tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47584459132397519552024-02-07T16:11:27.782-08:00The Irish Dancers Next DoorBecause Irish Dancers are People Too. A Resource for Professionals, Teachers, Students and Parents. Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-20225276920869667372014-11-19T20:23:00.001-08:002014-11-19T20:23:50.955-08:00Where Is All The Content?I know, I know. It seems like <i>The Irish Dancers Next Door</i> is fading away into oblivion, littering the blog graveyard with it's tattered dreams of success. Not to fear! We're actually growing into something <i>much</i> more exciting. I can't tell you what the plan is just yet, but rest assured it's in the works.<br />
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We'll probably have something to show you after next week, think of it as an early Christmas present for the Irish dance community.<br />
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That's all for now, I just didn't want anyone to worry. The dreams are alive and well, and we'll be back in full force before you can say <i>Oireachtas</i>.<br />
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Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-71502258786415684082014-11-11T12:39:00.001-08:002014-11-11T12:40:10.572-08:005 Stretches Every Irish Dancer Needs to Know<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Irish dancers are pretty notorious for having hard workouts, asking nearly impossible things from their bodies, and being prone to injury. The difficulty of this dance form means we should be taking extra care to warm up and cool down properly and take care of our muscles so they will continue to work hard for us. If you’re looking for ideas on how to warm up and cool down, check out these posts (</span><a href="http://irishdancersnextdoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-to-cool-down-from-irish-dance.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://irishdancersnextdoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-to-cool-down-from-irish-dance.html</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="http://irishdancersnextdoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-to-warm-up-properly-for-irish-dance.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://irishdancersnextdoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-to-warm-up-properly-for-irish-dance.html</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). Though doing a full body stretch at the end of a class or practice would be ideal, there is not always time to stretch everything. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Whether you are in a hurry or not, make time to stretch these five muscle groups every time you practice.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">As some of the biggest muscles in your body, your glutes are working hard every practice. The coveted Irish Dance booty isn’t around for no reason—Irish dancers kick bum people! We are working these muscles groups hard, so we have to stretch them consistently. The best way to get at these muscles is to lay on the floor, cross one leg over your other knee (making a four) and gently pulling on your leg to stretch your booty. Remember to do both sides and hold for at least 30 seconds. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Hamstrings</span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiG-4oQN8VL7V2oi0s02Y6iCW3x4H2uqI1tyflcfQ5UGaxH6bwBc7jHjASp9ro-5fff2K1IdaaXQcxUrlV_v_TG4bNKW9M-GiFKnAWKkZRr9Fks0GkoEaAOZVOpLMw7FLmgU3Pxp_GXKE/s1600/IMG_1494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiG-4oQN8VL7V2oi0s02Y6iCW3x4H2uqI1tyflcfQ5UGaxH6bwBc7jHjASp9ro-5fff2K1IdaaXQcxUrlV_v_TG4bNKW9M-GiFKnAWKkZRr9Fks0GkoEaAOZVOpLMw7FLmgU3Pxp_GXKE/s320/IMG_1494.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">All Irish dancers want beautiful extension on their leaps, kicks and clicks, but you won’t be able to find that extension if you have tight hammies. Lay on your back and extend one leg into the air. Make sure it’s straight and gently pull it towards you face until you feel a nice stretch in the back of your leg. You can flex your foot for a more intense stretch. The longer you hold this stretch the better, give your muscles a chance to loosen, then pull your leg a little closer to achieve lengthening. Loosening your hamstrings can also help you achieve straight legs throughout your dancing-- it’s hard to straighten through your knees if your hamstrings don’t want to let go.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Quadriceps</span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjby3ICC4BmNs3nUnteiMHpFAMYO2f1Jrf_vGiimSjdt036tKNgnBqjo2dVz2kx5CTylkJxDvB9xO_xefUBFXKKYd9Sl55P6FOR27MTRqlmidvpY-5X2g1OQMgh9tvqCpDGcuRfRfSgVto/s1600/IMG_1489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjby3ICC4BmNs3nUnteiMHpFAMYO2f1Jrf_vGiimSjdt036tKNgnBqjo2dVz2kx5CTylkJxDvB9xO_xefUBFXKKYd9Sl55P6FOR27MTRqlmidvpY-5X2g1OQMgh9tvqCpDGcuRfRfSgVto/s320/IMG_1489.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Stretching your quads is one of the most important stretches Irish dancers can do because we work them overtime! Most of us have overdeveloped quadriceps from all of the lifting we do (not to mention lifting with heavy shoes on). Quads that are overly tight can pull your knees out of alignment and eventually lead to tracking problems and pain. I had a physical therapist tell me to stretch my quads at least 5 times a day! Stretching your quads also helps achieve extension to the back (tucking that back leg on leaps, bicycle jumps, kicking your bottom). Stretch your quads by lying face down on the floor and holding onto one ankle and pulling your foot closer to your bottom. For a more intense stretch think about pushing your hips into the ground as you pull on your foot. