Dancing
Left til last, as always. I dreamt (literally) a new reel step while I was in Dublin and tested that out last night. At first I thought it was too fast but after a few runs, it was getting into my legs and the right foot is OKish. Most of the left foot is ok apart from the start (very quick transition), and the big jump into little jump into entrechat at the end. It will come. So I now have two steps of a reel which will do me for the exam should I be given reel, and an old right-right one that I still can't let go of. Here's a run down:
Reel - three steps
Slip jig - nothing. I decided to scrap the one I had from my competitive days. It's nice, but not current and I want something fresh. I might use it as a base, however.
Heavy jig - I have three steps. One will definitely be used for jig, the other two may work better as steps for jig sets. They all need a lot of work - they're fine in socks or trainers, not so when I actually put heavies on.
Hornpipe - nothing. Not even anything to use as a base, and no ideas as yet. I don't want to have too much on the go at once so I'm leaving this until jig and slip are complete.
Traditional sets - three of the four learnt, with intentions to get Garden done as soon as possible.
Nine modern sets - continues to fill me with dread. Choreographing that much material seems like an impossible mountain to climb and if I'm to go with my target, I have about a year to do it. That actually doesn't sound like long enough to me. I do have those two jig steps mentioned above which can be used for steps, but hornpipe choreography is non-existant. I know I'll be going for some of the shorter sets on the list, but it's still no easy feat.
So there's me.
I'm at a loss as to how to get more people into my class and am considering moving everyone and joining an existing class, to be honest. Even dancing the ceilis through would be good preparation for the practical exam - I've got to find a class first, though. My fitness is dreadful and I've got several chronic injuries that are going to need looking at so I'm going to try and get some physio. I'm going to buy some type of floor covering so that I can practice heavies at home - there's not much room in the hallway but even treble drills would be progress. I need to get healthier, so after this Bank Holiday weekend, we're back on a health kick.
I will not allow myself to get discouraged. I will stay positive, I will work, and I WILL take this exam.
I need to sort this out in my own head, so here's where I am.
Ceili Written
I still think I could pass this today. Rather than doing endless practice exams, I recently decided to just type out all of the ceilis with figures and all of the more difficult other ceilis, without the book. I finally got round to "marking" it the other night, and it's not that bad. The ones that need work are:
High Cauled Cap - specifically second figure
The Three Tunes - full review
Trip to the Cottage - small review of the figures
Lannigan's Ball - middle section
So I'll review those over the next couple of days.
Music
I'm starting to get the odd 100% on this now when I practice by putting my iPod on shuffle. This too I think I could pass today.
Ceili Teaching
I'm just not getting the numbers in class to really give this a go. If I had to take the exam today then I'd give it my very best shot - I'm confident I'd get the movements in the correct order and most of them I think I could teach correctly, but I definitely need to somehow get more practice on this.
Solo Teaching
Obviously I do this twice a week now, but it's becoming a slight worry. I don't know what I'd do with a champ dancer as I haven't sorted out my own steps yet, and I'm wondering if I'd remember to pack everything in. You have to ask to see their steps, pick a suitable step instantly, demonstrate, teach, pick up on faults, lilt, correct...and then all of the things that people have told me about that aren't on the syllabus. Someone told me they did a few drills of a specific move in their exam. What?! Are we really expected to do that? Someone got told off for dancing along too much. Will I remember to leave them to it? I don't know, I'm obviously overthinking it but it just kills me not knowing exactly what's expected of me. Praying I get a beginner or primary dancer - I have steps coming out of my ears for those levels.
Solo Dancing
Left til last, as always. I dreamt (literally) a new reel step while I was in Dublin and tested that out last night. At first I thought it was too fast but after a few runs, it was getting into my legs and the right foot is OKish. Most of the left foot is ok apart from the start (very quick transition), and the big jump into little jump into entrechat at the end. It will come. So I now have two steps of a reel which will do me for the exam should I be given reel, and an old right-right one that I still can't let go of. Here's a run down:
Reel - three steps
Slip jig - nothing. I decided to scrap the one I had from my competitive days. It's nice, but not current and I want something fresh. I might use it as a base, however.
Heavy jig - I have three steps. One will definitely be used for jig, the other two may work better as steps for jig sets. They all need a lot of work - they're fine in socks or trainers, not so when I actually put heavies on.
Hornpipe - nothing. Not even anything to use as a base, and no ideas as yet. I don't want to have too much on the go at once so I'm leaving this until jig and slip are complete.
Traditional sets - three of the four learnt, with intentions to get Garden done as soon as possible.
Nine modern sets - continues to fill me with dread. Choreographing that much material seems like an impossible mountain to climb and if I'm to go with my target, I have about a year to do it. That actually doesn't sound like long enough to me. I do have those two jig steps mentioned above which can be used for steps, but hornpipe choreography is non-existant. I know I'll be going for some of the shorter sets on the list, but it's still no easy feat.
So there's me.
I'm at a loss as to how to get more people into my class and am considering moving everyone and joining an existing class, to be honest. Even dancing the ceilis through would be good preparation for the practical exam - I've got to find a class first, though. My fitness is dreadful and I've got several chronic injuries that are going to need looking at so I'm going to try and get some physio. I'm going to buy some type of floor covering so that I can practice heavies at home - there's not much room in the hallway but even treble drills would be progress. I need to get healthier, so after this Bank Holiday weekend, we're back on a health kick.
I will not allow myself to get discouraged. I will stay positive, I will work, and I WILL take this exam.
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Class
I don't know where to start really. I got there about 40 minutes early to do some practice and there began a complete mixed bag of an evening. My new supposedly easy heavy jig (one day to be a jig set step) was actually quite difficult with some funny timing and a treble sequence that I can do in bare feet but not in shoes. I did it a few times over and recorded it to watch back. I still sit on my knees and treble too far ahead of myself. But, I fixed the timing, the double-back is strong on BOTH feet (miracle) and occasionally I hit some clicks. It WAS getting slightly better. Until my arches decided to flare and my Achilles decided to seize up. I tried to persevere - stretched them out, did some exercises - and attempted Job. I was trying to video it and messed it up every single time; it was getting ironically amusing.
Everyone started arriving then (I had three, woo) so I put my trainers on and played teacher instead of dancing along with them like I usually do. All the light solos went ok so I took advantage of the fact that there were four of us and attempted to dance again.
We did the Four-Hand Reel just so that I could get that first figure straight in my head for once. Achieved! We then moved on to the Humours of Bandon which is actually a lot of fun to dance. Last time I taught it, I got the first figure a little bit wrong but this time I had everyone catching the correct hands and it didn't go too badly. But then I felt a burning pain in the arch of my right foot, like something had snapped, so that was it from me. Trainers back on (they are good shoes, good support) and traditional sets attempted. R got St Patrick's Day, all the way through, which I was pleased with as they were struggling with the set a bit. She also managed the step of the Blackbird, as did J, and we moved on to the first half of the set which is coming along.
After a quick check of the Worlds results (look at the grid marks on feisresults.blogspot.com - yesterday's winners were very consistent. Good to see. Jack Quinn = amazing!) I showered then spent the rest of the evening icing my feet, rubbing in ibuprofen gel, and mummifying myself in supports. That routine repeated this morning minus the ice. And I thought to myself, how am I ever going to get good enough to pass the dancing exam if I can't DANCE? I'm confident I could take the writtens today and pass. I'd give ceili teaching a bloody good go and might scrape through. Solo teaching, if I got lucky and got beginner or middling dancers I might get through that as well. Own dancing - only if I didn't have to do jig, hornpipe or any modern sets. Such a shame you can't take this exam in instalments.
I was aiming for mid-2012 and I don't think I'm going to get there. It's already mid-2011 and I can't do any meaningful dance practise - and there's SO MUCH to fix. Turnout - fine in socks, abysmal in shoes. Rhythm, ok, but still unused to the shoes. Clicks, generally not happening. Knees - permanently bent. Not high on toes, not crossing. These are all things I used to be able to do, but only on four classes a week. If I had a week off, everything would be gone and I'd have to start again. I know what I'm like.
Then on the way to work I just realised - I only have to put up with pain, ice, stiffness and bandages until the exam is over. After that I choose when I dance. And I started to think maybe it isn't so impossible after all.
-----
Off to Dublin on Wednesday afternoon - class resumes on Wednesday 27th.
Everyone started arriving then (I had three, woo) so I put my trainers on and played teacher instead of dancing along with them like I usually do. All the light solos went ok so I took advantage of the fact that there were four of us and attempted to dance again.
We did the Four-Hand Reel just so that I could get that first figure straight in my head for once. Achieved! We then moved on to the Humours of Bandon which is actually a lot of fun to dance. Last time I taught it, I got the first figure a little bit wrong but this time I had everyone catching the correct hands and it didn't go too badly. But then I felt a burning pain in the arch of my right foot, like something had snapped, so that was it from me. Trainers back on (they are good shoes, good support) and traditional sets attempted. R got St Patrick's Day, all the way through, which I was pleased with as they were struggling with the set a bit. She also managed the step of the Blackbird, as did J, and we moved on to the first half of the set which is coming along.
