Know Your Competition... Kari Barile

Kari Barile

I met Kari over Instagram when I first started my blog in 2013 and we finally met in person at a feis in 2014 (back when we were u14)! Kari has been one of my biggest competitors but also one of my greatest friends in dance and I am so excited for you all to see how inspiring and talented she is!

Kari and I at Feis in the Desert in 2016

School: Penk O'Donnell

Age Group: U20

Region: Western US
Dressmaker: Eire Designs by Gavin

How long have you been dancing? Nine years

Biggest Accomplishment? Becoming a world medal holder at the World Championships 2019 (12th)

Favorite Dance: Hornpipe!

Favorite Feis: The Great Britain Championships

Biggest Competitor: All of the amazing girls in the U20 age group!

How did you get started in Irish dancing?

Storytime... When I was younger I used to ride horses, and one day I fell off my horse and ended up breaking both of my wrists. After that, when we were looking for some kind of sport for me to get into, my mom found Irish dancing through a class offered at my school and thought it would be a great option since I couldn't use my arms, and we are Irish. I then entered competitive classes and fell in love with dancing. So, here I am now!

What do you do to prepare for Majors?

When I have a major coming up, I usually focus on getting a lot of rest, eating well and preparing my mind and body to be able to perform my best on the day. Along with this, I keep up my practice and training and try to focus on using my practice time as effectively as possible in order to make as many improvements as I can right before a major. 

Kari at the World Championships in Greensboro 2019

Have you ever experienced a slump in results? What did you do to overcome it?

Yes, I have! When I was about 12 years old, I started to hit a bit of a roadblock and noticed my results were not going the way I wanted them to. I made a few changes to overcome it, one of those being switching to my current dance school. Once I made this change, I was able to learn to see the improvements that I needed to make in my dancing and had more resources to help implement them. I also began to look for new ways to work harder, focus more, and change my mindset in order to overcome the things that were holding me back. Since then, I have always used those same techniques to help keep myself on track, and I like to remind myself of the things I have had to work through in the past. It always makes the good moments worth it and keeps me inspired to work hard!

Who is your inspiration or motivation?

I am motivated by many people, but my biggest motivations are my dance friends and classmates, especially the younger dancers. I like to think of those around me, and their goals and motivations, and this inspires me to improve myself so that I can be a good example, leader, and inspiration to others. My dance teacher also motivates me and pushes me to do my best. Her belief in me makes me want to work even harder to accomplish our goals! 

What is your biggest goal for 2020?

I have a few big goals for 2020, but the biggest among them is to maintain my World Medal Holder status from last year. Greensboro was my first time as a Medal Holder, and I would love to be able to experience that feeling again in 2020! I also hope to make the podium at the NAIDC and other majors as well. 

What is your favorite place you have visited for dance?

This is a tough one, but I would have to say London, England. I spent some time there when in England for the Great Britain Championships, and loved everything about it!

How do you balance college and dance?

Sometimes it can be hard, but I try to balance school and dance by managing my time as best as possible, and by staying super organized. I try to get as much homework done as I can before heading to dance or on the weekends, and build my schedule around dance time and traveling so that neither thing suffers. When I travel overseas for majors, I try to turn in as many things as I can before I leave, so that I don't have a ton of schoolwork to focus on when I'm away. I always make sure to communicate with my professors so that they understand my situation. The most important thing for me has been making sure to hold myself accountable for my work in both dance and school, and managing my time wisely to keep myself on track. 

You are an ambassador for Target Training. Tell us about that.

Target Training is an amazing program for dance specialized training. The online institute gives dancers a wide variety of workouts and skill training videos that allows dancers to build their own schedules and focus on the specific areas that they want to improve on. I have had great success with the program and am so happy to be able to be a Target Training ambassador. Ellen is a fantastic resource for all dancers and always offers support for everyone. I love the individuality that the online institute allows, and strongly believe in the values of the program and love sharing it with others. Check out the Instagram page @targettrainingdance!

What advice do you have for young dancers who want to medal at the world championships?

My best advice is to focus on yourself and your goals. Make a plan to achieve them, and remember why you are dancing. Remembering my love for dancing is something that has always helped me to keep working when things seem hard. No matter how tough things feel, just put your head down and keep working. On the other end, it will all be worth it! Dance for yourself, and because you love it!

What is your favorite thing about Irish Dancing?