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Hip Flexors</span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53JI0uqcblC97Xsrp3g1DmmwgZ4CeeV3R0GGRug-qQu6TjhwEWURNio3oEVCCVOAzGbokSTramgcunaTNQC8OfEiUGvRMEXPjxL0Sx0xh4CqH_xkavGbb_8ascRI2AnVg6nnYI1s2ZUQ/s1600/IMG_1490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53JI0uqcblC97Xsrp3g1DmmwgZ4CeeV3R0GGRug-qQu6TjhwEWURNio3oEVCCVOAzGbokSTramgcunaTNQC8OfEiUGvRMEXPjxL0Sx0xh4CqH_xkavGbb_8ascRI2AnVg6nnYI1s2ZUQ/s320/IMG_1490.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Irish dancers use their hip flexors just as much as they use their quads, and they can get very tight, very fast. Your hip flexors lift your leg to the front, so all that picking up your feet in hardshoe really works them hard. Lengthening your hip flexors helps with extension to the back and helps you engage the muscles that help you turn your legs out. Stretch your hip flexors by finding a lunge position, putting your back knee on the floor and gently pushing your hips forward. For a more intense stretch, engage your core. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKHI1iXGhjDndUbi0YXhxbRR_XDurMfbcHVEr33JzGsvZRVtgtbnszZk75gQWecH2erF0boAIWQnbvJRkmkI72JcMMcBD-mb4V6rcTTGd7qKkEqjPq5wRtQm808O6dIPjTfmwEcF02iY/s1600/IMG_1493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKHI1iXGhjDndUbi0YXhxbRR_XDurMfbcHVEr33JzGsvZRVtgtbnszZk75gQWecH2erF0boAIWQnbvJRkmkI72JcMMcBD-mb4V6rcTTGd7qKkEqjPq5wRtQm808O6dIPjTfmwEcF02iY/s320/IMG_1493.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Calves/Achilles </span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3AHa6j2fsq-ev-cR9WD2as9rs8XSrP5sHPUuNpSDrZZxHrpBkMTbbaIbbE_vYVV_AnbXY8MF2FCyoPcahsTuuhvt3D4t0ikTZftOVoeS1b2eh-9sydF0obZ8UT4tmHuvyPIDdVdGN1k/s1600/IMG_1487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3AHa6j2fsq-ev-cR9WD2as9rs8XSrP5sHPUuNpSDrZZxHrpBkMTbbaIbbE_vYVV_AnbXY8MF2FCyoPcahsTuuhvt3D4t0ikTZftOVoeS1b2eh-9sydF0obZ8UT4tmHuvyPIDdVdGN1k/s320/IMG_1487.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We know Irish dancers have amazing calves, but just because they look good doesn’t mean they aren’t working hard. Because we are on our toes all the time without releasing into the floor, we need to spend extra time stretching our calves and achilles. The best way to do this is put one foot in front of the other, bend your front knee and lean forward until you feel a stretch in your calves. To get at your achilles (which is in a constantly shortened state while you dance) put both feet next to each other on the floor, bend your knees and try to keep pushing your heels down. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking time to stretch after class not only helps prevent injury, but improves your ability to Irish dance the best you can. My advice is to find a song you love to listen to, tell yourself you are going to play it at the end of a tough practice and stretch to it. You’ve just given yourself some motivation to get through your practice and take time to take care of yourself at the end. </span></span></div>
Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-25881241998238823662014-11-09T21:02:00.000-08:002014-11-09T21:05:57.965-08:005 Ways To Do Oireachtas Better This Year<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJAkCkS0P7xrPiwospRXovrGCwPx_p9mXv2x_c1liKWSBhlRN-mOZUOmiKP766quktDyhZEUqnXk30RSaXa4bqJzQ_2-j66enB1iQVaA1Mgx_E4o_RvWE-hxcqnWXg3qmey0-xAzc12Q/s1600/4483749319_94e558744f_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJAkCkS0P7xrPiwospRXovrGCwPx_p9mXv2x_c1liKWSBhlRN-mOZUOmiKP766quktDyhZEUqnXk30RSaXa4bqJzQ_2-j66enB1iQVaA1Mgx_E4o_RvWE-hxcqnWXg3qmey0-xAzc12Q/s1600/4483749319_94e558744f_m.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We all wish there was a magic formula to guarantee success at qualifiers, but alas, on the day we work hard for all season, many defining moments are left up to the fray of mere minutes on stage. With the US Regional Oireachtasai </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">right around the corner for most dancers, you may be feeling like you don’t have much time to improve your performance at this years competitions. In some cases, this is truth (I’m talking to you who can’t get through those three treble jigs, ahem) i</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>f you haven’t put in the work all year, a recall isn’t magically going to appear in two weeks of determined practice. However, there are some things you can do to work with what you have, right now, to put your best foot forward. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eat Right</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everyone has their game time routines--maybe you eat nothing, maybe you each exactly three doughnuts cut into the shape of a shamrock before your first round—whatever that routine is, stick with it. Competition day routine aside, your other meals should be well rounded, full of nutrition and (generally) stress free. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The weeks leading up to the Oireachtas should be chock full of fruits, veggies, and protein to ensure that your body can do it’s best work on the big day.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Lay off the sugar, highly processed snacks and junk food. Eating right goes hand in hand with eating enough to match your exercise levels—even if you’re in school all day, at practice all evening and then staying up to finish homework, eat a real meal! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fuel your body with healthy options starting now, so your pre game routine can stay as weird as you need it to. