Irish Dancing During Hard Times

Hello Irish Dancers!

Recently, my grandpa was diagnosed with lung cancer that has spread to his bones.

The World Irish Dance championship is about 5 weeks away and my mom just told me that my dad might not be going with us because he wants to stay with his dad. Not only will it be a big fight for my grandpa, it will be a big fight for me and my family.

It is hard to focus on my dance goals with him ill like this. Sometimes, I wonder if I should bother going to London. Sometimes I feel selfish going to dance class when he is struggling with this.  Sometimes dance feels like such a small thing when someone I love is dying.

I went to dance class last night and as soon as I got into my mom's car, all this built up emotion just came out. My mom just let me cry. There really is nothing to say. Everyone is feeling like this at our house.

But I can't quit.

I love being able to go to practice and NOT think about cancer or sadness or death. It keeps my mind occupied.  All those bad images in my head are being swept away with every dance correction and repetition.  When I kick or jump that worrisome energy is being whisked out of my body. I am quiet inside and I am numb.

I am so grateful for dance because it allows me to release all that sadness and anger through sweat. I love using all that energy on the floor.

When I dance it gives me hope.

Dance is a place that is all mine.  It is my space that I own.

On the other hand, I am so grateful for the comfort my dance family gives me by asking about him. They know exactly when to ask me and when to dance silently beside me.

I know my grandpa would want me to go. And when I am on that World stage, I will do those rocks and that birdie jump with passion because those are his favorite steps.

Have you danced through a painful time in your life? What did dance do for you? 

My Papa and I 

"Let your faith be bigger than your fears" ~unknown

Know Your Competition- Ceili Moore

Ceili Moore!

I was so excited when I got to interview Ceili. She has been one of my biggest inspirations for a very long time because she kept improving her placements to eventually get to the top! She had a few setbacks but work hard to overcome them. That is something all Irish dancers can relate with.

Age group: U19

School name: Fiona-Gaye Moore Academy

Hard Shoe brand: Fays

Soft Shoe Brand: Ryan & O'Donnell

Set: Garden of Daisies 76

How many years have you been dancing? 16 years

How did you get started in dancing? My mum was an Irish dancer, but when I was three and a half years old, she was pregnant with my brother. We were meant to go to Scotland for my uncles wedding and I was going to be the flower girl. She got sick and wasn't able to fly, so we couldn't go to the wedding. When this happened she said I got to pick something that I wanted to do, and I said I wanted to start dancing.

What was it like to raise the globe at the World Championships? "Raising the globe at the World Championships was one of the most incredible moments in my life to date. I was filled with so many emotions - excitement, happiness, relief, shock, disbelief. I honestly could not believe that a long term dream that not so long ago had seemed so unachievable, had actually just come true."

2nd at the Worlds
Click the photo to follow Ceili on Instagram

 How many hours per week do you practice leading up to a major? Coming up to a major I am usually dancing 6 days a week. When I am in a dancing class I am doing 4 dance classes a week and practicing for 1-2 hours each day. In a lead up to a major when I am not in a class, I try to do 6 days a week with up to 3 hours of practice each day. This isn't always possible with my busy schedule, but i try to practice as much as possible.

What do you do outside of Irish dance to prepare for a competition? I do ab work, feet strengthening, skipping, workouts at the gym and I also watch inspirational movies. These all help me in my preparation for a major.

Big Accomplishments: 2nd at the world championships 2013, All Ireland Champion 2013, North American National Champion 2013, North East England Regional Champion 2013, 4 x Australian National Champion, 4 x NSW State Championship, 4th All Scotland Championships 2013 and Dancer in Heartbeat of Home.

All Ireland Champion
Click the photo to follow Ceili on Tumblr

Favorite Dance? Vanishing Lake

If you could change something about Irish dancing, what would it be? Nothing. I love it all!

What is your favorite thing about Irish dancing? I love how we get to travel all over the world and I love the amazing friendships we make. I have so many great memories and friendships made through Irish dance and I will remember them forever!

Have you ever experienced a slump in your results? If so, how did you overcome it?