There are so many things that I love about dancing, so I will give you a quick rundown of some of a couple of main things...
On the most basic level, I just love the hard work! I love that dancing allows me to have an outlet that I can put myself into. I enjoy practicing and pushing myself to be my best, finding new ways to train, and I love the lessons that dancing has taught me. I am also very thankful that it has allowed me to meet so many amazing people and taken me to so many amazing places! I am so glad that through dancing I have found my passion!

You can follow Kari on Instagram @karibarile

She also wants to add, "I love to answer questions and provide support to others, so please reach out to me on Instagram if you want to!  I want to leave everyone with a reminder to dance because you love it, and don't be afraid of your goals! Anything is possible if you put everything you have into it. The best of luck to everyone in 2020, I hope it's an amazing year!" 

"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it". 

-Margaret Thatcher

Know your Competition .... Simone Loysen

Simone Loysen

Like many teenagers out there, I am on social media often. I follow lots of different dance accounts but I kept seeing pictures and videos of  this great Irish dancer named Simone. Through social media I learned she was a multiple Oireachtas champion, 5th in the Nation, 4th at the All Irelands and 4th in the Worlds! I was privileged to meet THE SIMONE LOYSEN at the NAFC Belt Championships this past year in Phoenix. Not only were all three of her rounds amazing but her attitude off the stage represented a true champion. I was not surprised she walked home with the NAFC title.

SIDE NOTE:  The NAFC is the North American Feis Commission Championships that features 3 competitions: A minor cup, a junior trophy, and a senior belt . Each group has a mix of age ranges. This competition will be held in Phoenix, Arizona again on January 16,2016. In order to compete in this event, you must be an open champion dancer who has won a competition in the year of 2015. I think there are a few feiseanna that are actually giving paper awards when you win a 1st place overall that invites you to dance at this championship. If you get the opportunity to go, it is so worth going to compete and watch.  This is the best of the best dancers all in a smaller venue. Last year, they even had a regular feis running simultaneously.

My friend Natalie Hall, Simone and I at the NAFC championships!

Winning the NAFC championships

On to Q & A with Simone:

1) School: Broesler School of Irish Dance2) Age group: U133) Region: Southern Region, USA4) Dress maker: Gavin5) How many years have you been dancing? 9 years6) Biggest Accomplishment? Probably getting 4th at All Irelands or winning the NAFC Minor Cup!7) Favorite Dance? Hornpipe 8) Favorite Feis? Hmmm... I'd say the Broesler feiseanna (maybe I'm a bit biased there) :)9) Biggest Competitor? I don't have a specific biggest competitor per say, since my competition is full of amazing dancers.

Simone and her friend Abby Bradley at the Worlds in Montreal

10) What is your biggest strength and weakness? My biggest strength is probably my toe blocks and the tricks I can do on them. My biggest weakness is probably my shoulder injury that can make it hard to breathe at the end of each dance.

11) How did you get started in Irish dancing? My half-sister, Megan saw Riverdance and decided to start Irish dancing. When I was three and a half, I watched her dance and thought it was awesome so I asked to be enrolled.

12) What do you do to prepare for Majors? I eat healthy (so no ice cream, cookies, that kind of stuff) for the few months before, go for runs, do ab work, and practice usually 6 days a week (whether at home or class)

13) Have you ever experienced a slump in results? How did you overcome it? Yes, I have had a few result slumps, sometimes because of injuries but not always. I usually just tell myself to look at Kevin (her teacher) or look at my Mom. Look at all the things they are doing for you. Make them proud.

14)  Who is your inspiration or motivation? Jason Hays is my biggest dancer inspiration. My teacher Kevin Broesler is probably my biggest motivation. He pushes me to achieve what I can and I owe so much to him. Making Kevin and my mom proud drives me to dance as well as I can.

15) What is your biggest goal for 2015? My biggest goal for 2015 is to dance the best that I can and have accident-free majors: No disqualifications, green tan disasters, or falls this year!

16) Do you do anything else outside of Irish dance? I used to do many other kinds of dance (ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and acro) but had to stop towards the end of last year because of my shoulder injury.

17) What is your favorite place you have visited for dance? I love the Citywest hotel in Dublin. I've been there twice now and it is amazing! Belfast was also fantastic for the 2013 All Irelands.

18) What were you feeling when you won the Oireachtas again? I was so, so happy! Every time you win there is more pressure for the next year. After winning three times you start to wonder, is it really possible to win again? But if you try as hard as you can and believe in yourself, you can do it!

Simone placed 4th at the Worlds 2015

21) Who makes your shoes? Why do you like them? Fays makes my hard shoes and Antonio Pacelli is my soft shoes brand.  I love my Fays because they make really good sounds and are fantastic for all the toe blocks I do. My Antonio Pacelli Elites are great because there is support in the toe.