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hydrate</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much water you drink can have incredible effects on how well your body can perform, but hydrating your body appropriately does not just happen on the big day. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You need to be giving your body enough fluids before the day of your competition to ensure you are at peak performance level.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sugary sports drinks are tempting, but drinking water is best. By drinking water in preparation for class, competition and performance, you are getting ready to get the most out of practice in advance. Take a water bottle to school or work and remind yourself to keep hydrating. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sleep Enough</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This one is especially hard for those competitors in their teenage years and beyond. The rest of the world doesn’t stop so you can train for the Oireachtas, and most of us don’t have the luxury of quitting work to compete in Irish dance. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although it’s hard to find the time, getting enough sleep will not only ensure your body is prepared for the practice and competition you’ll son partake in, but helps to ward off the seasonal colds and flu’s that terrify Irish dancers this time of year. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last thing you want it to be sick during your competition, so do your best to avoid a cold by getting enough sleep. It’s worth it to set aside calendar days for yourself where you know you can go to bed early and start logging those extra hours of rest. Tell your friends what you have going on- they will understand you checking out for a few weeks. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use your time wisely to prioritize sleep, and as things get closer to the day, choosing sleep over that last minute practice session will probably serve you better. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t Overdo the Practice</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now is the time to maximize your time in the studio, working efficiently and safety to fine tune all the hard work you’ve put in over the year. As I mentioned before, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">two weeks of hard work is not going to make major changes in your placement, and can lead to injury, stress and burnout. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two weeks of smart work however, can change your outlook on your performance and give you the confidence to step out on stage and show the judges that you did work hard all year.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Now is the time to run your steps, make sure you can do them in your sleep. Perfect those parts that should look particularly amazing. Practice doing everything bigger, louder and more turned out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simulate the Real Thing</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether this is your first Oireachtas or you are performing for your 15th time, practicing in your dress/wig/shoes is still completely different than the practicing you’ve been doing everyday for the past year. Decide what you are doing with your hair and makeup before the morning of the feis, and try it! There is nothing worse than waking up on the morning of your qualifier after a fitful, nervous sleep, in a hotel, and trying an edgy new make up look for the first time. As someone who has experienced this, it’s probably not going to work out just like that awesome Youtube video said it would. Your wig is probably not going to do that really cool thing you imagined in your head on your first attempt. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It will serve you well to practice the hair and makeup before the day of. Trust.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It also just feels different to dance in your dress, especially if it’s a new dress. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to dance for other people in your full regalia, bring it to your practice space, put it on and do your rounds as if you’re competing. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These tips aren’t meant to take the place of the hard work you put in to get you where you want to be at this years Oireachtas, but they will help ensure you give yourself the best possible chance of achieving your goals. I wish everyone the best at the Oireachtas this year, and remember, giving yourself a well earned break after the end of November is in everyone’s best interest. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; line-height: normal;"><b>Have any tips for dancers competing at this years Regional Oireachtas? Please leave them in the comments below!</b></span></span></div>
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Photo Courtesy of: <a class="owner-name truncate" data-rapid_p="46" data-track="attributionNameClick" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/18091975@N00/" style="color: #212124; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1; margin-left: 0px; max-width: 250px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 5px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; top: 17px; white-space: nowrap; width: auto;" title="Go to Eoin Gardiner's photostream">Eoin Gardiner</a></span><br />
