M at feis / Si' first feis

More on this later, or at least that's the plan, but -- for now --

She did really well -- coming in second place AGAIN for both slip jig and treble jig -- this time there were 29 girls in the treble jig and she got 2nd so that is fantastic!   Except she needs 1st to move up (to prizewinner) and yadda yadda so she's frustrated but she needs to be proud, too.   And two 4th places, which is good, too, these are large groups at this very chaotic feis.  (Thee most chaotic one I've ever visited and I've been to this dance school's feis a few times and this thee worst.)   

The figures involved groups of dancers, and will be done at the "big" competition in December -- they did it here, also, as practice, getting 3rd in the 4-hand reel, and 2nd in the 8-hand (out of 9 teams?).   So, well, with more practice needed:)   The judges turned them all mirror-image so it confused the dancers, and the teachers are now verifying rules and such to have the girls practice appropriately for the bigger dance.

Had the results from the feis 2 weeks ago e-mailed to me earlier today, speaking of electronics, all in individualized chart format.   Yep, second place in slip jig and treble jig then, too:)   Judges comments were included, and would have been helpful for Sundays feis.  Oh, well.  Must say, I've not received e-mail results before, and it just adds yet another nicely done, professional touch to this feis.   It's a time-suck to get there and back, but otherwise, thee best one I've ever gone to.

 

M had fun, though, so that's good:)  (Si seemed to as well, and I even got a photo of the two of them.)

 

Updating with the following:

 

Ceili:   just found out, M's half-sister is going to be performing along with M now. yet again, sigh, M is with C this weekend and it's possible they'll only bring M to her shows, if Si can do like M and also dance.   The cute 4-year old beginning dancing, sure, and she's a sweet girl who wants to be just like M, but it is annoying to me that they don't let M do things, unless it'd benefitSi.
Ceili:  okay, vent over:)
Friend:  that sucks! 
Ceili::  yeah
Ceili:  if they'd been supportive of M all along, I'd feel differently.  M's happy cuz it means she can go, and Si is adoring M, and 8 years apart, not as if Si is taking over M's dances
Ceili I find this all out today, so somehow, to do laundry for the weekend, found out from the school website. (helps me to know if I should pack M's things, plan to attend and all)
Friend: Geez.  Unfair to M.  I don't understand how they can do that
Ceili:  I don't, either.  
Ceili::  but, life goes on 

Friend:  Seems as if it will be nice someday, though, to be close to a sister, even if 1/2 sister
Friend: Nice for them to have each other
Ceili:  right, and I really do hope that they are.   I took a photo of the two of them at Si's first feis (competition) on Sunday.   C refused to talk to / with me, even when I offered him information, he turned around and asked someone else for it.   whatever.  

 

I had told C that Si's competitions scores were posted, and did he know where the scoreroom was.   He looked at me, looked away and asked the person on the other side of him and walked away.   He's new at this stuff, so I was simply trying to help.  I can't take it personally, really, it's something in him I suppose.   All these years later and we can't be civil?

 

Maybe C gets upset that both his girls are in Irish stepdancing, and he's Danish?   C used to fuss at me sometimes that M was dancing this only because I'm Irish (and Scottish but hey), but, really, this is HER passion:)  She got ME into it.   Or, maybe?  I don't know.   He even insisted on havingthe e/o weeknight be the night that M and I were taking a ceili/set dance class together.   Of course, it can now allow me to attend the later class and go out with the adults once in a while, but, at the time, she and I were enjoying our special class time together, and she enjoyed the others and the dances.   That was how M started Irish dancing, and I started it with her, so she could do it.

 

It was nice that C and Sh stayed there, obviously also with Si, to watch M for a few of her dancers.   There was a schedule conflict going on, one stage going slowly, another one going more quickly.   Another parent and I were checking back and forth with the two stages for our girls and any others, a third stage in close time schedule.   M and her friend ended up having the second stage's competition starting before the one scheduled earlier.   I realized C, Sh, Si, were looking at the earlier-scheduled stage, at the time M and others walked onto stage for their lineup, so I told him, "M is up next at that stage."   When M moved forward to start dancing, C hadn't turned around, "As in, right now."  As I mentioned before, it was chaotic.   The stage assistants very nice, just chaotic.   I also find it difficult to differentiate noises accurately when bouncing around a gymnasium, or on a speaker phone.   Si may have started getting bored, or restless, not sure, but they did leave IIRC, before either figures dance competition began.  

 

Si, a very young beginner first feis dancer, so hence had one of the earliest time slots.   She danced for a musician I've seen at many feisiana's, and chatted during relaxation time at the Rhythm of Ireland Feis.   Si was the last of 5 dancers.   They go out in two's, and if not even, the last dancer will go out and dance solo.   The first two danced, one of the first two a young girl I sometimes play dance with while M and this girls older sister practice for Oircheatas figures.   Great cuts I'd not noticed on her before, considering her age and inexperience; I'm told she forgot her step.   The next two danced, and in this group also is a girl from M's dance school, doing a fine job.   When Si saw those two motioned forward to dance, and her left back at the line, she stepped up to start dancing as well.  Very understandable, and the stage assistant gently had Si step back, until her turn.   Si danced quite nicely, even tied for first!!! yeah, with the other young girl I mentioned.   Si bowed very deeply and gracefully, as if mimicing M all these years.  Both the other girls from the school had been in a feis before.  

 

Mom and Bob were both there, too, for as long as they could handle.   After, which runs later each year as M moves up in levels, and because for some reason, results took about an hour in line (that has NEVER happened before, so I'll assume it's a one-time glitch), we enjoyed my "birthday" dinner which Bob had made, and some time together with them, too.

 

It was a long day, but a good one:)

Tags: feis, Irish stepdancing