After a quick check of the Worlds results (look at the grid marks on feisresults.blogspot.com - yesterday's winners were very consistent. Good to see. Jack Quinn = amazing!) I showered then spent the rest of the evening icing my feet, rubbing in ibuprofen gel, and mummifying myself in supports. That routine repeated this morning minus the ice. And I thought to myself, how am I ever going to get good enough to pass the dancing exam if I can't DANCE? I'm confident I could take the writtens today and pass. I'd give ceili teaching a bloody good go and might scrape through. Solo teaching, if I got lucky and got beginner or middling dancers I might get through that as well. Own dancing - only if I didn't have to do jig, hornpipe or any modern sets. Such a shame you can't take this exam in instalments.
I was aiming for mid-2012 and I don't think I'm going to get there. It's already mid-2011 and I can't do any meaningful dance practise - and there's SO MUCH to fix. Turnout - fine in socks, abysmal in shoes. Rhythm, ok, but still unused to the shoes. Clicks, generally not happening. Knees - permanently bent. Not high on toes, not crossing. These are all things I used to be able to do, but only on four classes a week. If I had a week off, everything would be gone and I'd have to start again. I know what I'm like.
Then on the way to work I just realised - I only have to put up with pain, ice, stiffness and bandages until the exam is over. After that I choose when I dance. And I started to think maybe it isn't so impossible after all.
-----
Off to Dublin on Wednesday afternoon - class resumes on Wednesday 27th.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Heavy Jigs
On a roll! Since I stuck my neck out and actually tried to choreograph something, I've got a head full of jig ideas. Some of them are quite simple and might be better for an intermediate or prelim dancer, so here's my cheat - they will serve as the step part of my various jig sets, and then when it gets to the set I can throw in stuff I can only do on one foot, like drums and suchlike. It's probably not in the spirit of things but isn't that what everybody does?!
Productive class last night. Sadly my two beginners didn't return so it was just me and my faithful cohorts R and J. J learned the primary slip jig despite protesting that she's always hated the dance, and they both almost got the Blackbird step.
As far as my challenges go I did indeed go over Job (only in trainers as my feet were complaining) but I did it all the way through correctly, and had a few goes of my various jigs as well.
Only one class next week as I'm off to Dublin and the Citywest :) Cannot WAIT!!!
In the meantime, I have GOT to learn that jig stamp combination on my left foot. How hard can it be? Hop da da-da da da, DA. Hop right left-left right left, RIGHT.
Productive class last night. Sadly my two beginners didn't return so it was just me and my faithful cohorts R and J. J learned the primary slip jig despite protesting that she's always hated the dance, and they both almost got the Blackbird step.
As far as my challenges go I did indeed go over Job (only in trainers as my feet were complaining) but I did it all the way through correctly, and had a few goes of my various jigs as well.
Only one class next week as I'm off to Dublin and the Citywest :) Cannot WAIT!!!
In the meantime, I have GOT to learn that jig stamp combination on my left foot. How hard can it be? Hop da da-da da da, DA. Hop right left-left right left, RIGHT.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
A year on...
It's my blog's first birthday today. That also means I've been studying for this exam for roughly one year. So where was I twelve months ago? I was here. I'd got two ceilis - Walls and Rakes - and one traditional set under my belt. Where am I today? Well, I nearly died - so not particularly far given the time that's elapsed. I've learned all the ceilis, although it took me about 7 months to do so. I've done a fair few past papers and I think I've passed them all. I'm pretty certain that I'd pass if I took the written exam for real today. Music included - that's ticking over. I now know three of the four trad sets, and apparently knowing Job is good prep for learning Garden, so I'm certain I'll know all four of them very soon.
Back then, I was taking a weekly class where we mostly did middle-level soft shoe steps and the odd ceili. That class folded over the summer, and I didn't dance again (due to illness and after effects) until I started my own class in January. That's a big thing for me - I started my own class. I'm fed up with it because people aren't committing, but we persevere. These things take a while to build up. Soon after the class started, I began work on my solo steps, for the practical dancing section. I thought I could fall back on the steps I'd danced the last time I competed, but they were woefully out of date and, as the years had taken their toll, were completely unsuitable.
I've choreographed myself a new reel and heavy jig step; just one of each. I struggle with practical choreography and tend to complete a step in my head before attempting to dance it, which doesn't always work. But, I do have a full complement of beginner dances to teach in my classes, and in the exam should I need to. I'm branching out into primary level steps now too.
The one thing I haven't touched, is the open sets. NINE. The mere thought of it is exhausting. There's no point in me tackling sets before I even have a full jig and hornpipe so it will be a while longer yet. Luckily I have good friends who are willing to share their choreography with me so the burden isn't quite so great, but I'm still hugely daunted by this and if anything puts me off, it's going to be the sets.
I'm struggling with injury at the moment - both my Achilles are really angry with me. I've got freeze gel and tubigrip up to my knees on both legs, and last Thursday after class I could barely walk. I can't do anything except just keep going and hoping they won't get worse.
-------------------
Last week I set myself some challenges for the week which I'll review now:
Wednesday - review new slip jig step, test out heavy jig step. Video record if possible. DONE! The slip jig step works a treat and R is getting to grips with it. The jig step needs polishing as I was off time on about the 6th-7th bars, but it's a pretty step.
Thursday - attempt Job set. Done on Friday instead, but I figured it out and I feel I know it sufficiently well enough to call it "complete". Obviously I will continue to polish.
Sunday - review Job set, attempt hornpipe. Not quite! I did the hornpipe on Saturday. Even so! That's the last beginner dance complete.
Monday - get to class early to work on bicycles, Job, jig and hornpipe. This was the first time I'd danced Job in shoes and it's getting there. I'm just such a child - whenever I actually make one of the heel clicks, I get so excited that I forget to actually continue dancing! Needs tidying. The jig is nearly there too, on the right foot at least. I've tightened up the timing so it's not so ragged, but I think I'm going to take out a travelling move and replace with some rhythm so that I don't knock myself off time. I then spent ages drilling back trebles and things on my MUCH weaker left foot and saw a slight bit of progress. I started on bicycles using the "two chairs" method. That will take a long long while to get, and I need to improve my core strength a great deal in order to get myself up in the air. The one thing I didn't do was work on the beginner hornpipe.
So where does that leave me for this week?
Tonight - nothing, I really should rest my legs. Perhaps I'll try some choreography in my head as I have the office to myself all day. Oh, I know what I'll do. Some core strength/Pilates exercises.
Wednesday - I can't arrive early or stay after Wednesday classes as the caretaker locks the hall before and afterwards, so this one will always be tricky and completely dependent on who turns up to class. Hopefully I'll be able to review Job and jig.
Thursday - review Job and jig, if I can walk.
Weekend - come up with a half step to complete my primary slip jig. If possible get the shoes on and just drill things on my left foot - back trebles, toe-over-toes, the stamp combination. Continue with strength exercises - core as well as foot and ankle.
I'm leaving Garden until I can be taught in person again so hopefully towards the end of the month. I can't really work on bicycles anywhere but the Monday class as I don't have access to any chairs, can you believe! We genuinely don't have any suitable chairs in our house. I'm continuing writing out all the hard ceilis and should finish sometime this week. Other than that all I can do is what I do every day - scour YouTube for clips and soak in as much dancing as possible for inspiration.
Apologies for the essay-style update. I really can't believe I've been on this road for a whole year.
Back then, I was taking a weekly class where we mostly did middle-level soft shoe steps and the odd ceili. That class folded over the summer, and I didn't dance again (due to illness and after effects) until I started my own class in January. That's a big thing for me - I started my own class. I'm fed up with it because people aren't committing, but we persevere. These things take a while to build up. Soon after the class started, I began work on my solo steps, for the practical dancing section. I thought I could fall back on the steps I'd danced the last time I competed, but they were woefully out of date and, as the years had taken their toll, were completely unsuitable.
I've choreographed myself a new reel and heavy jig step; just one of each. I struggle with practical choreography and tend to complete a step in my head before attempting to dance it, which doesn't always work. But, I do have a full complement of beginner dances to teach in my classes, and in the exam should I need to. I'm branching out into primary level steps now too.
The one thing I haven't touched, is the open sets. NINE. The mere thought of it is exhausting. There's no point in me tackling sets before I even have a full jig and hornpipe so it will be a while longer yet. Luckily I have good friends who are willing to share their choreography with me so the burden isn't quite so great, but I'm still hugely daunted by this and if anything puts me off, it's going to be the sets.
I'm struggling with injury at the moment - both my Achilles are really angry with me. I've got freeze gel and tubigrip up to my knees on both legs, and last Thursday after class I could barely walk. I can't do anything except just keep going and hoping they won't get worse.