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Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-27871522098544316852014-11-06T10:47:00.001-08:002014-11-07T23:16:13.659-08:00How to Cool Down from An Irish Dance Practice--Essential Practices to keep in mind EVERY TIME<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the intensity of an Irish dance practice the last thing you may want to do is hang out at the studio and stretch, but the most important work of your day could take place in the five minutes you take to cool down. Not sure how to cool down properly after an Irish dance practice/competition/performance? Read on!</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stay Warm</span></h4>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unless you live in the tropics, the temperature inside your dance studio is probably nice and toasty compared to that of the rainy outside. You are also probably nice and toasty, coated in a lovely layer of sweat from your hornpipe endurance drills. But </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shocking your system by jumping from your warm studio to the great outdoors without changing clothes is not good for your body.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Bring a pair of stretch pants and a sweatshirt to thrown on as soon as you are done dancing. You want your muscles to stay warm as you stretch them. This is a good rule of thumb for long days of dance as well. If you are not dancing, cover yourself up and keep your muscles warm—especially your legs! This helps avoid injury and helps you dance your best each time.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipY8vcV0Fv5CsG3lawW6q6ZyCFBedvekUM1YAW0F9smmPQQkwNJp9LaDEY2VEsLlpb4IQrVdry35v6FusmtAKpnQqcRSMBxrHyC3gC0Fj1-MJBixYU1yNS1G9eLrLYHi_CLQStm_MF-r8/s1600/ID-10027046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipY8vcV0Fv5CsG3lawW6q6ZyCFBedvekUM1YAW0F9smmPQQkwNJp9LaDEY2VEsLlpb4IQrVdry35v6FusmtAKpnQqcRSMBxrHyC3gC0Fj1-MJBixYU1yNS1G9eLrLYHi_CLQStm_MF-r8/s1600/ID-10027046.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cool Down</span></h4>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The worst thing you can do for your body when you just worked it out is plunk down on the floor and sit. Y</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">our heart needs to gradually calm down and slowly return to a normal speed.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Once your cardio is done for the day, walk around the room, do some releves, swing your legs, do some standing stretches. After you feel your heart rate slow, you can relax. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stretch</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">After practice is the best time to stretch your muscles. You always want to stretch when you are the warmest—because there is more blood </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">flow to your muscles, they are nice and flexible and ready to accept lengthening.</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Stretching fatigues your muscles though-- dancing after you push your stretches is not a good idea. Use your stretches as a way to cool down your body and unwind from class or practice.</span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As an Irish dancer, you should thoroughly stretch your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, hip flexors and calves/achilles, both to increase flexibility in those areas and make sure they don’t get too tight. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though it may take a few extra minutes at the end of a hard day, your body will thank you for giving it time to cool down properly. Remember, these tips are essential not just at practice, but at competitions and performances as well. </span></h3>
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<em style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Image courtesy of Idea go at FreeDigitalPhotos.net</em>Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-83037992344534418182014-11-04T13:17:00.000-08:002014-11-06T12:28:21.798-08:00Five Steps to a Great Warm Up <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All Irish dancers know the feeling of wanting to jump into the studio, run steps, drill new rhythms or figure out that workshop material you got last week. You also probably know the feeling of not wanting to practice—dragging yourself to the studio for an early morning rehearsal. Whether you can’t wait to start dancing or need a little push, warming your body up properly can make all the difference. Use the tips below to start crafting your own routine. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Foam Roll</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Using a foam roller is a great way to warm up your body before any exercise, but can be particularly crucial for dancers because we work the same muscle groups on repeat. Starting with your calves, use the foam roller to hit all the major muscle groups, pausing when you feel anything that is extra tight or sore. Don’t forget to spend extra time on your calves, shins and quadriceps; muscle groups that are especially prone to fatigue in Irish dancers. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Increase Blood Flow to Important Places</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To help your body warm up properly, you want to encourage blood flow to the parts of the body you are going to use in your practice. Start with your feet and toes, working up to your knees, hips, core, shoulders and head. I do this by pushing my feet into the floor (think prancing), rolling my ankles, bending my knees, swinging my legs to get at my hips, twisting from my waist and rolling my head and shoulders. