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.

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 :)

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

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

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.

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?