 I had a year and a half in dance in which was a really tough period for me. In 2008, I found out I had 2 stress fractures in my foot in which I had to sit out of competition for 3 months and missed my qualifier. As I really wanted to go to the Worlds, I had to dance at my Australian Nationals and qualify. I returned to dance 3 weeks before the nationals in hope to qualify, and luckily, I did and placed 4th. I was thrilled to be going to the worlds for the first time so I trained really hard over the summer, but unfortunately, 10 days before leaving for the worlds I fell and broke my foot again. I traveled to the worlds and watched my brother and friends compete and was so disappointed that I couldn't dance. With my broken foot, I couldn't dance for 4 and a half months. I then danced at the nationals 2 months later where I placed 6th. Although 6th was still an amazing place, it was the first time I hadn't been in the top 4 since I was 7. I was disappointed that I had dropped and at this period considered giving up. I overcame this tough period, by deciding to give it my all and go to the worlds. I worked as hard as I possibly could for the next 6 months - practicing every day, eating the right foods, and living and breathing dance. I placed 24th at the World Championships in 2010, to then win the State and National Championships later that year.

 What did you have to do to get into Heartbeat of Home? "I first put up a video of me auditioning online where people were able to vote for their favorite videos. From these videos, 10 public votes, and 10 judges vote videos were chosen and those people were flown over to Dublin for a live audition. Dublin consisted of a two day intensive audition process in which we performed 36 bars in our heavies, 36 bars in our lights and we then a minute and a half to show the judges what we were best at. We then all did a movement class with David Bolger, and learnt 2 routines from John Carey. John Carey's second audition piece was so tricky, and such an experience! During this period we also all became such great friends and made memories in which I will always remember."

Heart Beat of Home
Click on the photo 

What was your reaction when you found out you were excepted into Heart beat of Home? I received a call at 730 in the morning . I rolled over and looked at the number, but as I didn't recognize it, I went back to bed. I then spent the day worrying as it was an Irish number and I thought it must have been Padraic Moyles, the Assistant Director of Heartbeat of Home. At 430 that afternoon, the number called and I immediately picked it up. Padraic told me I had been accepted into Heartbeat and my heart jumped. When I got off the phone, I started crying. It was a life changing moment and after the audition experience, I couldn't have been more excited to work for such a wonderful company

Do you think Heart beat of Home has helped improve your competitive dancing? If so how? Heartbeat of Home has definitely helped me improve my competitive dancing, especially in the aspect of performance. As a competitive dancer I always focused on my dancing completely and not at all on the performance aspect. Heartbeat has taught me the importance of performance as well as enjoying your performance. I have also improved my competitive dancing through watching all the dancers in Heartbeat. They are so incredible talented and you can learn something from each and every one of them.

What was it like working with John Carey and Ciara Sexton in Heartbeat of home? It was such an amazing experience to work with both John and Ciara. John is one of the most talented choreographers and dancers I have ever met and I have learnt so much from him on both a dancing and choreographic level. Ciara is and has always been one of my favourite dancers of all time, and it was a dream come true to be working with her. I have learnt so much from her, as both a dancer and a person during this period. I am very grateful for all that Ciara and John have taught me with Heartbeat.

Who are your inspirations or motivators? I am lucky to have had so many people in my life who have inspired and motivated me to be both a better dancer and person, all for different reasons. My mum, Ciara Sexton, Geraldine French, Nicole Zepcevksi, Conor O'Sullivan, Ellie Maguire, Beth Monaghan and Aliyah O'Hare are a few people among many who have inspired me to be both better dancers and people.

What are your plans for the future? I hope to continue to dance with shows for quite a few years to come and I also want to be a dance teacher. I am currently doing my Master In Training (Personal Training) at the Australian Institute of Fitness online, and plan to do Health Sciences majoring in sport and exercise. Later on in life it would be my dream to be a Sport and Exercise Therapist who specializes in Nutrition, Personal Training, Physiotherapy and Sports Psychology while also teaching Irish Dance.

What is your biggest goal for 2014? In 2014, I hope to see myself grow as both a competition dancer, and performer and I would really like to maintain or improve on my place at all major competitions. I would also like to finish my degree.

What advice would you give first time World Qualifiers? Have fun, work hard and never give up! Having fun is definitely the most important thing. If you enjoy your performance, the judges will enjoy it too! Secondly, work hard. Make sure you have no regrets. If you work your hardest and do your very best that's all you can do!! And thirdly, never ever give up. There will be times where you honestly think you cant keep going and when that time comes, push yourself a little harder. You will never know how good you could be, if you never tried!!