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Raise Your Heart Rate</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To get your body ready for more intense cardio, start moving! You can crank some great music and jam for a few minutes, lightly jog in place or around the room, or slowly start walking through your steps. To get your heart rate up faster, involve you arms. Bring them up and down over your head while you jog or dance. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Active Stretching</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stretching before you start really dancing can be a great way to truly prepare for a practice session, but make sure you aren’t slowing your heart rate way down, or sitting in a stretch for too long. Active stretching means stretching that doesn’t fatigue the muscles, it rather wakes them up and gets them ready to work. Stretching as part of a warm up should be done with your body off the floor—this is not the time to sit in your splits and stretch as hard as you can. I lead my classes through lunges and calf stretches, balances on their toes, and squats in second position to help them wake up their muscles. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Target Specific Movements</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This part of your warm up will probably be different every time you practice, depending on what you’re focusing on that day. Some TCRG’s give their students a set of drills they expect them to do every time they practice—this would be a great place to use those. Some students know the movements they should be breaking down from each step they are doing. Because your body is still warming up, start your drills slowly, focusing on correct placement and technique. As your body feels warmer and the movement improves, you can add speed, music and more gusto. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">A great warm up is essential to any dancer’s success. Warming up before your own practice is essential to avoiding injury, dancing your best, and establishing a routine that works for your body. Once you have yours down, you will look forward to it’s comforting routine, it will help put your head in the game for performance and competition and will help you make the most out of those precious practice sessions. </span></div>
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Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-82094211500086090762014-11-04T12:55:00.003-08:002014-11-17T13:50:49.079-08:00Date a Girl Who (Irish) Dances<span style="color: #cccccc;">Inspired by all the wonderful "date a girl who" posts-- if you like this, please check out the original work. My personal favorite can be found here: http://sandiegoballetdancecompany.org/date-girl-dances-steffi-carter-san-diego-ballet-dancer/</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Date a girl who Irish Dances.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Date a girl whose instruments are leather and fiberglass. Date a girl who intentionally makes noise, whose goal is to be the loudest and clearest. Date a girl who isn’t afraid of being noticed for being too loud. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Date a girl whose art speaks loudly and clearly at times. At times it flows lightly and travels across the room. Date a girl who dedicates years to moments of performance. Date a girl who has taught her body to create sound that is rhythmically perfect. Date a girl who waltzes seamlessly between dancer and musician. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Date a girl who sparkles. Who glimmers under the lights, who can hold her own in a costume, in a wig, who won’t be swallowed up by the immensity of a garment. She can be extravagant, and understands the power of a great outfit. She is not weighed down by this knowledge, offstage she lives in stretch pants. Jeans won’t fit over her calves. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Date a girl who grew up in bars. Who impressed the St. Patrick’s Day revelers. Whose most cherished mentor showed their love and appreciation by yelling critique. Date a girl who cares enough about something to hear all the criticism. Who is willing to make a change by doing something different. Who is willing to do it all with no guarantee of success. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Date a girl with strong legs. With toes that can spring her feet off the floor with no momentum. Date a girl who flies with every practice, who seeks that feeling in every step. She’s strong enough to go it alone sometimes, but is always better off with you there. After all, she wants you to fly with her. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>When she falls, she falls hard. It’s the breaking of bones, or worse, the spraining of extremities. It’s the landing from a perfect leap, the attempt at doing one more beat than she thought she could do. It’s the crushing, embarrassing falls, no fall is graceful in Irish Dance. It’s slipping off pointe at a pivotal moment, it’s falling, legs splayed, mascara running, wig askance. Date a girl who can get up from this moment and attempt to fly again. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>She is a little rough around the edges, cruder perhaps than most, she did grow up dancing in smoky bars, drinking with her dance teachers and hanging out with Irish musicians, after all. She loves to eat. A lot. After all, she’ll burn it all off. She’s not afraid to have a beer before a dance, though holds her performance to the highest standard. She has an unquenchable need to move. To do more, more, now. To sweat, to create, to learn. When this moment is over she will lay on the couch. She will read. Binge on TV. Eat potato chips, french fries and drink wine. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Date a girl who longs for more, for Irish dance is never finished. There are endless possibilities, and she will seek to find them all. Date a girl with unharnessed energy, who can at times move with wild abandon, to whom traditional pursuits aren’t enough. She will seek more for you, and for you together. Don’t let her be bored, and never let her stop.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Date a girl who cries on St. Patrick’s Day because she missed a chance to dance. Who can’t sing, but lilts steps with wild abandon, as if you understand everything she is saying. She wakes up and dances in the kitchen, while in waiting in lines, while waiting for the bus. Date a girl who understands the importance of keeping up tradition, who listens with rapt attention to ballads sung in bars, and participates in drinking songs as if in a religious fervor. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>She will commit to you, even if there is no guarantee of success. Give her adventure and she will give you more. She will give you song and endless energy. She will strive for perfection, and if not perfection, she will strive for moments of breathtaking performance. She is fearless. Irish Dancers see human bodies performing incredible feats of speed and precision and tell each other they can do it faster, louder or bigger. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>She lives in extremes. You will have to adjust the temperature, she will turn the heat up all the way when she’s cold, get too hot and turn on the AC until she freezes and starts the process over. The middle is not her road. </i></span></div>
<i><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You will have to take care of the finances, the plane tickets, bookings and plans. Take care of the details of all your grand adventures. She will be too busy thinking of them. </span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did I miss anything? Feel free to add a comment below!</span></span>Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-42381329266815783902013-01-08T10:22:00.002-08:002014-11-06T12:29:31.181-08:00FootstormA new era of Irish dance is born! This show looks like the perfect combination of technically amazing Irish dancing, and creative entertainment. Based on the trailer it looks like an indulgent blend of Riverdance style grandeur and science fiction (yes, science fiction irish dance). I don't know what more I could ask for, and I hope to check it out when we're on tour in April. I will let you all know how it is!<br />
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<br />Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-19728912007950943412012-12-23T11:58:00.001-08:002012-12-23T11:58:28.127-08:00The Perfect PictureA Irish dancer could go their entire lives without any great shots of them in action. Irish dance is hard to capture in pictures; action shots are hard to take because we move so fast; and the beauty of irish dance is usually in the movement. Sure, we have great legs, but slow, picture perfect moments are few and far between. Of course, professional photographers are mastering the art of capturing Irish dancers in action, but not all of us have the luxury of being constantly photographed by the professionals. So when a great shot comes along, one has to live it up.<br />
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This photo was taken at the Galway Bay Irish Music Festival, and it's a favorite picture of myself for many reasons:<br />
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1. Straight legs and on the toes! There are so many pictures of great Irish dancers just coming out of a leap, or moving from one thing to the next, where their legs are bent at weird angles, or their feet just weren't pointed yet, I was lucky to be caught at exactly the right moment.<br />
2. Posture. A constant battle for many Irish dancers, keeping that "shoulders back, head high" posture can be a challenge.<br />
3. (Perhaps most importantly) This picture captures me dancing in the way I want to be remembered dancing. I love performing; I love dancing for people who are moved by irish music and irish culture. I love it when people tell me our performance made their night or how it reminded them of their home, or how they wish they could be dancing. I look happy in this picture; I look alive, I look like I'm doing something I love and believe in. It's not that Irish dance doesn't always make me happy, but it doesn't always photograph this way.<br />
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Here's to more great photos, and great days of dancing ahead!<br />
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<br />Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-6473407250847186552012-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:002012-09-20T08:00:00.800-07:00The important work we're doingPeople see The Seattle Irish Dancers and are often instantly hooked. Irish dance is rhythmic, upbeat, and FUN. It looks accessible, people tend to feel like it's something they could do, or at least it looks like something they wish they could do. I can't even count the number of people who have come up to me after a show and said "I wish I could do what you're doing, you look like you're having so much fun!" I'm not denying the truth of this. Irish dancing is fun. It's not the ballet (though I would argue it's as hard, if not harder than ballet). It resonates with audiences because its accessible. No one wants to watch ballet dancers (or even contemporary dancers) perform with they relax and have a pint. Irish dancing is truly suitable for all audiences, and it's a great time, every time.<br />