22) Which dressmaker do you like? Wow. Almost every single dressmaker has made at least one dress that I like and one that I don't like.

23) What is your practice regime leading up to the Worlds? I have classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I also have an ab workout that I do every day.

24) What do you want to do for a career when you get older? I currently want to go to MIT and get an M.D in microbiology, then work at the National Cancer Institute in cancer immunology and vaccination.

25) What is an obstacle you have overcome in your dance career? As a dancer, I am constantly trying to get through injuries without losing stamina or technique. Luckily, I have found an amazing doctor. I have a really great and understanding teacher, and my mom is always ready to try anything that might help.

Follow Simone's blog here

Simone also added , "Worlds was such an amazing experience and it was incredible to get fourth, especially after disappointing results last year. I was on the moon!"         

"If you can dream it, you can do it."

~Walt Disney

(Simone's favorite quote)

My Very Late Oireachtas Update!

The bad news is......  I did not make it to the Parade of Champions.

The good news is.... I can continue this blog. Ha!

It has been a little over a month since my Oireachtas. That is just about how long it takes me to come down from all that energy, emotion and momentum.

At awards, I was called out in the top 10. Woo-Hoo!  I stood up there with some of my best friends that I have made over the years. You really do see the same girls over and over and I felt so good to be surrounded by such familiar and friendly faces.  I knew every single person up there. It was very emotional but I will have to say, Abigayle D. from the Claddagh school definitely had the best reaction as she was called out in the top 10. A reaction like that just makes you so happy for them. When they announced that the top 17 qualified for the Worlds, the stage blew up with emotion.

It finally came down to the top 5, then the last 3 and then only myself and Marisa W. from the Wick School stood waiting...... to NOT hear their number.

But I did.

I placed 2nd in the region out of 129. I will admit I was disappointed with 2nd place at first.  Just to be clear, it is 2nd place two years in a row. After all those hours of practice and time spent at the studio, I really wanted that first place. I wanted to make my dance teacher proud when they walked up on that stage to receive that little teacher trophy. I wanted that title. Obviously, I wanted to be in the parade of champions. I wanted to be that winner.

But don't get me wrong, I know 2nd place is a huge accomplishment, especially staying consistent through one of the toughest age groups with some of the most talented girls. 2nd place is feeling better to me now and I really am proud of myself.

Me and my dance teacher, Darren Maguire.

"I will win. Not immediately, but definitely."  

All in all, I could not have been happier with the way I danced.  I could truly see how proud my parents were of me. My dance teacher was proud of how I danced and how I trained leading up to that moment. Plus, when I danced, I had fun. You know, the kind of fun that you really feel it inside, a Disneyland kind of fun. It doesn't get better than that. 

My sister was proud, too! She always supports me,

Also, at this Oireachtas, I debuted my new dress and new look. As you may remember, my grandpa (also one of my best friends) had passed away in June from cancer. He loved all those creepy mythical creatures and we talked about the Phoenix on many occasions. So on this dress, I wanted to do something to commemorate him.  Cami Dudschus, from All for a Jig, captured my vision for the Phoenix perfectly. I feel him with me every time I dance.

 

My new Cami Dudschus dress!

I really consider myself a very blessed person. Being surrounded by amazing friends and the greatest family ever as they watch me succeed in a sport I love is something only a few people can truly say. I guess those are the real lessons in any activity or sport. I am blessed to have friends all over the world all because of Irish dance.  I hope you found some gains in your placements and I hope you found all those positive and great reasons why we REALLY continue in dance even in times of disappointment.

So watch out Worlds, there are a lot of talented Western Region dancers comin'! 

Happy Holidays dancers! Hope you had a great Oireachtas!

~Bella Irish Dancer

"Your friends should motivate and inspire you. Your circle should be well rounded and supportive. Keep it tight. Quality over Quantity, always."

Fays Celtic Choice

Review on Fayes Celtic Choice

I am pretty loyal to the brand Fays for my hard shoes over the years but never tried their soft shoe. Our local vendor (Siopa Brog) offered me a few popular soft shoe choices and the Fays Celtic choice.

I noticed instantly how they snugly fit to my arch. There were no gaps. Fays states that they are 100% leather on the sole with a Poron insole.  Poron is a cushioning material that is used in sports equipment and other sport shoes. It supposedly helps with comfort upon impact. There is definitely quite a bit of impact when Irish dancing and I could definitely tell quite a difference especially in the beginning break in phase.  My arches aren't the best in the world but these shoes make my feet look like they are.