 "You pushed. You Practiced. You pushed some more. 'Cause there's a favorite and there's everyone else. But this isn't you versus them. This is you verses you. You don't care what the odds say. You don't care who's suppose to win. Favorites don't shock the world. You do."

"What are you afraid of? Passing out? You'll live. Not being able to breathe? You can when you're done. Feeling the pain? It'll eventually go away. Not being able to finish? You'll find strength in the end. Are you afraid of the competition? Whatever it id, don't be afraid to get out there and compete. Because as soon as you cross the finish line, you should know that you have nothing left. Be fearless from start to finish"

My New Years Resolution

Looking back on 2013, I had some good and bad competitions. I found my notebook with all my goals from 2012 and 2013 and all I wanted was to be undefeated. But, I am changing that for 2014. From worlds, nationals, and a couple feises in between I danced blah and didn't shine like I did at Oireachtas.

Do you see how nervous my  face looks?

My NEW New Year's resolution is to perform to my full potential at any and all competitions!

I have figured out that if I do my best both physically and in my mind, that I can be unstoppable. I wouldn't change anything about this year. I learned that I shouldn't be intimidated by other dancers. If I am going to be the best, I have to compete with the best. Also, even though I hate admitting it, my mom was right. If you don't bring your A game and seriously focus at EVERY competition, don't expect to win. You have to shine and stand out every time.  There are so many great dancers and they want the same things as me: To WIN! You have to make the judges remember you!

2014 is going to be my best year yet!

What is your New Year's resolution?

~Bella Irish Dancer

"Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts"

~Winston Churchill

Flashback of 2013

2013 was a year filled with victory,triumph, emotion, and a lot of trophies. It didn't seem that way at first but I can see it now... but only after I have it written on paper. I encourage you to do the same. I definitely had some setbacks and you know what?  It still was a pretty good dance year.

January- I went to my first 2013 feis and came in third.  It knocked down my confidence  a little as it was the only feis I could attend before Worlds.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE,PRACTICE...

April- I danced okay at worlds but not good enough for a recall. I completed my steps and felt good but  I didn't shine like you should on that kind of stage.

May- I won a feis with a perfect score of 300 and a judge recognized my potential to win a major title one day. This boosted my confidence for NAIDC.  I love when judges give AWESOME comments!

PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE!!!

July- I defeated myself when I saw I was dancing with the girl who got 3rd at Worlds. I psyched myself out and I knew I could never compete against such a great dancer.  Why did I say that to myself?  Why did I even bother to dance that day?  I was defeated before I even competed.

August- I got second at a feis. I danced small and didn't blow the judges away.

September- I got second at a feis again! I wasn't focused as I was too busy talking to my friends instead of getting in the zone.  I realize I need to get my mind straight before I dance.

October- I was very very focused at this feis but was not confident in my set dance.  I got my third consecutive second.

November- Oireachtas time.  I felt pretty good as I was practicing and training the way I should.  I was extremely focused and blew all my rounds out of the park. Despite knocking off my number holder in the third round, I moved up 5 places from the year before to second place.  It was my first great major in a while! Now, I am confident for Worlds 2014! I hope I can keep this mindset up.

I was on the podium with 2 of my good friends!

I am CONFIDENT that 2014 will be the best year yet!

Write down how your year went.  Maybe it was better than you thought.  Maybe it wasn't?  What could you do next year to achieve your dance goals?

~Bella Irish Dancer

"Never regret. If it's good, its wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience" 

~Victoria Holt

An Irish Dancer's Thanksgiving!

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow and the end of 2013 is around the corner, I would like to look back on this year and tell you WHO in my life I am so thankful for. 

I am grateful to my mom for taking me to Maguire Academy of Irish Dance when I was a little burned out with ballet.

I am grateful for my teachers. I would not be anywhere in dance without my Irish dance coaches, Darren Maguire, Maeve Croke, and Helen Buck. They have taught me Irish dancing in the best way possible. They have pushed me and encouraged me when I felt like I could not do more.  There are no words that could really describe exactly how grateful I am to have them. They believe in me when I have my doubts during practice and guide me to my goals even if it seems a little high and out of reach. They have given me this passion I have for dance and I get to take that with me throughout my life.  That is a gift that keeps giving. 