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With all this fun involved, I sometimes forget the importance of what the Seattle Irish Dancers are doing (or hope to be doing, now and in the future). Not only are we doing something we absolutely love (who can deny that the world needs more people doing what they love?) but we are real life promoters of the importance of art in our lives. We are cultural ambassadors. We are literally keeping an art form alive every time we dance. Sometimes I think about this and get extremely overwhelmed. Then I think about the fact that I teach dance as well, and at some point hope to take my TCRG (the exam to be a qualified Irish Dance teacher). Every time I teach a dancer how to do a skip 2,3, I'm passing on a traditional movement. Yikes!<br />
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Traditional dance is especially important in American culture. American's (as a general rule) don't really know how to dance. I think we used to know (people came to America from all over the world, the rest of the world knows how to dance just because, yada yada) but we've lost it somewhere along the way. People are amazed at dancers; professional dancers have been raised up and hailed as phenomenons. I'm not saying professional dancing is not impressive, I'm just saying it's so impressive because so many of us have no concept of using our bodies to move in an expressive way. We are at a point in our culture where someone has to teach us to move. We feel that we have to go to a studio and pay money to learn how to do something that our bodies naturally want to do anyway. Don't get me wrong--no normal person's body automatically wants to do ballet. The same goes for Irish dancing, and jazz and modern etc. But a certain amount of body awareness is certainly engrained in us, we've just hidden it away under layers of embarrassment.<br />
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Because of this, I feel that the pressure's on. I feel like as the only performance based Irish Dance company in Seattle right now, we have some big shoes to fill. So far, we've been up to the challenge, but I never want to forget the real reasons we're doing this, we can't let the fun get in the way.Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-22297063612504051112012-09-19T13:15:00.001-07:002012-09-19T13:15:38.019-07:00A brief history of my relationship with Irish DanceIn high school, I abruptly quit Irish dancing after years of dedication. I had spent countless hours practicing, performing, going to class, driving to competitions, flying to competitions. I did ballet 5 times a week to help train my body. It was something I loved. I loved learning new steps, I loved being on stage, when I was younger, I loved competing against other dancers.<br />
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I fell out of love with dance when I was 15. I was burned out; I wasn't sure why I was doing it anymore, and I didn't put enough time in it to be good at it. I still went to class, and I still loved to perform, so it stayed a part of my life. I really let go of it after I traveled to South Africa with an HIV/AIDS organization. I got back from this trip and felt like Irish dance was the most ridiculous thing in the world. How could I ethically spend hours practicing, performing and competing when so much of the world had so little? I was frustrated with my teacher for thinking that my lack of motivation for Irish dance was important. I was frustrated with my dance friends for choosing dance over anti poverty rallies or fundraisers. I was frustrated with my family for asking me to keep going to dance class, at least until I graduated high school. I went to college without looking back at my Irish dance life-I cut ties completely, and laughed at myself and my silly little dress and wig and shoes. I mocked the culture of Irish dance to no end, as my college friends giggled at pictures of me in the dance regalia.<br />
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The end of university came abruptly. I had long since realized that my trip to South Africa had done very little good for the world, and had mixed feelings about the amount of good I, as an outsider, could do for a culture I knew nothing about. I graduated without a clue of what to do with my life; I had a degree in sociology now, and no desire to use it. A friend brought me to a dance class-an adult ballet class at a studio downtown. I was like the cartoon characters that get hit on the head with a frying pan and then have major realizations. This was all I wanted to do. I hadn't felt happy like this in a long time. I went back to the class, and added about 10 more classes a week. Eventually I started working with a modern dance company, I was dancing at last 4 hours a day again, and knew dance was what I was supposed to be doing. Something was still missing though, and I couldn't kid myself about it any longer.<br />
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The first trip back to my old dance school, with my old dance teacher, was terrifying. I was truly nauseated I was so nervous. I was afraid he would feel angry or hurt that I had left in such bad form. I was even more afraid that he wouldn't take me back. I think I was most afraid that I had been gone for too long, and my body wouldn't work the right way anymore. He wasn't angry, and he did take me back. Like a guru from a fantasy novel, he said, "I've seen every kid do this, they always come back. I always knew you loved it." Though my first two fears were instantly irrelevant, my worst fear was equally instantly confirmed, my body didn't know how to Irish dance anymore, and didn't respond the way I had hoped. But I kept coming, and eventually it felt like my favorite thing in the world to be doing again.<br />