-------------------
Last week I set myself some challenges for the week which I'll review now:
Wednesday - review new slip jig step, test out heavy jig step. Video record if possible. DONE! The slip jig step works a treat and R is getting to grips with it. The jig step needs polishing as I was off time on about the 6th-7th bars, but it's a pretty step.
Thursday - attempt Job set. Done on Friday instead, but I figured it out and I feel I know it sufficiently well enough to call it "complete". Obviously I will continue to polish.
Sunday - review Job set, attempt hornpipe. Not quite! I did the hornpipe on Saturday. Even so! That's the last beginner dance complete.
Monday - get to class early to work on bicycles, Job, jig and hornpipe. This was the first time I'd danced Job in shoes and it's getting there. I'm just such a child - whenever I actually make one of the heel clicks, I get so excited that I forget to actually continue dancing! Needs tidying. The jig is nearly there too, on the right foot at least. I've tightened up the timing so it's not so ragged, but I think I'm going to take out a travelling move and replace with some rhythm so that I don't knock myself off time. I then spent ages drilling back trebles and things on my MUCH weaker left foot and saw a slight bit of progress. I started on bicycles using the "two chairs" method. That will take a long long while to get, and I need to improve my core strength a great deal in order to get myself up in the air. The one thing I didn't do was work on the beginner hornpipe.
So where does that leave me for this week?
Tonight - nothing, I really should rest my legs. Perhaps I'll try some choreography in my head as I have the office to myself all day. Oh, I know what I'll do. Some core strength/Pilates exercises.
Wednesday - I can't arrive early or stay after Wednesday classes as the caretaker locks the hall before and afterwards, so this one will always be tricky and completely dependent on who turns up to class. Hopefully I'll be able to review Job and jig.
Thursday - review Job and jig, if I can walk.
Weekend - come up with a half step to complete my primary slip jig. If possible get the shoes on and just drill things on my left foot - back trebles, toe-over-toes, the stamp combination. Continue with strength exercises - core as well as foot and ankle.
I'm leaving Garden until I can be taught in person again so hopefully towards the end of the month. I can't really work on bicycles anywhere but the Monday class as I don't have access to any chairs, can you believe! We genuinely don't have any suitable chairs in our house. I'm continuing writing out all the hard ceilis and should finish sometime this week. Other than that all I can do is what I do every day - scour YouTube for clips and soak in as much dancing as possible for inspiration.
Apologies for the essay-style update. I really can't believe I've been on this road for a whole year.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Challenges
Oh, I crack myself up. I wrote myself a list of four challenges last week and, to date, have achieved exactly none of them. I keep doing different things instead!
Here's what I wanted to do:
- Finish Job (yes, I'm still on that. No, I haven't tried)
- Learn Garden
- Learn to do a bicycle (I'm going to need to know how to do at least one difficult movement in case I get champs in the teaching section)
- Choreograph a beginner hornpipe
Here's what I actually did:
- Choreographed two steps of a primary slip jig (it's actually very pretty!)
- Completed two music quizzes (both passes but a couple of woeful mistakes. How do you confuse Ace and Deuce with Planxty Drury? Not Davis, Drury?!)
- Choreographed a new heavy jig step
So I guess productive, and at least I'm doing practical work more often now, but if I don't stick to my homework then there are certain things I will put off for ever and ever!
Monday class was cancelled which gave the legs and internal organs a much needed rest. Wednesday class is on as normal tomorrow so I can test out this new heavy jig step which can't be neglected even though it's not on my original list. So the plan for the next week is (incorporating overtime - real life needs to stop getting in my way):
Wednesday - review new slip jig step and heavy jig step. Video record if possible.
Thursday - attempt Job set
Sunday - review Job set, attempt hornpipe
Monday - get to class early to work on bicycles, Job, jig and hornpipe.
Is that enough? Probably not. I'm also trying to write out (well, type) all the tougher ceilis. Mainly the ones with figures, and a couple of others like Lannigan's and Gates, otherwise I'm going to run out of past papers well before my actual exam.
I WILL update on my progress this time next week! If I don't, spam me with comments.
Here's what I wanted to do:
- Finish Job (yes, I'm still on that. No, I haven't tried)
- Learn Garden
- Learn to do a bicycle (I'm going to need to know how to do at least one difficult movement in case I get champs in the teaching section)
- Choreograph a beginner hornpipe
Here's what I actually did:
- Choreographed two steps of a primary slip jig (it's actually very pretty!)
- Completed two music quizzes (both passes but a couple of woeful mistakes. How do you confuse Ace and Deuce with Planxty Drury? Not Davis, Drury?!)
- Choreographed a new heavy jig step
So I guess productive, and at least I'm doing practical work more often now, but if I don't stick to my homework then there are certain things I will put off for ever and ever!
Monday class was cancelled which gave the legs and internal organs a much needed rest. Wednesday class is on as normal tomorrow so I can test out this new heavy jig step which can't be neglected even though it's not on my original list. So the plan for the next week is (incorporating overtime - real life needs to stop getting in my way):
Wednesday - review new slip jig step and heavy jig step. Video record if possible.
Thursday - attempt Job set
Sunday - review Job set, attempt hornpipe
Monday - get to class early to work on bicycles, Job, jig and hornpipe.
Is that enough? Probably not. I'm also trying to write out (well, type) all the tougher ceilis. Mainly the ones with figures, and a couple of others like Lannigan's and Gates, otherwise I'm going to run out of past papers well before my actual exam.
I WILL update on my progress this time next week! If I don't, spam me with comments.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Warm-up
My, was I aching today. I had only one dancer last night, R, who is a star and hasn't missed a single lesson. She wants to be pushed a bit harder; in her own words, "I don't just want to do the steps, I want to do them properly." So with only one dancer (who wanted to work hard), I then had to work hard too, and coincidentally enough I'd arrived at the venue a full hour early to get some solo practice in as well. Oops.
I ran through my traditionals and the rhythm wasn't so bad. I actually am quite thankful for them as I can feel it will help with my open sets and general heavy dancing, so I refuse to complain about any of them any more. I then tried to fix my old jig lead, which was done in the days when you could go right-right and also includes a ridiculous three full clicks on each foot. Six! It's a killer and some of them need to go, but my brain wasn't working so I moved on to reel and have come up with a new step for me to do at the exam. It's not what you'd expect today's champions to be doing in their light round - maybe a prelim dancer. I hope it will be enough, and maybe when I'm fitter I'll push myself to something more difficult.
To link this whole post together (was aching today/need to get fitter) - I could do with some advice, please. What does your warm-up routine consist of? I usually just go straight into things dancing at half-effort and work my way up. I know I should definitely be doing ankle and arch exercises as these are the areas that play me up most, and I know my class need to do a full warm-up as well. With me branching into two classes a week, it's only going to get tougher on the old legs. I'm just kind of not sure what to do?
Back in the day we would start off by walking briskly round the room, getting a bit faster and swinging our arms to loosen the upper body, then break into a bit of a jog with some star jumps thrown in, back to a brisk walk with some arm exercises (bicep curls, shoulder presses etc with no weights), then finish with the light jig or baby reel. Following that it'd be some non-specific leg stretches which I don't think we were doing correctly having seen gym trainers do them differently.
So...what's new in warming up? Any advice?
I ran through my traditionals and the rhythm wasn't so bad. I actually am quite thankful for them as I can feel it will help with my open sets and general heavy dancing, so I refuse to complain about any of them any more. I then tried to fix my old jig lead, which was done in the days when you could go right-right and also includes a ridiculous three full clicks on each foot. Six! It's a killer and some of them need to go, but my brain wasn't working so I moved on to reel and have come up with a new step for me to do at the exam. It's not what you'd expect today's champions to be doing in their light round - maybe a prelim dancer. I hope it will be enough, and maybe when I'm fitter I'll push myself to something more difficult.
To link this whole post together (was aching today/need to get fitter) - I could do with some advice, please. What does your warm-up routine consist of? I usually just go straight into things dancing at half-effort and work my way up. I know I should definitely be doing ankle and arch exercises as these are the areas that play me up most, and I know my class need to do a full warm-up as well. With me branching into two classes a week, it's only going to get tougher on the old legs. I'm just kind of not sure what to do?
Back in the day we would start off by walking briskly round the room, getting a bit faster and swinging our arms to loosen the upper body, then break into a bit of a jog with some star jumps thrown in, back to a brisk walk with some arm exercises (bicep curls, shoulder presses etc with no weights), then finish with the light jig or baby reel. Following that it'd be some non-specific leg stretches which I don't think we were doing correctly having seen gym trainers do them differently.
So...what's new in warming up? Any advice?
Monday, 28 March 2011
Exam news
Woe is me. Just took a wee visit to Ryan Carroll's blog and all future TCRG candidates will need to know seven traditional sets instead of the current four. Sob! But, I have the DVD and they are all nice dances. We'd need them as teachers anyway and it'll be nice to be able to offer more than one trad set in jig time. But, the fact that the meeting was held this weekend just gone, means that you should all start getting your results fairly soon. Best of luck!!!