 I am grateful (at least, today) for the millions and millions of drills we do at practice! I know it has made a difference. (If they read this, we will probably be doing more drills).  The details are very important in placing.

I am grateful for my faith in my teachers. I know that no matter how long it takes, Mr. Maguire, Ms. Croke, and Ms. Buck will get me to the parade of champions on the WORLD stage!

The best teachers in the world!
2nd place Oireachtas 2013

I am so thankful to my Mom and Dad. Without my parent's support,  I wouldn't even dream as big as I do without them making me think it is possible.  London for the World Championships is a great example.  Without their encouragement, I wouldn't be at the dance level I am and I wouldn't have this blog.

I am, especially, grateful to my little sister, Riley. In 2011, when I won 5th place at the Oireachtas, she was one of the first people I saw on stage.  She had made her way to the front row and was balling her eyes out.  She may have been more excited than I was.  I am so grateful that she supports me and pushes me to be competitive.  And I know I owe her many thanks for sitting countless hours at local feisanna.

A big thanks to all my grandparents and my uncles and aunts. They always support me and motivate me to be the best that I can be.

I am so thankful for my dance school.  I am not just talking about my friends in dance class.  I am talking about all the beginner mom's who stop to ask about my dancing and text me congratulations. I am so grateful for the older dancers I watched that made me think I can do better and be better. That means so much. I am so grateful for all the families that make up our GREAT school at the Maguire Academy!

Maguire Academy of Irish Dance, Arizona,-Texas 

Last but not least, I am grateful for all my followers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and on my blog. You guys truly motivate me and help me improve my writing for school. Plus, I love expressing my feelings to people who feel the same way I do. I love hearing all the feedback from you and seeing what you think.

What are you grateful for?

Happy Thanksgiving,  Irish dancers!

"Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirits, and the voice of hope that says... all things are possible"

~Unknown

5 Things I love about Irish dance

Things I love in Irish Dance:

1. I love the competition.
I love to go to competitions and really show what I can do. I love when you have practiced a step a hundred times and nail it on stage.  Of course, I love the win and all that swag that comes with it.

Credit to who ever made this. I found it off Tumblr

2. I love the hard work of practice.
  
I love when you are so absorbed in practice it flies by.  I enjoy coming home soaked from the sweat. I love the moment when  you finally get that step or jump at class that seemed like it was impossible a hundred times before and then you suddenly get it.  I think one of the things I love the most is that if you work hard, nothing is impossible! My dance friend, Victoria Schull, went from not recalling her first year at Oireachtas to placing third the next year. That says a lot about what you can get done in dance.  I remember asking her how she did that and she said "I used that drive to practice. I practiced jumps in my hallway and really broke everything down." I love knowing that if you work hard, you can be unstoppable.

3.  I love the friendships in Irish dance:
I love the core of friends I have made at my own dance school. It is a place where I can escape from school and be with people that have the same passion as I do.
I love the new friends I have made at the different feisanna. I look forward to seeing them at competitions.  They are not just my competition but a friendly face.
I love the friends I have made through social media sites.  I met a dancer on Instagram from Australia and I know a few people in England and Ireland! Plus, having friends and seeing those familiar faces every where you dance just makes you less nervous at every single competition.


4. I love the performance of Irish dance. 
I love being on stage.  I like the showmanship of Irish dance. I love the dresses, the accessories and occasionally the wigs.  I know I may be the only one. I love the sparkle and the bling.  I love the whole package of a competition day.

5. I love the traveling:
I don't just love going to new places,  I love the preparation of travel almost as much as the going.  I love to pack. I love the journey meaning I love the airplane or car rides so that I can have time to just think about my dances.  It is a good time to visualize about how I am going to perform.
I do love the new places, too.  My favorite cities I have been to for dance are Dublin, Chicago, or Boston. Irish dance has brought me and my family to many beautiful places.

What are your favorite things about Irish dancing? 

Comment below.  

~Bella Irish Dancer

"To succeed you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a reality"

~Anita Roddick 

   

Know your Competition

       WORLD CHAMPION LAYLA HEALY!