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I competed at our World Qualifier 6 months after coming back. I wish I could say I made a smashing comeback, but I did not. I tried again a year later, again, no come back. But I'm going again this year, and I'm feeling better about it. I feel fulfilled. I feel that I love what I'm doing. I feel that I'm using my life to do something I love. I sometimes have to remind myself that what I'm doing is important, but I don't take as much convincing anymore.<br />
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I have a friend (a ex-competitive Irish dancer herself) who cannot wrap her head around why I want to keep competing well into my 20's. She absolutely thinks I should stop as soon as possible. She thinks I'm too old, I need to move on, I need to take my teachers exam and get on with my life. I have to remember that I'm not doing this to impress her, or the other naysayers in the Irish dance community. I'm competing because I love to dance, it motivates me to get better, it makes my body feel good. Since I've been back at dancing, I've seen at least 4 adults my age come back to competition, within my school alone. One girl says she'll stop when she's 30 (maybe). One girl is already in her 30's. One of them is my sister, who still beats me every single time we compete against each other. This doesn't count the dancers in the Seattle Irish Dance Company, who all thought Irish dance couldn't be a part of their lives either. I don't know how long my body will let me do this, but I do know I will never let Irish dance get out of my life again.Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-50438291711541240932012-08-19T14:02:00.000-07:002012-08-19T14:02:00.870-07:00I'm glad I'm not an accountant <br />
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First dates, awkward bar conversation, small talk....all these
settings usually result in the same question: "so.... what do
you do for work?"
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I don't love this question. Not because I don't love my job, but
because I know what I'm about to see. I usually take a deep breath,
prepare myself and say, "I'm an Irish dancer."This is wear
the conversation gets interesting. First, the person who asked the
question gets up from wherever they were sitting, moves chairs and
tables out of their way, and flails their limbs around for an
uncomfortably long time. "You mean like this?!" They always
ask, pleased with themselves. Some of them are frighteningly serious
about their interpretation.
<br />
"Yes," I think, "people pay me to teach their
children how to do that. Sometimes, if I'm not feeling adventurous, I
tell them I'm a ballet teacher (I do that to). Not once has someone
shown me their adaptation of Swan Lake. Hard to believe, but it
really is that simple. I just put on some Irish drinking songs, tell
the children to put their arms down, and then just move their legs in
interesting patterns. When they are good enough at that, they move to
the advanced level, it's very similar to the beginning level, but
they wear loud shoes on their feet."<br />
Of course, this is not what I say. I laugh with them, humour them.
Allow them to mock my lifestyle in front of me.<br />
I wonder if people in other lines of work have similar encounters.
Sometimes, if I'm not feeling adventurous, I tell them I'm a ballet
teacher (I do that to). Not once has someone shown me their
adaptation of Swan Lake. I am grateful for what I get to do every
day, and having someone make fun of me (maliciously or otherwise) at
a bar is a small price to pay for getting to live a life that I
cherish. And, let's face it, watching a grown man hop around at a bar
is a lot less painful than attempting to make accounting sound
interesting.<br />
Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758445913239751955.post-80923142773257072432012-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:002014-11-06T12:30:22.643-08:00Because Irish Dancers are People Too. I have recently achieved my childhood dream, well, the most important one anyway. It was to live with the girls I danced with, have a dance studio in our house and spend most of our lives practicing, talking about and planning ways to do more Irish dancing.<br />
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It happened organically, we started an Irish dance company (another dream come true!!!), got to know each other quickly via arguements about dance technicalities and started trying to make money Irish dancing. Three of us needed new spaces to live, we needed a place to practice and voila! the Seattle Irish Dance House was born. <br />
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Irish dancing has always been a personality defining trait for me, if I didn't live it, I'm not sure what I would live. People seem to be facisnated by it; they wonder why we do it, how we do it? They wonder if we all have Irish dance fetishes (we don't!) They stop in the middle of the sidewalk, mouths hanging open to watch us practice. Some think it's too easy to even be considered dancing, (for example: <a href="http://www.youjustmademylist.com/?p=950">http://www.youjustmademylist.com/?p=950</a>), some think it's physically impossible and we must be magical creatures. The truth of the matter is that non-Irish dancers are either very uninformed, misinformed or just plain curious. This is a blog about our lives (like many blogs are) but we happen to be Irish dancers. Carlyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801469952028881098noreply@blogger.com0Seattle, WA, USA47.6062095 -122.332070847.43492 -122.64792779999999 47.777499 -122.0162138