***EDIT - apparently the original blog post (linked to above) was incorrect as it has now been reposted. We still only need to know the four traditional sets, but any version of them will be accepted as there are a number of different versions***
Before I go, an answer to last week's quiz question. As correctly guessed by one of our anonymous readers, the odd movement out was See-Saw as all the other movements listed included a clap or claps. Thanks for playing!
Final piece of news...I'm starting my Wednesday night classes from this week. OMG.
***EDIT - apparently the original blog post (linked to above) was incorrect as it has now been reposted. We still only need to know the four traditional sets, but any version of them will be accepted as there are a number of different versions***
Before I go, an answer to last week's quiz question. As correctly guessed by one of our anonymous readers, the odd movement out was See-Saw as all the other movements listed included a clap or claps. Thanks for playing!
Final piece of news...I'm starting my Wednesday night classes from this week. OMG.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Pop Quiz I
Time for a quiz! Match the movement to the dance in which it appears:
Ooohhhh, you didn't think it'd be that easy, did you? That's only the starter question. The real question is this: Which is the odd movement out and why? I'll give you a few days before I post the answer. No prizes for guessing, save for bragging rights and a sense of self-satisfaction :)
Ooohhhh, you didn't think it'd be that easy, did you? That's only the starter question. The real question is this: Which is the odd movement out and why? I'll give you a few days before I post the answer. No prizes for guessing, save for bragging rights and a sense of self-satisfaction :)
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Figure of Eight and Rings of Three
Determined to lift myself out of my downbeat-ness, I decided to go over the troublesome figure. Death by repetition. I've worked out where I was going wrong, and in doing so I've reminded myself that this is actually the ONLY figure I ever have problems with when doing practise exams. Here's why: I forget that the rings go BOTH ways before letting the lady or gent out. Sidestep and threes, sidestep and threes, letting them out on the second lot of threes. Because I was insistent that the figure takes 24 instead of 32 bars to do once, I was trying to get away with letting the "spare" dancer in/out after only one lot of sevens and threes, First Ring/Second Ring style in Haste to the Wedding. No, wrong, bad, slap.
1) Top couple advance. Top gent retires while top lady performs a figure of eight, passing around opposite lady then opposite gent. Both ladies advance to form a ring of three with the top gent. = 8
2) Ring performs sidestep and threes to the right and back - opposite gent does likewise in place. On the last two threes, top couple form an arch and opposite lady passes under to take the original place of top lady, and opposite gent joins the ring. = 8
3) Ring performs sidestep and threes to the left and back - opposite lady does likewise in top couple's places. On the last two threes, top couple again form the arch and let opposite gent under to take the original place of leading gent. = 8
4) All have a swing around back to place. = 8
5) As at 1, with opposite couple advancing and opposite lady performing the figure of eight around lady then gent. = 8
6) As at 2, ring allowing top lady out to position of opposite lady, top gent in. = 8
7) As at 3, allowing top gent out to position of opposite gent. = 8
8) Swiiiiing. = 8
...and you're done. 32 bars to complete once, not 24. Ring goes both ways. I had this mere weeks ago - let's hope everybody turns up next week so I can finally put this one to bed.
1) Top couple advance. Top gent retires while top lady performs a figure of eight, passing around opposite lady then opposite gent. Both ladies advance to form a ring of three with the top gent. = 8
2) Ring performs sidestep and threes to the right and back - opposite gent does likewise in place. On the last two threes, top couple form an arch and opposite lady passes under to take the original place of top lady, and opposite gent joins the ring. = 8
3) Ring performs sidestep and threes to the left and back - opposite lady does likewise in top couple's places. On the last two threes, top couple again form the arch and let opposite gent under to take the original place of leading gent. = 8
4) All have a swing around back to place. = 8
5) As at 1, with opposite couple advancing and opposite lady performing the figure of eight around lady then gent. = 8
6) As at 2, ring allowing top lady out to position of opposite lady, top gent in. = 8
7) As at 3, allowing top gent out to position of opposite gent. = 8
8) Swiiiiing. = 8
...and you're done. 32 bars to complete once, not 24. Ring goes both ways. I had this mere weeks ago - let's hope everybody turns up next week so I can finally put this one to bed.
Ten down...
...a million to go. I've been running my class for ten weeks now :-O
I'm a bit disappointed because the numbers haven't picked up. I keep getting calls and emails from people who say they'll come, but then they never do. Starting to wonder if they're prank calls! The girls I do have are really enthusiastic and pick things up very quickly so we're steaming ahead, and last night I started pulling them up on a few technique issues and working them a bit harder. Working myself a bit harder too, even put my shoes on for St Patrick's Day, and old injuries are flaring. I'm too broken for this.
I'm also frustrated because we had a new girl who'd danced before, making four including me, so we went over the Four-Hand Reel a few times. And I've taught this before but still the first figure was just not happening.
Perhaps I'm not as confident on the ceilis as I thought I was. What I call the "little" ceilis (progressives) are ok, and I'm ok on the body of most of the harder dances, but am I going to be ok with figures? I feel like I would be if I had the opportunity to practise them but I need at least four more people to join the class and stick with it before that can happen.
I'm just having a downbeat day I guess. For why? I have't even booked myself on an exam yet. I just want it done, I want to get going, and there's so much crap in the way of that.
Very downbeat.
I'm a bit disappointed because the numbers haven't picked up. I keep getting calls and emails from people who say they'll come, but then they never do. Starting to wonder if they're prank calls! The girls I do have are really enthusiastic and pick things up very quickly so we're steaming ahead, and last night I started pulling them up on a few technique issues and working them a bit harder. Working myself a bit harder too, even put my shoes on for St Patrick's Day, and old injuries are flaring. I'm too broken for this.
I'm also frustrated because we had a new girl who'd danced before, making four including me, so we went over the Four-Hand Reel a few times. And I've taught this before but still the first figure was just not happening.
Perhaps I'm not as confident on the ceilis as I thought I was. What I call the "little" ceilis (progressives) are ok, and I'm ok on the body of most of the harder dances, but am I going to be ok with figures? I feel like I would be if I had the opportunity to practise them but I need at least four more people to join the class and stick with it before that can happen.
I'm just having a downbeat day I guess. For why? I have't even booked myself on an exam yet. I just want it done, I want to get going, and there's so much crap in the way of that.
Very downbeat.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig
Here are some suitable clips for St Patrick's Day...hope everyone had a good one!
Erin go bragh!
Erin go bragh!
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Job of Journeywork
Attempting my third traditional set this week. I was lucky enough to have someone to teach me the step which compared to learning St Pat's and Blackbird from videos was SO VERY EASY. Honestly, if you ever have the choice been videos and a real person, choose the real person every time. There's just no comparison. I have the step committed to memory:
& brush & brush treble in front, hop-treble treble and a back 23 brush treble and a back, hop-treble treble and a back 23 and brush treble and back treble and back 2345 heel heel down step treble and back brush treble-treble and a back.
And now I've found a slowed-down instruction of the set which I hope will be the next bext thing to personal tuition! I especially like the little shriek during one of the rocks :)
So that's my project for this week. I do of course have Olive as well.
Class went well this week although it was just the three of us. It's been just the three of us for some time now which is disappointing. But, they're both really enthusiastic and we steamed through all the beginner dances, polished the primary reel including learning a brand new second step, and then continued to work on St Patrick's Day. I've made up a heavy jig lead and second step to go with my existing first step (which I've changed to be a first instead of a lead) and they actually WORK!
Still no further along with my own dancing/open set dances, and haven't touched a practice paper since last month. Not to worry. I still only have £30 saved towards this exam and hence haven't applied. No rush, I'm telling myself.
This Saturday we have an Irish band playing at the local and they've asked if I can bring a few dancers. I've roped a few guys in - should be a good craic.
& brush & brush treble in front, hop-treble treble and a back 23 brush treble and a back, hop-treble treble and a back 23 and brush treble and back treble and back 2345 heel heel down step treble and back brush treble-treble and a back.
And now I've found a slowed-down instruction of the set which I hope will be the next bext thing to personal tuition! I especially like the little shriek during one of the rocks :)
So that's my project for this week. I do of course have Olive as well.
Class went well this week although it was just the three of us. It's been just the three of us for some time now which is disappointing. But, they're both really enthusiastic and we steamed through all the beginner dances, polished the primary reel including learning a brand new second step, and then continued to work on St Patrick's Day. I've made up a heavy jig lead and second step to go with my existing first step (which I've changed to be a first instead of a lead) and they actually WORK!
Still no further along with my own dancing/open set dances, and haven't touched a practice paper since last month. Not to worry. I still only have £30 saved towards this exam and hence haven't applied. No rush, I'm telling myself.
