Irish Dance Terms .v3

Irish Dance Terms are our attempt to label those Irish Dance things we know, but which don’t have a ‘real name’.

clusterfeis

noun clus·ter·feis \ˈklə-stər-fɛʃ\
1 : a complex and utterly disordered and mismanaged situation :  a muddled mess, when it comes to anything related to Irish Dance
2 : a way to say what you are REALLY thinking when your Irish Dancers are in earshot and you can’t say what you are really thinking.

examples of clusterfeis

  • The construction on I-65 North driving home from Nationals was a real clusterfeis

origin of clusterfeis

  • Ohio English
  • First known usage: 21st century
Irish Dance Terms .v2

feispionage

noun feis·pi·o·nage
1 : the activity of spying on dancers from other schools in order to steal their steps or routines.

An Intro to Irish Dance Terms

orockwhatThe next post in my Feis Dad series out on Antonio Pacelli is a quick intro to some of the terms used in Irish Dance. You know the easy ones to say like ‘feis’. Don’t laugh, you know you probably said it wrong before you were ‘in the know’.

So take a look and let me know if I captured all of them out at An Introduction to Irish Dance Terms.

 

 

 

 

FeisNation

Haven’t had a new glossary term since the first one I posted months ago, but my reference to FeisNation in a FB post today prompted a follower to write a little ‘wiki’ on what that means, so without further ado… Hat tip to Karen for the definition 🙂

FeisNation

Feisnation: (definition) a growing group of the population. In public they appear completely normal other than a having a strange graphic applique on their vehicle that depicts what you think at first is a pole dancer but is actually an Irish Step Dancer in motion.

Feisnationers can be identified also by the fact that they are always seen on the same days each week, driving a child (or several) to and from an undisclosed location. On weekends they are rarely seen as this is when they gather in large groups, usually at a high school in another state, or sometimes a banquet venue at a hotel. The purpose of these gatherings is to assist their children in participation in what is known as a “feis” – a competition of Irish dancing, music and occasionally bread.

A true member of the “Feisnation” is highly skilled in many ways – they are pack horses, capable of carrying large loads, the most interesting item being a large triangular shaped bag which appears to carry some sort of weapon but is actually the container of the child’s dance costume. (The costume requires its own special container due to the high cost of the costume).

Feisnation parents will spend hours before the “feis” in preparation – googling locations on Mapquest, packing up the items required for the event such as dance shoes (2 pair), special white socks (some bedazzled, some plain), 5 pounds of bobby pins, large cans of hairspray, bloomers that match the costume, wigs, tiaras, headbands and a roll on applicator containing what is referred to as “sock glue” – necessary to keep the $25.00 socks from slipping down around the ankle while competing.

Many “feisnation” folks still conduct the ancient ritual of “curling” – which requires putting young girls’ hair in several dozen or more curlers the day before the event and then taking her out to dinner….in public. When the event is over, the same child may be seen at dinner again, with large curled waves and ringlets and smeared eye makeup. However if the child places a large trophy on the dinner table and is also wearing a “sash”, there is no need for concern. Feisnation gatherings will disperse late in the day with volunteers clearing up all signs that the event ever took place.

Irish Dance Terms .v1

Term of the week is our attempt to label those Irish Dance things we know, but which don’t have a ‘real name’. The first one came out of my mouth tonight on the way home from dance practice, and I thought to myself, oh, I gotta start writing these nuggets down, so here goes.

hance

verb ˈhan(t)s, ˈhän(t)s
1 : to use only ones hands to practice all the steps in an Irish Dance routine.

hanc·ing

intransitive verb
1 : to engage in or perform Irish Dance steps with only the hands. This can be done in a seated or standing position

examples of hance

  • Before each competition, Shannon will hance all her steps.
  • Rachel gets this far away look on her face when she is hancing.

origin of hance

  • Ohio English
  • First known usage: 21st century