As with most dancers, we have to check out the toe support.  It was a breeze going up on my toes.  I noticed the padding goes over the front of my toes and it gives my toes more support. That is my favorite part of this shoe.  There are no seams to pinch your toes or in the long run, seams to break down as you dance.

I have average sized woman's feet so I am always trying to find shoes that make my foot look smaller. Celtic choice makes my foot look narrow and neat. Who doesn't love that?

Another thing I noticed was that they were so much lighter than my previous shoes. Even my dad pointed that out and he hardly ever sees the difference in anything in dancing.  Haha!

Over time, I will admit they stretch out a bit,  I am a street shoe 7.5 or 8 and I got the 4.5. Make sure you get a very snug fit at the beginning or consult your teacher for advice.  This shoe has great heel grip as well.

Oireachtas Champion, Victoria Schull, wears them after they were recommended to her.

She is a street size 7 and she bought a 3.5. 

        "Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life."

Check them out at your next feis. What shoes do you love wearing? Do you stay loyal to one brand?

Comment below or on any of my social media sites. 

Click here for more information 

Fays website

Siopa Brog 

4 Tips to Prepare Mentally in Irish Dance

Hello Irish Dancers!

With Oireachtas right around the corner, I know from experience that it takes a lot more to achieve your goals than just physically preparing.

I have under 2 weeks now until the big O and I know each day I get more and more excited and nervous. I know I am not the only one either. So, here are some of the things I have been doing to train my mental side in dance.

1. Watch motivational videos.  They can be dance videos, parade of champions of year's past or a sports movies. What motivates you? Find it. Post it. I tell the little girls at my school the same thing. You have to find that one thing that motivates you more than anything else. Let it give you that feeling that you can do it. It could be an individual, a video, a song, a quote, etc. My number 1 thing is the video below. The feeling I get after watching it makes me feel, UNSTOPPABLE! I absolutely love this video. Everything is on point and it is a huge motivation to me as I prepare my mind.

Click here to watch this video!

2. Eliminate the things making you doubt yourself.  I make a list of every single one. One of my weakness in dance right now are my heels. I, at times, fall very low on my heels and the same question kept popping into my head. Why do I think I can win if I have low heels? How am I ever going to beat them with low heels? Well, the answer to that is easy and simple: Fix it. As soon as you address it, there will be no more doubt.

3. Look back. Remember where you started.  Find pictures of your first feis. Look at yourself.  Watch past videos of yourself and remember everyone starts from the bottom.  You may not be where you want to be but you are on your way. Really remember what it was like to learn a new jump or an entire new set and how you may not have gotten it right at the beginning. Remember that feeling of accomplishment. You are on your way. You will be better today than you were yesterday. Be thankful for where you are and how far you have come.

Click to watch my favorite video!

4.  Find the good side of this journey. It can be challenging at times but if you leave all the negative thoughts from yesterday in yesterday, your mind will become more positive. Forget about everything that happened in the past. If you had a bad day, move on. If you had a good day, be grateful. Give yourself pats on the back. Find the one great thing you did today at practice and feel proud. Focus on those good things.


I hope these tips help you.  I think the mental toughness from me is credited most to my mother. She made me realize that despite the hours, the days, weeks, months, years in the studio preparing for one event doesn't matter at all if you do not show up on the day mentally. She always tells me to dance like I have been there before. Dance BIG and walk like a champion even if you don't think you are.

You wouldn't be normal if you didn't have doubts or negative thoughts, at least one. You have got to let it go otherwise you will bring it up on stage with you. Doubt is the one thing you don't want to shine on stage.

Now, how far away are you from Oireachtas?

What are your goals?

Why do you think you deserve them more than anyone else?

~Bella Irish Dancer

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right."

~Henry Ford 

To Irish Dance Moms: The Do's and Don't of Oireachtas.

On a couple of our parent boards and social media, I saw a few first time Oireachtas moms ask for advice. Even though my point of view is a little different, I am going to throw my two cents in from a dancer's view point so that your day with your dancer can go as smooth as possible.

Please fee free to comment below with your additions and pointers.

 

 So, for those first time Oireachtas Moms, this is for you.

The Do's and Don'ts for Irish Dance Moms at Oireachtas 

1. DO: wake up early with a great attitude and then wake up your child. A lot of the days attitude is similar to the first minutes of waking up, at least, for me.  This means you really need to go to bed early. This is hard the night before a big competition but do it even if it means laying in bed listening to music.