This Saturday we have an Irish band playing at the local and they've asked if I can bring a few dancers. I've roped a few guys in - should be a good craic.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Sixteen-Hand Reel
Another one that I learned ages ago but never got around to typing out. I'm going to test myself and do this solely from memory first, because it's the last book dance I learned so I haven't done as much in the way of revision as I've done for some of the others.
Lead Round
As always.
Body
Sides
Partners sidestep past each other and finish with two threes, then return to place as before. 8.
Hands Round
Leading and opposite tops, and leading and opposite sides, each form a ring of four with the couple to their right and dance sidestep and threes to the left and back. 8.
Sides
As above. 8.
Hand Round
As above, but forming the ring with the couple on their left. 8.
Half Chain
Partners take right hands and turn in place. Gents chain with left hand to lady on their right, ladies with left hand to gents on their left, and all continue chaining until they meet their partner in the opposite postition. Gents take partners two hands and lead round back to original position in the direction the gent was dancing (i.e. anticlockwise). 16.
Link Arms
Gents of leading and opposite tops and leading and opposite sides advance to gent on their right, link right arms and dance around clockwise. Give left hand to lady on right and turn in place, returning to partner and turning her with right hand. Partners take two hands and swing a complete circle around couple with whom they danced the second Hands Round (couple on left). 16.
First Figure - Advance & Retire
As always. Leading & opposite tops first, then leading and opposite sides, then second tops, then second sides. 16x4=64.
The clip starts at Advance and Retire and then continues into the body...
Second Figure - Right Hand to Opposite Lady
Gents of leading and opposite tops advance to opposite lady and give right hand to turn in place. Return to partner and turn in place with left hand. Gents take right hands in centre and turn in place, give left hand to opposite lady and turn in place, then give right hand to partner and turn in place. Couples swing around each other to finish. Repeated in the same order as above. 24x4=96.
Third Figure - Arch Arms
Leading and opposite tops take hands and turn into centre. Leading tops raise right arms to form an arch under which opposite lady passes. Lower hands, half turn, raise hands to form an arch under which opposite gent passes. All retake both hands and turn out to opposite position. Turn back into centre, this time opposite tops forming the arch for top lady to pass under, turn as before, reform arch for top gent to pass under, and swing back to original position. 16x4=64
Finish
As in Eight-Hand Reel; advance, retire, rings and swing. 40.
Total...536 bars.
------
Apart from incorrectly saying that the couples swing around each other to finish Arch Arms, I actually got all of that right! :-O
Lead Round
As always.
Body
Sides
Partners sidestep past each other and finish with two threes, then return to place as before. 8.
Hands Round
Leading and opposite tops, and leading and opposite sides, each form a ring of four with the couple to their right and dance sidestep and threes to the left and back. 8.
Sides
As above. 8.
Hand Round
As above, but forming the ring with the couple on their left. 8.
Half Chain
Partners take right hands and turn in place. Gents chain with left hand to lady on their right, ladies with left hand to gents on their left, and all continue chaining until they meet their partner in the opposite postition. Gents take partners two hands and lead round back to original position in the direction the gent was dancing (i.e. anticlockwise). 16.
Link Arms
Gents of leading and opposite tops and leading and opposite sides advance to gent on their right, link right arms and dance around clockwise. Give left hand to lady on right and turn in place, returning to partner and turning her with right hand. Partners take two hands and swing a complete circle around couple with whom they danced the second Hands Round (couple on left). 16.
First Figure - Advance & Retire
As always. Leading & opposite tops first, then leading and opposite sides, then second tops, then second sides. 16x4=64.
The clip starts at Advance and Retire and then continues into the body...
Second Figure - Right Hand to Opposite Lady
Gents of leading and opposite tops advance to opposite lady and give right hand to turn in place. Return to partner and turn in place with left hand. Gents take right hands in centre and turn in place, give left hand to opposite lady and turn in place, then give right hand to partner and turn in place. Couples swing around each other to finish. Repeated in the same order as above. 24x4=96.
Third Figure - Arch Arms
Leading and opposite tops take hands and turn into centre. Leading tops raise right arms to form an arch under which opposite lady passes. Lower hands, half turn, raise hands to form an arch under which opposite gent passes. All retake both hands and turn out to opposite position. Turn back into centre, this time opposite tops forming the arch for top lady to pass under, turn as before, reform arch for top gent to pass under, and swing back to original position. 16x4=64
Finish
As in Eight-Hand Reel; advance, retire, rings and swing. 40.
Total...536 bars.
------
Apart from incorrectly saying that the couples swing around each other to finish Arch Arms, I actually got all of that right! :-O
Monday, 28 February 2011
Inspired by the All Irelands
I've been watching the live commentary all week. Even when getting ready for a night out, I was listening to the presentation music rather than the more usual MTV. Got some mascara down my face when I saw these two skipping on stage together and laughed in joy at how happy they were. How lovely to have someone to share the moment with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHhFiDgk5wM
I might not have been able to see any of the solo dancing but even some of the rhythm of the sets has given me ideas. What I see in my head is probably not at all what they were doing, but even so; inspiration's inspiration.
And I've looked at the results and I've seen some nice things. "Bridesmaids" finally sitting on top box. Girls who'd done well but gone off the boil suddenly climb back up. Watching live commentary used to make me want to compete again, but this time it makes me want to find some kids, teach them, bring them up. It made me think - how would we handle it if I had a dancer that was always a nearly-man? How would we make that final push? We wouldn't give up, we'd work it out somehow. I just can't wait for all of that.
I need to hone my teaching skills on my adults first. Tonight's was a good class - primary reel, a run through of all the "baby" steps for the other dances, and I even started them off on St Patrick's Day. J has taken to it like a natural; she said she always preferred heavies as a child dancer. They all left saying "I hate it when it's over!" So do I!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHhFiDgk5wM
I might not have been able to see any of the solo dancing but even some of the rhythm of the sets has given me ideas. What I see in my head is probably not at all what they were doing, but even so; inspiration's inspiration.
And I've looked at the results and I've seen some nice things. "Bridesmaids" finally sitting on top box. Girls who'd done well but gone off the boil suddenly climb back up. Watching live commentary used to make me want to compete again, but this time it makes me want to find some kids, teach them, bring them up. It made me think - how would we handle it if I had a dancer that was always a nearly-man? How would we make that final push? We wouldn't give up, we'd work it out somehow. I just can't wait for all of that.
I need to hone my teaching skills on my adults first. Tonight's was a good class - primary reel, a run through of all the "baby" steps for the other dances, and I even started them off on St Patrick's Day. J has taken to it like a natural; she said she always preferred heavies as a child dancer. They all left saying "I hate it when it's over!" So do I!
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Blackbird Part 3
After first starting to learn the Blackbird 1,000 years ago, giving up and not looking at it since, I know it! This is a "so what" moment for most I know, but this is huge for me. And I even learnt all of it wearing my jig shoes. I've worn through the heel of a poodle sock in the process but I'm so proud of myself right now. I even shouted YES incredibly loud when I finished it and startled some passers-by.
STEP
& brush & brush treble 12 12 & brush treble 12 12 & brush treble 12 12 & brush treble 12 12 & brush treble hop back treble & 123 over 23 & brush treble in front treble behind
SET
Hop down treble & back hop rock 23 hop rock 23 over 23 over 23 over 23 & treble & back hop change change rock rock brush treble & back treble & back
Hop 23 12 12 hop 23 stamp toe heel over 2345 change point back rock rock treble & a back & brush & brush treble & a back & brush & brush treble in front treble behind.
GET IN.
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
91%
This is the story so far as I plough through the past papers. Yep, some days I really am sad enough to do two! I don't want to run out of material though so I might give it a little rest for a while and try other methods of revision. Teaching the ceilis in class is helping me to remember which hand to who etc. I think I'll actually start writing out some of the toughies in full, the ones they tend to use for the ten-markers, and see how I go.I'm pleased with this. 91% on average gives me plenty of room for error because let's face it, 71% is a pass and I'd take it happily. I'm not worried about the written in the slightest which is amazing to me. It's the part I dreaded most.
The part I'm now dreading most is the dancing. That makes so little sense to me - I've been a dancer forever and I'm bricking it, yet I've known these ceilis for a few short months and yet I'm horizontally laid-back about them. I already knew how to dance, right?
I went to class early and stayed late last night for practise in jig shoes. Videotaped a couple of efforts as well. On one hand I'm kind of glad that my jig isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but on the other I know I used to be able to do it so much better. I know the steps are dated and I can cope with that; it's more the performance than the content, but I'm still trying to fix them up and drawing a blank. How on Earth am I going to make up 9 set dances if I can't even fix existing steps?
Friday, 18 February 2011
Ar aghaidh is ar gCúl
After my post listing the different kinds of Sides in Ar Rinci Foirne, I thought I'd do the same for Advance and Retire. This one's harder - there are fourteen different ways to advance and retire and it appears in twenty-one dances.
