Welcome to Reel Treble #34!!
In this issue, Kelsey, a.k.a. CareBearMe, an open champ from Australia has stopped by to chat with us.
Name: Kelsey
Dance.net Name: CareBearMe
Member since: 2006 I think
Years Doing Irish Dance: 10
Age: 14 (15 in 2 months)
Dance School: Simpson Academy
Organization: An Coimisiun
Competition Level: Open Champs
Region: Australia
How old were you when you started Irish Dance and how did you get started?
I started when I was 5 years old at a school in Sydney. I started because my Mum had a friend whose daughters did Irish Dancing and once they showed us my sister really wanted to try it too. Once I was old enough, I started too. Since then my family has moved to Canberra so now I dance with Simpson.
How many classes do you have a week?
Right now because it is the beginning of the year and we are learning new steps I do 3 classes a week but coming up to Nationals or an overseas competition we usually do about 4 or 5.
How often do you practice at home?
If I have learned a new step or am having trouble with a move, I will practice it at home. Before Nationals, I get up early before school and practice but besides that, I think the classes I do are enough.
Did Irish Dancing come naturally to you or did you have to work at it?
It definitely didn't come naturally. I am the least flexible person in the world so that's something I'm always working on. When I was younger I also had the worst straight feet when I danced so I was always working on that.
Does Irish Dancing get in the way of your school work or social life?
School work - No. Social Life - Sometimes. I have a class at school where I get to catch up on assignments and homework because I do dancing so that¡¦s not really a problem for me. As for my social life, sometimes I will have to miss out on parties and sleepovers or have to say no to a friend when they ask me if I want to go out. But it doesn¡¦t really bother me because I would rather be at dancing anyway.
What do your friends think of your dancing? Do they support it?
They kind of understand it because I'm always talking about it and they've seen me dance a few times but I never let them come to competitions because I would get too distracted!
Do you do figure dances?
Yes. I've been on my schools figure team for the past 4 years.
What does your dress look like and who made it?
I LOVE my dress!!! It's made by Gavin Doherty and it's a 3 layered ra-ra skirt. It has a black velvet bodice and the skirt has a layer of white lace then a layer of black velvet with swirly embroidery and then another layer of lace.
What brand of softshoes and hardshoes do you wear?
My softshoes are Hullachen Pros and my hardshoes are Rutherfords.
The story behind CareBearMe's DDN name:
Ok! So I’m like 12 years old and trying to join dance.net (with my mum’s permission of course) and I wanted a really cool dance related name like everyone else but every name I tried was taken. I couldn’t think of ANYTHING so I looked around my room and saw my giant Care Bear in the corner. So, just joking, I type in ‘CareBear’ but it was taken so I tried “CareBearMe’. It worked and that’s what stuck.
What is the farthest you've traveled for a feis?
I'm not sure which is the furthest but America, Scotland, Ireland or England.
What is your favorite feis and why?
My favourite feis in Australia is always Nationals. My favourite feis overseas is Worlds. I love seeing the overseas dancers and their dresses. My favourite part is watching the figures. They are always amazing!
Have you ever been to a major championship?
Yes. I've been doing Nationals since I was 7 and I have been to the Worlds 3 times and the NAN's twice.
Do you get nervous before you compete?
YES! Even small at really small feis in Canberra, I get the worst butterflies in my stomach!
Do you have any rituals you do before you dance?
Not really. But just before I go on I always do 2 jumps to my bum and then kick my legs up a few times and say good luck to the dancers after me.
What is your greatest accomplishment in Irish Dancing?
Probably when I was 9. I came 5
th at Nationals. I was so little I don¡¦t really remember it but my Mum said that day I danced really well and that no one expected it! Especially me!
What was your greatest disappointment in Irish Dancing and how did you overcome it?
Last year at Nationals I came 37
th after coming 11
th the year before. I thought I danced all 3 rounds really well and my teacher said I had never done them better so it was really unexpected to place so low when I was so happy with my performance. It also meant I didn't qualify to do solo at World's so I was really disappointed. I overcame it by telling myself, "See how you feel right now? It sucks! You never want to feel this way again!" So that motivates me to try harder.
Winners never quit and quitters never win. -- CareBearMe always remembers this when she doesn't feel like practicing because it reminds her that if she wants to do well and win, she has to practice.
What are some of your short term goals?
To place Top 10 this year at Nationals.
What are some of your long term goals?
To dance solo at Worlds next year and recall.
What is your favorite dance and why?
Favourite would have to be Jig. I don't know why though. Everyone else hates it. I think it's just because I've always been stronger in hardshoe then soft and because I really like my school's jig steps.
What is your least favorite dance and why?
Reel. I'm just not good at it. I'm not really flexible and I can't jump really high so it's always my weakest dance.
What move took you forever to master?
This sounds silly, but trebles. I could always do them but just recently my teacher has wanted us to really loosen our ankles and twist our foot a lot and I still can't do them really well.
What is your favorite move?
I love heel drums because I love the sound they make and I just find them really simple but effective when you do them right.
Do you ever want to take the TCRG exam and teach?
Yes! My dream is so become and teacher and teach with my school or open a new school someday.
Who do you admire the most in Irish Dancing?
Probably Niamh Taylor or Lauren Early. They are both absolutely amazing. They are so strong in their hardshoe, really energetic in their reels and graceful in the slip jigs. And even though they win competitions really often, when they don't you always see them congratulating the dancers who did.
If you could take a free workshop with any dancer as your teacher, who would you pick and why?
I've already done a few workshops with really amazing teachers and dancers but they have all been boys. So maybe a girl dancer like Ashley Smith or Lauren Early.
...the cake exploded...
Tell us one of your funniest or most interesting feis stories.
This isn't really a feis story but it was on the night before a feis. So all the girls in my age group were travelling to Sydney the day before the Winter Solstice feis which happened to be on my birthday. I knew they were all planning on doing something to surprise me so after dinner they took my up to one of their hotel rooms and threw me a surprise party (even though I wasn't really surprised at all). They had a cake that had a weird lump in the middle so when I was cutting it I didn't put my knife on it but they all told me I had to. When I finally cut it the middle of the cake exploded and icing went everywhere because they had put a balloon in the middle and covered it with icing!
What was your most embarrassing moment in dancing?
I don't have any! I know, I'm so boring. My shoe has never come off and I've never forgotten a step. So, I guess I'm lucky.
Are you close with fellow Irish Dancers?
Yes! Nearly all my friends are dancers from my school.
What's in your dance bag?
Hardshoes, new softshoes, old softshoes, runners, sweat towel, strapping tape, duck tape, scissors, elastics, drink bottle and money.
Do you do any other types of dance?
Nope. Only Irish.
Do any of your family members Irish Dance as well?
My sister used to dance but she quit a couple of years ago.
What other hobbies do you have?
None, really. I don't have time for other sports after school or on weekends, unless you count shopping as a hobby.
Tell us something your friends would find surprising about you.
I always feel dumb around them. They are all SO smart and are really good at math and science. The only subjects I'm good at in school are fashion and dance.
Quick Fire Questions:
Hardshoe or softshoe: Hardshoe
Reel or Slip Jig: Slip Jig
Hornpipe or Treble Jig: Treble Jig
Wig or Bun: Wig
Feis or Show: Feis
School Dress or Solo Dress: Solo Dress
Kelsey, thanks for stopping by to chat with us, we hope you enjoy your feature! --Reel Treble
![:]](http://dancenet.s3.amazonaws.com/images/blue/emoticons/joy.gif ":]")
best of luck at future feis's!