2. DO NOT: Rush! It will only make your dancer more nervous.  Allow more time than you think to get all those items done before heading down to the hall. When you rush, you forget.  Trust me you do not want to forget ANYTHING!

3. DO: While you are doing your dancer's hair and make up, have him/her listen to a motivating song to get them pumped up for the day!  Music makes me feel good. Listening to a little Script Feat. Will I. Am's, "Hall of Fame" is a great example.

"You can be the greatest. You can be the best. You can be the King Kong banging on your chest" 

Or my dad would say anything from the movie, Rocky.  But whatever gets them in the right mood is the right choice. 

4. DO NOT: Mention anything about messing up on the hair and make up while you are assisting.  I cannot stand when my mom does this.  When she says, "OOOPS" or "Oh no",  I start thinking that everything is going down hill and it is completely unfix-able.

5: DO:   Fix the wig. If you end up with something you do not like, redo it NOW, not downstairs in the convention hall. Your dancer should not be thinking about their  hair in the hall. As a dancer, your mind is going a million miles a minute prior to check in. Let it be filled with their steps and a winner's attitude.

  A little side note: In 2012, I put my wig on poorly and I ended up redoing it in between rounds. It was a nightmare for me and my mom.  I even dropped my placement that year. I do realize that this was not because of my wig, but I am superstitious. I think it kept me from focusing on what was important.

6: DO NOT: Keep adding more makeup when you are all ready in the ballroom. Before going on stage, definitely do a few touch ups but don't do it often. (My mom needs to work on this one. HAHA!) Let your dancer drink lots of water which means don't do touch ups until right before they go on.
Fussing over make-up makes your dancer nervous.

7: DO: Make sure she is working on preparations like stretching.  Don't let her fool around with her friends before competitions. She will not be focused.  Make sure she gets time with her dance teacher without you. They will get your dancer properly warmed up and in the dance mindset.

8: DO NOT: Let your dancer just walk around the center.  If they are going to watch a friend dance, make sure that they are with their dance teacher. Don't risk missing a round. You will be disqualified. I don't think the Oireachtas judges smile too kindly on being late.  I've never done it and I wouldn't want to push this. This day is not really about socializing until you are done with your rounds.

9: DO: Give a good Mom pep-talk. I don't know how you guys do it. My mom always finds the right words to calm me down and to get me focused to win! Focus on stage presence and confidence: the practice part is behind you. Leave the last minute dance tips to their teacher and let your part be telling your daughter to walk on like a champion, even if they don't feel like one yet.

"Fake it til you make it"  

10: DO NOT: Let your dancer get cold in between rounds. Make sure they are stretching or running through their dances. A cold dance is not a good dance. Do exercises like ankle and hip rotations, as well as, calf and hamstring stretches.


BEST OF LUCK!

Oh and most importantly, go out there and have fun. Don't just go for the experience. If you put in the practice, do your very best.

You are already there, why not go for the recall?

Top 25? Top 10? Top 5? Top 3?

~Bella Irish Dancer

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you"ll land among the stars."

~Les Brown

I am back!

Hello!

Sorry I have not written in a very long time. This summer has not been one of my favorites.

As you may know, my grandpa was diagnosed with stage 4 lung and bone cancer in January. This hit our family very hard. On June 8, 2014, my grandpa took his last breath at home surrounded by all of us. Fortunately, all his friends and family got to say goodbye before things really went downhill. I know he is still supporting me from heaven and definitely encouraging me to get back into shape.

My dance teacher judged the nationals so I couldn't go. Things happen for a reason and I am so thankful for this. I know I would not have been very focused if we had decided to go. Not being very dance motivated this summer, I found myself stumped on what to write about. I mean I wasn't really preparing intensely for anything; I had no feisanna except in June.

https://www.facebook.com/JourneyToTheParadeOfChampions

It seemed like my whole dance school was on a huge break, which is nice, but I hate being away from dance class.

And now, my summer is abruptly ending with high school starting July 31st this year!
Eeeek!  I feel like this summer has blown on by.

So, it is back to the blogging and dancing routine I love.

My "journey" continues again as Oireachtas 2014 is only 114 days for me!

It is time to rethink my goals for the big "O" and most importantly, think about the action that needs to go along with those dreams.

Oireachtas will sneak up on you quickly!

What are your Oireachtas goals? Recall? Top 25? World Qualify? 1?

I would love to hear from you.

Send me your feis photos so I can post them on Facebook or Instagram! (Direct message on IG or private message on Facebook)

"If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." 

~Martin Luther King Jr.