1) "Normal" - Walls of Limerick, Siege of Ennis, Harvest-time Jig, Glencar Reel, Rakes of Mallow
"Normal" is what I call the most straightforward method. In for 2, out for 2, in for 2, out for 2. Easy.
2) "Normal", performed twice - Fairy Reel, The Waves of Tory
As above but performed twice, alternating with another movement. In the Fairy Reel it's Rings, whereas in Waves it's Right & Left Hands Across, and Left & Right Hands Across
3) First Figure - Eight-Hand Reel, Morris Reel, Sixteen-Hand Reel, St Patrick's Day
This is a "normal" advance and retire followed by an 8-bar swing-around.
4) Advance, Retire and Pass Through #1 - Siege of Ennis
This is the last movement of the dance and while it appears in others, Siege is the only time one of the lines (facing the music) make an arch for the other line to pass under.
5) Advance, Retire and Pass Through #2 - Harvest-time Jig, Fairy Reel
This finish does not include arches.
6) The Rising Step, Advance and Retire - Bridge of Athlone
The longest one at 32 bars. Rising step x2 to begin and also includes a pass-through!
7) Diagonally - Trip to the Cottage
As part of the body, in trios.
8) Second Figure - Trip to the Cottage
Top couples advance and retire then interlace.
9) "Normal" with rising step - Haymaker's Jig
It's only called Advance and Retire but it takes 16 bars as it includes the rising step halfway through.
10) The Body - Duke Reel
"Normal", performed in a ring as the last movement of the body.
11) "Normal" with pass through - Gates of Derry
Again, this is simpy called "Advance and Retire" but includes a pass-through movement. It gets it's own category as it's unique and appears as the first movement and the finish.
12) Alternating - The Sweets of May
Again this appears in the body, however tops and sides alternate. Tops advance while sides mark time, tops retire while sides advance. Tops advance while sides retire, tops retire while sides mark time.
13) Slowly! - Bonfire Dance
"Normal", but 4 in, 4 out. It's also performed twice, alternating with Rings.
14) The Finish - Eight-Hand Reel, Morris Reel, High Cauled Cap, Sixteen-Hand Reel, Eight-Hand Jig, Cross Reel
As part of the 40-bar finish of these dances (advance, retire, sidestep and swing).
I think it's definitely worth remembering these differences; recently I've done a few past papers with 10-markers devoted to comparing and contrasting this movement in various dances. They really can ask you anything.
1) "Normal" - Walls of Limerick, Siege of Ennis, Harvest-time Jig, Glencar Reel, Rakes of Mallow
"Normal" is what I call the most straightforward method. In for 2, out for 2, in for 2, out for 2. Easy.
2) "Normal", performed twice - Fairy Reel, The Waves of Tory
As above but performed twice, alternating with another movement. In the Fairy Reel it's Rings, whereas in Waves it's Right & Left Hands Across, and Left & Right Hands Across
3) First Figure - Eight-Hand Reel, Morris Reel, Sixteen-Hand Reel, St Patrick's Day
This is a "normal" advance and retire followed by an 8-bar swing-around.
4) Advance, Retire and Pass Through #1 - Siege of Ennis
This is the last movement of the dance and while it appears in others, Siege is the only time one of the lines (facing the music) make an arch for the other line to pass under.
5) Advance, Retire and Pass Through #2 - Harvest-time Jig, Fairy Reel
This finish does not include arches.
6) The Rising Step, Advance and Retire - Bridge of Athlone
The longest one at 32 bars. Rising step x2 to begin and also includes a pass-through!
7) Diagonally - Trip to the Cottage
As part of the body, in trios.
8) Second Figure - Trip to the Cottage
Top couples advance and retire then interlace.
9) "Normal" with rising step - Haymaker's Jig
It's only called Advance and Retire but it takes 16 bars as it includes the rising step halfway through.
10) The Body - Duke Reel
"Normal", performed in a ring as the last movement of the body.
11) "Normal" with pass through - Gates of Derry
Again, this is simpy called "Advance and Retire" but includes a pass-through movement. It gets it's own category as it's unique and appears as the first movement and the finish.
12) Alternating - The Sweets of May
Again this appears in the body, however tops and sides alternate. Tops advance while sides mark time, tops retire while sides advance. Tops advance while sides retire, tops retire while sides mark time.
13) Slowly! - Bonfire Dance
"Normal", but 4 in, 4 out. It's also performed twice, alternating with Rings.
14) The Finish - Eight-Hand Reel, Morris Reel, High Cauled Cap, Sixteen-Hand Reel, Eight-Hand Jig, Cross Reel
As part of the 40-bar finish of these dances (advance, retire, sidestep and swing).
I think it's definitely worth remembering these differences; recently I've done a few past papers with 10-markers devoted to comparing and contrasting this movement in various dances. They really can ask you anything.
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Five ceilis and a heavy jig
That's pretty much what I got through last night. Retaught them the first figure of the Four-Hand Reel and then went on a bit of a frenzy with any ceili that can be done in a four. Antrim Reel, Siege of Carrick and the Walls of Limerick were finished within about half an hour, and then we moved onto the Humours of Bandon. I actually love the body to dance. I've always thought the figures were a bit of a mess and my opinion remains the same, but we got them regardless. How I wish I had seven dancers instead of four. If they're going to collapse in giggles at how well the claps in the Siege of Carrick fit with the music, then I'm going to have absolutely no chance at controlling them through the Three Tunes!
Class over and tables replaced, I decided to get the heavy shoes on. Ow, it's been a while. That needs a lot of work but I'm encouraged on a couple of points:
To finish on a happy note, one of the girls said "why can't we have more than one class a week?" I wish, J. I wish!
Class over and tables replaced, I decided to get the heavy shoes on. Ow, it's been a while. That needs a lot of work but I'm encouraged on a couple of points:
- Hit a few clicks, even the hard ones
- Nailed my rhythm bits including the double back treble and the toe-over-toe
- Didn't miss a treble
- Loouuudddd
- Pointe work strong
To finish on a happy note, one of the girls said "why can't we have more than one class a week?" I wish, J. I wish!
Monday, 14 February 2011
St Patrick's Day
It's occurred to me that I never did type out St Patrick's Day or the Sixteen-Hand Reel after I learnt them last year. For shame! Here goes Paddy's Day.
Lead Round
Body
Sides
Partners exchange places with sidestep and rising step, then back to place (8).
Half Right and Left
Partners take both hands and turn once in place (2). Top gents exchange places with gent to their left (2) then top ladies exchange places with lady to their left (2).
Sides (8)
Half Right and Left (6)
As before.
Double Quarter Chain
As in the High Cauled Cap. Partners take right hands and turn in place (2). Gents pass to lady on left, ladies to gent on right, give left hands and turn in place (2), chain back to partner (2), turn in place (2). Repeat with gent passing to lady on right and lady passing to gent on left (8). (16)
Extended Sides
Partners exchange places with sidestep and rising step (4). Continue on in same direction (gents right, ladies left) as before (4). Gents give right hand to lady on right and turn in place (2), chain back to partner (2), turn in place (2). (14)
Full Chain
As it says on the tin. Gents right (anticlockwise), ladies left (clockwise). (14)
First Figure - Advance and Retire
As always (16).
Brief clip interlude. They go the wrong way in the double quarter chain.
Body (72)
First Figure - repeated by sides (16)
Body (72)
Second Figure - Ladies Chain
As always - (16)
Body (72)
Second Figure - repeated by sides (16)
Body (72)
Finish
Lead around anticlockwise as usual (8). Lead around clockwise but only as far as opposite position (4), then take partners two hands and swing in the same direction back to position (4). (16)
Sooooo, 456 bars? I really like this dance!
Lead Round
Body
Sides
Partners exchange places with sidestep and rising step, then back to place (8).
Half Right and Left
Partners take both hands and turn once in place (2). Top gents exchange places with gent to their left (2) then top ladies exchange places with lady to their left (2).
Sides (8)
Half Right and Left (6)
As before.
Double Quarter Chain
As in the High Cauled Cap. Partners take right hands and turn in place (2). Gents pass to lady on left, ladies to gent on right, give left hands and turn in place (2), chain back to partner (2), turn in place (2). Repeat with gent passing to lady on right and lady passing to gent on left (8). (16)
Extended Sides
Partners exchange places with sidestep and rising step (4). Continue on in same direction (gents right, ladies left) as before (4). Gents give right hand to lady on right and turn in place (2), chain back to partner (2), turn in place (2). (14)
Full Chain
As it says on the tin. Gents right (anticlockwise), ladies left (clockwise). (14)
First Figure - Advance and Retire
As always (16).
Brief clip interlude. They go the wrong way in the double quarter chain.
Body (72)
First Figure - repeated by sides (16)
Body (72)
Second Figure - Ladies Chain
As always - (16)
Body (72)
Second Figure - repeated by sides (16)
Body (72)
Finish
Lead around anticlockwise as usual (8). Lead around clockwise but only as far as opposite position (4), then take partners two hands and swing in the same direction back to position (4). (16)
Sooooo, 456 bars? I really like this dance!