Full Name: Layla Healy
Age group: U18
Region: Leinster
Dance School: Fegan School of Irish Dancing
Set dance: Planxty Davis
Hard shoe maker: Boyne walk (storm )
Soft shoe Maker: Hullachan
Dress maker: Celtic star (Conor o Sullivan )
How long have you been dancing? I've been dancing since the age of 5, so 13 years.
Why do you like Irish dancing? I love Irish dancing because of the rhythm and the fitness side of it. I just love performing on stage at competitions and the friendships that comes with it from people all around the world!
What got you started in Irish dancing? My dancing teacher started teaching in my primary school I went to and my sister use to dance with her too.When I saw my sister dancing, I wanted to do it straight away!
What is your favorite dance and why? I love the slip jig. I just love it's gracefulness and how you just glide and move across the floor.


What do you do leading up to a major? Every morning I get up before school to do some fitness work and go through my steps. Coming up to majors I will be dancing every day for up to 4 hours.

Were you a top placer from the beginning? No I wasn't a top placer but I would place high at local feiseanna. At my first worlds, I didn't recall. The next year I recalled but didn't medal. The following year I got my first medal and haven't gone down a place since, I gradually worked my way to the top!

How do you balance nerves at big competitions? I get really nervous, but I listen to dancing music to keep me calm and I just focus myself.

What is your routine in the morning of a major? I get up about 3 hours before I'm due to dance. I get a good breakfast and then gradually start to get my wig and make up on. I would then go down to the venue for just over an hour before hand to go through my dances with my teachers.

What does it take to win the worlds in your opinion? I think it takes a lot of determination and commitment. If you want something big enough and focus yourself, it will be yours one day! You've just got to be positive and put your mind to it.

What advice would you give to dancers who want to qualify for the World Championships? For dancers who want to qualify I would say work hard and make goals for yourself.  Also, if competitions don't go your way don't feel down, we all have our slumps it's all part of getting better! Work your hardest and give 100% and ENJOY.

Can you describe the feeling of winning the Worlds? There is no one word to describe it. It's just incredible and emotional all together! Most amazing feeling EVER!
Do you feel pressure to stay at the top now that you have won? Yes. I'm feeling the pressure to stay on top. Irish nationals was my first major since the worlds and I felt enormous pressure on me after winning Worlds 2 months prior but you've just got to keep doing what you were doing and work even harder.

How do you motivate yourself? I motivate myself by listening to dancing music or by looking through old pictures at competitions of myself that brings back happy memories and the want to be there again and to stay on top.

What are some of your strengths/ weaknesses in dancing? My strengths would be my rhythm and dedication to dancing! I've sacrificed a lot of things in my life to dance and I wouldn't change that for the world! Those sacrifices have paid off for me.  My weakness would be that I'm a perfectionist.  Everything must be perfect and I won't stop until it is! I could be going for hours working on one thing that's not quite perfect, but I would keep it going until I'm happy with it.

Biggest Accomplishments? Winning the worlds!

Do you do any other sports that help you with dancing such as track or ballet? No, I don't do any other sports, simply because I don't have the time.

Do you want to make a career in Irish dancing? If so what do you want to do? Yes, I'm in my last year of school. I'm not sure what I want to do, but when I leave but I'm hoping to get picked up by a show and then further on do my TCRG exams then my ADCRG.

Who are your inspirations? Why? My inspirations would be other world champions and my dancing teachers.The fact my teachers put an enormous amount of work into me and that they believe in me is just incredible.

Do you have any favorite dancers? Why? Yes, I do.  my favorite dancers would be Suzanne Coyle and Nadine Martin! They are just such strong dancers and make dancing look so easy and graceful.

Is there anything you would still like to achieve in dancing? I would like to achieve more World titles! And also win every major there is !

What is your favorite memory in Irish dancing? My favorite memory by far was winning the worlds! The atmosphere was incredible and the emotion was unforgettable! I'M STILL SMILING!!

What is your favorite place you have traveled for Irish Dancing? Why? My favorite place I've traveled would be to Anaheim,CA for the North American Nationals in July of this year (2013). It was just an amazing place to be and the weather was PERFECT!

Thanks for inspiring all of us!  You are an inspiration to all future World winners. 

"I CAN I AM I WILL"

(Layla's favorite quote)