87

87 days to go.

Continuing on a theme of posting an inspirational picture, I found this today:

There's so much life and colour in it - their legs are a blur, almost spirit-like, and it's interesting that there's not much detail on their faces. They're part of the whole, important but not important. Creating the dance but secondary to the dance itself. I even find the source fascinating - an Irish painter who's lived in Iceland for decades.

Aside from waxing lyrical, the true point of the post is a progress update but of course I wanted to make it less boring :)

Wednesday 15th Aug - calf stretches (sorely needed, literally) and arch exercises. Also scored 99% on a past paper. I do take that with a pinch of salt as of course I'm marking my own work, but I still believe I'll pass this comfortably.

Thursday 16th - Ran through three traditional sets - St Patrick's Day, Blackbird and Job of Journeywork - each time doing them over and over until I'd done them right all the way through. Job was a struggle as parts I could barely remember. I was taught Garden a few months ago but I haven't even thought about it since so that will need some serious revision. I then moved on to modern sets, and ran through the White Blankets and Fiddler Round the Fairy Tree - again until I'd done them right. Blankets was a mystery - there's a dead easy treble-toe-cut sequence that I could do with my eyes closed ordinarily, but it just was not happening. It was almost funny how I couldn't make myself do it! Eventually I got it straight in my head again but that could definitely do with some tidying, and I need to change the end combination as I've used it in another set and I can't have that kind of repetition.

Friday 17th - Swam again, this time 1,000m in about 50 minutes. I also did some stretches and some work with the resistance of the water, like jogging on the spot kicking my bum, making sure toes were pointed and that I was landing turned out. Very tiring - it'll take a while to get back up to full swimming fitness I think - I used to go three times a week but haven't been regularly for well over two years.

Saturday and Sunday - weekends are always difficult, and there's no class at the moment. I made a token gesture of revising music both days, and also made up two slip jig steps which I was very proud of as they're very different to the stuff I'd been thinking up recently, and much more like the kind of slip jig I want to dance. 

That's me up to date. Monday today, so ceili class with a bit of solo practice thrown in as and where I can.

I HAVE A SET!

Yes ladies and gentlemen...I have a whole set dance. Choreographed by my own fair hands to boot. I'm really pleased with myself but so, so annoyed with myself too. Why didn't I do this months ago? I was constantly making excuses when really there was no reason not to. I could have completed all of them and had nearly a year to practise them all, couldn't I? Well, something's changed. I actually have a teacher now, a great teacher who encourages me. Who really wants me to do the TCRG exam. Who I don't want to let down. Who I want to impress if at all possible!

I haven't practised my White Blankets a whole lot - and sadly class was cancelled today due to the weather. That does give me a bit more time until I brave Teach and show her. I've put bits into it that I can't yet do either - there's a treble and toe combination that I can do on the left foot in jig timing, but not yet on either foot in hornpipe timing (although I know it works as I've seen people do it). But I'm playing it safe 99% of the time, so throwing a bit of difficulty in there isn't going to kill me.

So - next. I have a jig step which is dead easy, probably too easy to dance in the solo section. But, I can use it as a step for a jig set, maybe tart it up a little bit in places, and then go mad and choreograph a jig set. I'm going for Fiddler Round the Fairy Tree - love the tune, struggle to recognise it in music quizzes sometimes, love the length. 8/12/28. I've literally just thought up the first two bars as well. Ten to go!

I'm also going to resurrect some ceili revision - three dances at a time, written out without the book and then marked. I'm going to start with Book 3 just to keep it interesting.

So no more being annoyed at myself for stalling for so long as that won't accomplish anything - just get on with it. On we go.

I have a step.

No shit. Honestly, I've made up a step. It actually goes with the music as well, so long as I really rush that treble in after the over-and-down. Six whole bars! I could even do one of the simple treble combos while rotating to make it look fancier, ha. So a further 12 bars of genius required for the set before the week is out. This'll be easier though, I plan to use up the first 2 bars on a rock sequence and I can do a lot of stuff on one foot only, so filling sets is much more manageable when I don't have to backtrack due to realising I can't do said movement on left foot.

I've also realised that I when I top up my savings account this week, I'll actually have half of the exam fee. So I can apply. I. can. apply. Oooooooh dear lordy.

I just need someone to believe in me and look how quickly I can come on.

This week's challenge

Note to self.

Make up a set dance. Stop stalling and pretending you can't because you haven't danced in ages - just make one up. You might end up scrapping it when you get better at choreography but for now, just make one up. Make it hard for yourself by choosing a hornpipe set, but make it easy by choosing a shortie. The White Blankets, there you go. Do that one. By Saturday class, you will have a hornpipe set that you have actually danced rather than just thought through. You might even be brave enough to show your teacher! Do it. Stop looking at hornpipes on YouTube and stop blogging about it and just do it.