Friday, 11 February 2011
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
Figure failure
Only slight! Here follows my conversation when I got into the house last night:
SO: How was your class tonight?
Me: Oh really good, we got through both figures of the Four-Hand Reel! [reaches for laptop]
SO: What are you up to?
Me: Just checking if I got the first one right...
*watches*
Me: ...I did not.
Cue a round of gentle mocking!
I was nearly right, I just had the wrong dancers making the rings. I knew it didn't feel right as we were dancing it but I'd left my book at home, of course. Here's the video to review.
(They get cute points for having the littlies dance with the big girls. Awww!)
In other news K has finished her light jig - I thought it'd be the easiest one to learn after the reel because it's so repetitive, but with hindsight it's actually quite difficult as you bring the back foot forward every time. It's not exactly a natural thing to do. So I think in future I'll do the "traditional" order - the order I learned them in, the usual feis order. Reel, hop, light, slip. My reel steps worked (made a first step up on the way home from work on Monday), but the heavy jig failed spectacularly. Conclusion? I can make light steps up in my head no problem, but I MUST dance my jig and hornpipe creations before unleashing them on the class. I tend to forget that gravity is a real thing.
Next week: Antrim Reel or Humours of Bandon?
SO: How was your class tonight?
Me: Oh really good, we got through both figures of the Four-Hand Reel! [reaches for laptop]
SO: What are you up to?
Me: Just checking if I got the first one right...
*watches*
Me: ...I did not.
Cue a round of gentle mocking!
I was nearly right, I just had the wrong dancers making the rings. I knew it didn't feel right as we were dancing it but I'd left my book at home, of course. Here's the video to review.
(They get cute points for having the littlies dance with the big girls. Awww!)
In other news K has finished her light jig - I thought it'd be the easiest one to learn after the reel because it's so repetitive, but with hindsight it's actually quite difficult as you bring the back foot forward every time. It's not exactly a natural thing to do. So I think in future I'll do the "traditional" order - the order I learned them in, the usual feis order. Reel, hop, light, slip. My reel steps worked (made a first step up on the way home from work on Monday), but the heavy jig failed spectacularly. Conclusion? I can make light steps up in my head no problem, but I MUST dance my jig and hornpipe creations before unleashing them on the class. I tend to forget that gravity is a real thing.
Next week: Antrim Reel or Humours of Bandon?
Monday, 7 February 2011
Homework
I set myself some homework for this week.
A heavy jig step came to me in two parts - the first four bars while daydreaming at work on Friday, and the second half while unable to sleep yesterday morning. All my own work as well; not too much trad set plagiarising!
I've actually done not one but three practice exams since my last update. My personal best is 97% (I KNOW!!!) so I was disappointed to score something like 81%, 91% and 86% on them. A pass is a pass and I really should know which order the couples pass under each other's arches in Trip to the Cottage (first figure) by now. Second tops under first tops' arch, then under own arch, first tops under own arch then under second tops' arch. Right? :-/
I came up with a reel lead round while stuck in traffic on the way to work this morning which is quite nice though I do say so myself.
Did I practise? A few run-throughs of the new heavy jig step and one random run-through of St Patrick's Day to get the faster speed into my head. I'm still not used to fast heavy jigs as I never danced a beginner level one myself (I'd done "show" heavy dancing before learning jigs and hornpipes so they put me straight in at a higher level).
Homework for this week is to finally finish learning the Blackbird which I haven't touched since my little meltdown, to PRACTISE, and to start looking at/listening to the music again. Started to neglect that again.
Looking forward to class tonight. I now have four dancers so if they all come I can step out of the four-hand reel and maybe move them on to some other ceilis. And I've had a couple of enquiries from prospective students, one of whom even wants to compete eventually. That's made me think. Should I be a bit harder on them? At my most recent class the teachers were very easy on us. So long as you did the dance it was fine; no mention of turnout or posture, no corrections. Most people were there for fun. But I think with a little work I could get them up to competition standard ready for when I pass - R has already said she's never won a medal at anything in her life so she'd love to give it a go. Maybe I could even do ceili club.
But that would mean me being much harder on them. I'm not sure if that's what they're there for.
- Finally finish writing out all my dances on flashcards to go into my pretty and colour co-ordinated box.
- Come up with a first and second step for my beginner heavy jig - one of my girls has got the lead round and is chomping at the bit for more!
- Another practise exam.
- Come up with a primary level reel, or at least a lead round for R.
- Practise outside of class - really need to get these fitness levels up.
A heavy jig step came to me in two parts - the first four bars while daydreaming at work on Friday, and the second half while unable to sleep yesterday morning. All my own work as well; not too much trad set plagiarising!
I've actually done not one but three practice exams since my last update. My personal best is 97% (I KNOW!!!) so I was disappointed to score something like 81%, 91% and 86% on them. A pass is a pass and I really should know which order the couples pass under each other's arches in Trip to the Cottage (first figure) by now. Second tops under first tops' arch, then under own arch, first tops under own arch then under second tops' arch. Right? :-/
I came up with a reel lead round while stuck in traffic on the way to work this morning which is quite nice though I do say so myself.
Did I practise? A few run-throughs of the new heavy jig step and one random run-through of St Patrick's Day to get the faster speed into my head. I'm still not used to fast heavy jigs as I never danced a beginner level one myself (I'd done "show" heavy dancing before learning jigs and hornpipes so they put me straight in at a higher level).
Homework for this week is to finally finish learning the Blackbird which I haven't touched since my little meltdown, to PRACTISE, and to start looking at/listening to the music again. Started to neglect that again.
Looking forward to class tonight. I now have four dancers so if they all come I can step out of the four-hand reel and maybe move them on to some other ceilis. And I've had a couple of enquiries from prospective students, one of whom even wants to compete eventually. That's made me think. Should I be a bit harder on them? At my most recent class the teachers were very easy on us. So long as you did the dance it was fine; no mention of turnout or posture, no corrections. Most people were there for fun. But I think with a little work I could get them up to competition standard ready for when I pass - R has already said she's never won a medal at anything in her life so she'd love to give it a go. Maybe I could even do ceili club.
But that would mean me being much harder on them. I'm not sure if that's what they're there for.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Happy face / sad face
Great class last night. Another new face! She was so lovely and despite protesting that she hadn't danced in 20 years, picked everything up as if she'd taken a class last week. That brings me up to a grand total of four students so ceilis, here we come! I'm really enjoying it, despite not feeling well last night and still dying every time I have to dance at the same time as saying the steps. I can cope with little things like that!
I'm just a bit down about the whole thing really. There's so much going on all over the message boards about big American schools leaving for An Comhdhail, the association rule, etc etc...it's almost upsetting. I know things aren't perfect but I'm been with Coimisiun my entire dancing life, even before I knew there was anything else out there. I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else, and I'm not naive, but... I just want to believe that once I've put in the hard yards and passed this exam, that me and my dancers will be taken at face value.
That's a long way off. I'm not going to get drawn in - I've still got to pass the bloody thing! Homework for this week:
A nice quiet week then!
I'm just a bit down about the whole thing really. There's so much going on all over the message boards about big American schools leaving for An Comhdhail, the association rule, etc etc...it's almost upsetting. I know things aren't perfect but I'm been with Coimisiun my entire dancing life, even before I knew there was anything else out there. I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else, and I'm not naive, but... I just want to believe that once I've put in the hard yards and passed this exam, that me and my dancers will be taken at face value.
That's a long way off. I'm not going to get drawn in - I've still got to pass the bloody thing! Homework for this week:
- Finally finish writing out all my dances on flashcards to go into my pretty and colour co-ordinated box.
- Come up with a first and second step for my beginner heavy jig - one of my girls has got the lead round and is chomping at the bit for more!
- Another practise exam.
- Come up with a primary level reel, or at least a lead round for R.
- Practise outside of class - really need to get these fitness levels up.
A nice quiet week then!
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Patience is a virtue
Patience is a virtue, so the saying goes. It's a phrase I've often used to gently mock the frustrated or the over-excited, knowing full well that I'm incredibly impatient myself. At least I thought I was. As I get older I find myself slowing down a little bit. Or rather, trying to make life slow down so I can have a longer ride. The knock-on effect must be that I'm mellowing.
I remember attempting to assistant-teach for a previous instructor. I didn't know what to do with myself or my mixed-ability group. How to handle a new beginner with a smart mouth, who insists he's doing everything right and needs to be taught the Michael Flatley steps now please? How to get the prelims and champs, who I'd always danced alongside, to suddenly accept me as a teacher and not think that being put in my group was an excuse for a mess-around. The groups I was given got smaller and smaller and eventually I was phased out. I think I was frightened to show any authority. I felt too shy to stand up in front of them and tell them what to do. In hindsight I was being tested and I failed.
