In my feeble attempt to prove I know something about Irish Dance, I have created another post for Antonio Pacelli, this time on the basic Irish dances. Meant as a primer for new parents, it may be a bit uninformative for a lot of you, but honestly, I picked up some things I didn’t know when I researched it so it might be worth a quick read. So, take a look at A Very Basic Intro To Irish Dances
Clan na nGael SummerFeis 2014 Grades Review
The 3rd annual Clan na nGael SummerFeis was held at the Shamrock Club in Columbus, OH on July 12th, 2014.
First things first: this feis is outdoors. In Ohio. In July. This is not secret/privileged information. ;-) If the possibility of rain or humidity during a dance competition seems unappealing, this might not be the feis for you. However, if you are lover of all-things-summer, combined with all-things-Irish-dancing, this feis can be a fantastic experience.
Administration–9
This was the most organized feis committee we have encountered thus far. Communication via facebook was fantastic. The committee was upfront on both their website (http://www.clannnangael.org/summer-feis-2013/) and their facebook page about a $5 parking fee. In an age when some of us mostly carry plastic, I really appreciated knowing in advance that I would need paper money for parking. I’m not a fan of the surprise parking fee that leads me to wander around an unfamiliar city searching for an ATM. This feis filled very quickly and the committee was right on top of things, releasing stage assignments WEEKS before the feis. That deserves a shout out! Volunteers at the feis were friendly and very patient with those who were….weary (to be polite) from the humidity that day. The songs for the Treble Reel competition were also announced well in advance of the feis and divided up by age. Kudos to the committee for superior communication!
Baltimore Feis 2014, PC/OC & Grades
Always good to have a second opinion, although these guys seem to be on the same page pretty much. Please also see the Baltimore Feis Review from Corabelle.
27th Annual Baltimore Feis
Date: Saturday September 20th, 2014
Location: Brooklyn Park Maryland
www.broesler.com
Venue
A nice suburban school. The best part is the time of year and the outside space. If the weather cooperates, there is plenty of space to camp outside. There is a large walking distance between the grade stages and the open champ stage. The grade awards and food are downstairs which also helps cut down on the crowded halls.
Baltimore Feis 2014, Grades Review
Actually received two reviews for Baltimore within about an hour of each other so posting them both. Be sure to also see Mom O’Three’s review.
The 27th Annual Baltimore Feis, sponsored by The Kevin Broesler Parents Association was held on Saturday, September 20, 2014 with a start time of 8:45 am. It was held at the Chesapeake Arts Center / Brooklyn Park Middle School located at 194 Hammonds Lane in Brooklyn Park, Maryland. A cap of 850 was set and met.
Venue
Located about 6 miles from BWI airport, the location of the Feis is easy to find and plenty of hotels are within a 10-15 minute drive. For those traveling and needing an overnight stay, The Broesler school suggested 2 hotels on their syllabus: the Holiday Inn in Linthicum Heights and the Embassy Suites at BWI airport, however only the Holiday Inn had a Feis rate ($109.00) With the Feis being held near the airport there are plenty of hotel choices, therefore you can shop around for best rates. The Holiday Inn is where our family stayed- the hotel was clean, updated, and close to various restaurants. We felt it was worth the money and we would stay there again.
Michigan (Muskegon) Feis 2014 Review, Champs
The 2014 Michigan Feis was held on September 13, 2014 at Muskegon Central Catholic High School in Muskegon, MI. This is the 4th time the WTF famila has attended this feis, and honestly, it is one of our faves. Jeanette did an awesome job for the over all feis review so I will just be adding notes for some things she did not cover from a champs perspective or other items. I do suggest reading Jeanette’s review along with this one for the big picture.
One thing I do not think she mentioned is that each dancer gets a free ticket into the Michigan Irish Music Festival which is a savings of $15 to $20 if you are going to it, which I highly suggest.
Michigan (Muskegon) Feis 2014 Review, Grades
The 2014 Michigan Feis was held on September 13, 2014 at Muskegon Central Catholic High School in Muskegon, MI. This is the 2nd time we have attended this feis, and we have had a very pleasant experience here both times. This review is mainly aimed at the Grades experience at this feis.
Venue
The feis was held at Muskegon Central Catholic High School.
Parking was free, plentiful & close – which was a nice change from many other feiseanna we have attended recently!
Because this feis is associated with the Michigan Irish Music Festival, there was an admission fee for adults at the door (I believe it was $8/person), but dancers were admitted free. There was a bit of a bottleneck getting into the school because people were paying the admission fee, but those who checked in the night before at the feis hotel & got their admission wristbands paid for then were able to walk right in. We had not prepaid, but still waited less than 5 minutes to get in, which is quick compared to other feiseanna we’ve been to with a similar setup.
American Pride Feis 2014 Review, Grades
The American Pride Feis was held September 12 and 13, in Nashville, TN. The feis was located inside the Convention Center of the lovely Gaylord Opryland Resort. This feis was sponsored by the Tennessee Irish Dance Organization. The school behind the feis is the Southern Academy of Irish Dance. The feis offered multiple competitions, including baking, art, instrumental music, Tir Na Nog, First Feis, and charity treble reel competitions. This year’s charity treble reel proceeds went to the Navy Seal Foundation. (Go Navy!) This year’s feis was very well organized and well run. It may well become one of the top Southern Region feisanna to attend, much like Nation’s Capital and Rhythm of Ireland.
Attending Your First Feis
A contribution by my friend Mellie Wilkes who thought some of you would find it useful. Thanks Mellie!
So, an amazingly talented friend or family member has invited YOU to a feis?
Wonderful!
The following are some suggestions and tips, to help in your first feis experience.
Packing List:
- Water bottle
- Snack bar
- Peppermints
- Chocolate bar
- Highlighter
- Ink pen
- Hand sanitizer
- Cash in small bills
- Plenty of time
- Sense of humor
Bonus points for packing the following:
- Black duct tape
- Black electrical tape
- White electrical tape
- Safety pins
- Bobby pins
- Also, read the following blog for a better understanding of feis terminology.
https://www.antoniopacelli.com/community/article/an-introduction-to-irish-dance-terms
EDITORS NOTE: I didn’t tell her to put that in here, but I do think its brilliant ;)
Try to arrive 30-45 minutes beforehand. Parking at any event can be a challenge. A feis is no exception. The competitions can happen very quickly. It would be a shame, to arrive at a feis and the dancer you came to see has finished for the day. So, arrive EARLY!
Rock River Valley Feis 2014, Grades Review
The 2014 Rock River Valley Feis was held on September 6, 2014 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL. This is the 2nd time we have attended this feis, although the venue was different when we attended 2 years ago.
Venue
The feis was held at the Megacenter right next to the resort. It is a small building with an open ballroom type area. There was a small food court area near the front of the room.
Parking was free, plentiful & close – which was a nice change from many other feiseanna we have attended recently!
Great Lakes Feis 2014, Grades Review
The 12th Annual Great Lakes Feis was held August 17th, 2014 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, MI.
This was our first trip to the Great Lakes Feis and we really enjoyed it.
We did the Feis as a double Feis with Rose City. I was saddened to hear this feis was moving dates in 2015 to the last weekend in July. Several of our friends from our home studio wanted to try the double feis in August like we did. Not sure how July will work for our family.
I am adding the grade viewpoint to compliment the PC/OC review from WTF himself.
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