I'm a different person now. I must be. Last night my mixed-ability group told me I was a very good teacher, and very patient. Patient? Me? How did that happen? Where did that come from?
My achilles are aching and will do for some days to come, but I'm taking so much away from those comments. I've still got to learn how to be a teacher, of course, but now I know that I at least have some of the right attributes to build on. I'm learning how to explain things in a hundred different ways until suddenly you see it click in their brain and their feet do the right thing. I'm learning to encourage without being false. I think I'm learning how to make it fun.
I'm starting to think I might be able to do it.
I remember attempting to assistant-teach for a previous instructor. I didn't know what to do with myself or my mixed-ability group. How to handle a new beginner with a smart mouth, who insists he's doing everything right and needs to be taught the Michael Flatley steps now please? How to get the prelims and champs, who I'd always danced alongside, to suddenly accept me as a teacher and not think that being put in my group was an excuse for a mess-around. The groups I was given got smaller and smaller and eventually I was phased out. I think I was frightened to show any authority. I felt too shy to stand up in front of them and tell them what to do. In hindsight I was being tested and I failed.
I'm a different person now. I must be. Last night my mixed-ability group told me I was a very good teacher, and very patient. Patient? Me? How did that happen? Where did that come from?
My achilles are aching and will do for some days to come, but I'm taking so much away from those comments. I've still got to learn how to be a teacher, of course, but now I know that I at least have some of the right attributes to build on. I'm learning how to explain things in a hundred different ways until suddenly you see it click in their brain and their feet do the right thing. I'm learning to encourage without being false. I think I'm learning how to make it fun.
I'm starting to think I might be able to do it.
Monday, 17 January 2011
Proud moment
I'm so proud of my little class! I had three dancers this week; the two newbies got through a whole reel and the girl from last week remembered all her dances, even the heavy jig. I didn't want to overload the newbies with dances right at the start so I decided not to attempt the hop jig and to try a ceili instead. Best decision ever! They were absolutely fantastic at the Four-Hand Reel - we got through the lead and all of the body, and they got it all, even the chain and the bits I thought they might find difficult. Very proud :)
But also quite proud of myself. I managed mixed abilities which I used to struggle with, taught a ceili correctly without the book (I just checked!) and had a lot of fun as well. They all paid for next week up front as well which I was so pleased with as often people say they'll come back but never show again. I'm just so glad they enjoyed it. Because that's the whole point, isn't it?
But also quite proud of myself. I managed mixed abilities which I used to struggle with, taught a ceili correctly without the book (I just checked!) and had a lot of fun as well. They all paid for next week up front as well which I was so pleased with as often people say they'll come back but never show again. I'm just so glad they enjoyed it. Because that's the whole point, isn't it?
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
My First Class
After last night, Monday the 10th of January 2011, I suppose I can call myself an Irish dance teacher. Unqualified, but teaching dance nonetheless. Yes, I've finally done something practical towards my exam and I've opened an adults class!
Don't get too excited. I only had one dancer show up. But she's danced a little before, so we steamed through my brand-new beginners steps and she learned all of my baby reel, hop jig and light jig. Shamefully I forgot my slip jig (remembered it as soon as I stepped out into the car park) and could only teach her lead and second, but she got it all. I even started her on my experimental beginner's heavy jig.
I'm sure it will pick up. I've had interest from elsewhere, and the aim is eventually to have enough for ceili. There are some bits of advertising I can do that I haven't got around to yet. It'll pick up.
I was so nervous all day, and second-guessed myself because of it. Yet again, I considered jacking it all in. But when I came home and Significant Other asked me if I'd enjoyed myself, I didn't hesitate to say yes. I'm pleased with myself for taking that step - if you knew me and knew how shy I was, how little teaching experience I have, you'd know how hard it was for me. It was a real giant's step in some ways and a baby step in others...but it's done. The first class is always the hardest.
Don't get too excited. I only had one dancer show up. But she's danced a little before, so we steamed through my brand-new beginners steps and she learned all of my baby reel, hop jig and light jig. Shamefully I forgot my slip jig (remembered it as soon as I stepped out into the car park) and could only teach her lead and second, but she got it all. I even started her on my experimental beginner's heavy jig.
I'm sure it will pick up. I've had interest from elsewhere, and the aim is eventually to have enough for ceili. There are some bits of advertising I can do that I haven't got around to yet. It'll pick up.
I was so nervous all day, and second-guessed myself because of it. Yet again, I considered jacking it all in. But when I came home and Significant Other asked me if I'd enjoyed myself, I didn't hesitate to say yes. I'm pleased with myself for taking that step - if you knew me and knew how shy I was, how little teaching experience I have, you'd know how hard it was for me. It was a real giant's step in some ways and a baby step in others...but it's done. The first class is always the hardest.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Happy New Year! ...back on it
I suppose like most people (except the LA candidates...good luck people!) I've done less TCRGing and more overeating over the New Year period. So it's time to get a little bit stricter with myself - my plan is to put in for the first possible exam in 2012, and if that ends up being January I have just one year. Considering my dancing is so very rusty, that isn't actually very long. I wish I'd just taken the thing as soon as I retired from competitions like everybody else does! Sadly all of those sets and steps are long since forgotten and all conditioning woefully lost.
Here are my New Year's Resolutions, dance wise:
1. Open a ceili class
Practice in teaching them will be invaluable for the practical element of the exam of course, but being able to visualise dances is helping me to remember them. When I write them out I never, ever forget the ceilis I've danced, so teaching them will help create a stronger memory come written exam time.
2. Learn the rest of the trads
I've left this one shamefully long. I haven't touched them since April (!) and gave up in a huff - see here and here. I focused on the ceilis, and then got too ill to dance. Thankfully I will have help with this and won't have to rely solely on Olive to get me up to speed. I'm just praying I take the exam before they put the 'new' traditionals on the syllabus; four is quite enough for me thank you! I'll learn the others in my own time, afterwards.
3. Sort the sets
This is HUGE. I never really choreographed any of my own hard shoe material, and I'm not really sure how to go about it. Luckily I never struggled with rhythm (one of the few things I didn't fight with!) so I'll be able to manage a mix of jigs and hornpipes, but you can bet your ass I'm picking the short sets. White Blankets yes, Blackthorn stick NO NO NO. I have help with this as well in the form of a fellow candidate/sucker for punishment. I've completely neglected the "own dancing" element of the exam and with my current level of fitness after illness, that just won't do. I actually do think it'll take me a year to get everything back up to a level. It's just been so long!
4. Work
On everything...
So here's my start at number 4 (typical, starting with the booksmarts!) - I just can't live without my lists and charts.
I am SO chuffed with my 86% today because I made a complete hash of one of the 10-pointers and scored no points at all. The question was "Describe in detail the movement which follows 'Full Chain' in the Cross Reel". I steamed in and described Back to Back almost perfectly...only it's not Back to Back, is it? It's Gentlemen Interlace which to be honest I'd completely forgotten. I could have been into the 90s there if I'd described the right movement. D'oh! Read the question thoroughly before diving in with your answer!
Here are my New Year's Resolutions, dance wise:
1. Open a ceili class
Practice in teaching them will be invaluable for the practical element of the exam of course, but being able to visualise dances is helping me to remember them. When I write them out I never, ever forget the ceilis I've danced, so teaching them will help create a stronger memory come written exam time.
2. Learn the rest of the trads
I've left this one shamefully long. I haven't touched them since April (!) and gave up in a huff - see here and here. I focused on the ceilis, and then got too ill to dance. Thankfully I will have help with this and won't have to rely solely on Olive to get me up to speed. I'm just praying I take the exam before they put the 'new' traditionals on the syllabus; four is quite enough for me thank you! I'll learn the others in my own time, afterwards.
3. Sort the sets
This is HUGE. I never really choreographed any of my own hard shoe material, and I'm not really sure how to go about it. Luckily I never struggled with rhythm (one of the few things I didn't fight with!) so I'll be able to manage a mix of jigs and hornpipes, but you can bet your ass I'm picking the short sets. White Blankets yes, Blackthorn stick NO NO NO. I have help with this as well in the form of a fellow candidate/sucker for punishment. I've completely neglected the "own dancing" element of the exam and with my current level of fitness after illness, that just won't do. I actually do think it'll take me a year to get everything back up to a level. It's just been so long!
4. Work
On everything...
So here's my start at number 4 (typical, starting with the booksmarts!) - I just can't live without my lists and charts.
I am SO chuffed with my 86% today because I made a complete hash of one of the 10-pointers and scored no points at all. The question was "Describe in detail the movement which follows 'Full Chain' in the Cross Reel". I steamed in and described Back to Back almost perfectly...only it's not Back to Back, is it? It's Gentlemen Interlace which to be honest I'd completely forgotten. I could have been into the 90s there if I'd described the right movement. D'oh! Read the question thoroughly before diving in with your answer!
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