Welcome to Reel Treble #36!!
In this issue we get acquainted with Christie, aka oooshiny, a Prizewinner from the Quinn School of ID.
Name: Christie
Dance.net Name: oooshiny
Member since: December 2007
Years Doing Irish Dance: 8
Age: 21
Dance School: Quinn School of Irish Dance
Organization: CLRG
Competition Level: Open/Prizewinner
Region: Mid-America (Midwest)
What is the story behind your DDN name?
We were doing a performance for an elementary school once & as we were walking out a boy in the first row shouted "Oooo! Shiny!" (probably in reference to our dresses, hehehe) really, really loudly. Plus I like shiny, glittery things. Fitting, no?
How old were you when you started Irish Dance and how did you get started?
I was 13 when I started. It was the summer going into my freshman year of high school & my neighbor's mom found a flier at the local library about a new school opening up. My neighbor & I had been pretty into B*Witched back in the day so her mom thought it'd be perfect for us
The teacher said we could either join the adult class and be non-competitive or join the regular class and be competitive. We both agreed to join the adult class, which I ended up dancing with for almost 5 years until it combined with the regular class.
How many classes do you have a week?
2
How often do you practice at home?
Lately, not so much due to time & space restrictions, but I'm trying to get back into doing at least 30 minutes on the days I don't have class. I also cross-train at the Y-Center at least 4 times a week.
Did Irish Dancing come naturally to you or did you have to work at it?
It definitely came naturally up until a certain point. Once I hit Prizewinner & started getting more complicated steps I realized that in order to even place I really had to step it up.
Does Irish Dancing get in the way of your school work or social life?
Not really. I didn't compete in high school because I focused on track, cross-country, and volleyball & now that I'm in college it's really easy to schedule classes around dance
Occasionally I'll miss out on parties or beach trips because of a feis, but usually it's not a big deal.
What do your friends think of your dancing? Do they support it?
They all support it & actually think it's really cool! A few of my friends have even come to a feis or two & a big group actually came to watch me dance at the local Irish festival last year. So, yeah, lots of support!
Do you do figure dances?
No, not really. I've learned a few two-hands but I've never competed with them or anything.
oooshiny says: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." It has nothing to do with dance, but that Gandhi fellah? He knew what he was talking about.
What does your dress look like and who made it?
It's a dark blue 4-panel with lime, silver, and teal Celtic knot applique. It was made my Ginny Sleziak of Sew What Designs. She makes all of the school dresses and nearly all of the solo dresses for the dancers at my school.
What brand of softshoes and hardshoes do you wear?
Currently wear Hullachan AP ghillies (soon to switch to Corr's Wild Irish) & Rutherford black suede super-flexis.
What is the farthest you've traveled for a feis?
It’s about 5 hours one way to get to Cincinnati.
What is your favorite feis and why?
I LOVED the World Academy Feis last year. It was so well-run & there was loads of space, no one was crowded at all. Very nice
Have you ever been to a major championship?
Unfortunately no. My TC might have an O15 ceili team this year though so *fingers crossed* for the Oireachtas!
Do you get nervous before you compete?
All the time. Heck, I usually still get nervous before class!
Do you have any rituals you do before you dance?
Nothing fancy. I just try to clear my mind. Deep breathing & all that jazz. Hand-dance my steps once or twice while the group before mine is on stage.
What is your greatest accomplishment in Irish Dancing?
Definitely has to be getting my first first in my OPW hornpipe… or earning my solo dress… or finally getting my slip jig into Open. I can’t choose!
What was your greatest disappointment in Irish Dancing and how did you overcome it?
When I was 15 I ruptured my ACL and because of a few misdiagnoses by non-specialists I went for 2 months thinking I had just sprained my knee when it was actually something more serious. By the time they finally figured it out & I got surgery my knee was even more screwed up than it was before (my ligament was basically floating around inside my knee & my meniscus had torn in half and flipped over onto itself). I was on crutches for a month & couldn’t dance or run for another 6 months. Not being able to dance for so long was really what inspired me to start getting competitive because I realized how much I loved it. Physical therapy (and a dash of patience!) helped me get back to where I was pre-injury and I finally competed in my first feis.
What are some of your short term goals?
Leave every feis this summer knowing I did my best & pleased with my results.
What are some of your long term goals?
Get to Champs. Oh, and go to Worlds of course!
What is your favorite dance and why?
Hornpipe because I love the quirky rhythm – the beats are so stop-and-go, it just makes me WANT to dance it!
What is your least favorite dance and why?
Currently it's my slip jig. I love my steps but I just get so tired by the end!
What move took you forever to master?
Wrap-arounds (entrechats). I've had them in my steps for probably 4 years & I still struggle with them, especially on the left foot.
What is your favorite move?
At the moment, it's back trebles! Woot!
Do you ever want to take the TCRG exam and teach?
Maybe someday. No real plans to do it anytime soon.
The judge called me over & said, "Do you have another step?"
Who do you admire the most in Irish Dancing?
Any of the dancers that started later in life (like mid- to late-teens and older) & went on to accomplish amazing things, like competing at Worlds, reaching OC, performing with Riverdance, etc., etc. They're all my inspiration
If you could take a free workshop with any dancer as your teacher, who would you pick and why?
I'll be predictable and say Jean Butler. She's such a beautiful dancer & she just seems like she knows what she's talking about. Plus she seems really nice!
Tell us one of your funniest or most interesting feis stories.
At the Cincinnati Feis in 2007 I was doing my Adv. Beginner light jig & fell flat on my rear. I felt really accomplished though because I just laughed, jumped back up, got right back on time, and was smiling the whole time & I ended up winning! Even the musician at the end said, "It was lovely!" So if you fall off the horse you just gotta get right back on the saddle
What was your most embarrassing moment in dancing?
My first feis, Great Lakes 2005. I danced all by myself for all but one of my dances (yeah, I think it was in the treble jig there was one other girl). I hated it. In fact, during my slip jig I danced one step & bowed. The judge called me over & said, "Do you have another step?" D'oh!
Are you close with fellow Irish Dancers?
Kind of. I've gotten a bit closer with the girls in my dance classes because I'm finally in a class with people closer to my own age.
What's in your dance bag?
At the moment it seems I have my ghillies, hard shoes, ankle braces, 2 tubes of sock glue, ankle socks, medical tape, electrical tape, duct tape, band-aids, a water bottle cap, deodorant, safety pins, spare change, and a rubber band.
Do you do any other types of dance?
Nope!
Do any of your family members Irish Dance as well?
My mom took a few ceili classes with me last year, and apparently one of her aunts took it up as an adult about 20 years ago, but other than that I'm the only one.
What other hobbies do you have?
Running, reading, writing, & rock 'n rolling! Hehe, I also do yoga & I'm learning how to knit. And if you could call pursuing a BA in Anthropology then add that to the list.
Tell us something your friends would find surprising about you.
I'm the biggest Lord of the Rings nerd in the universe. No joke. In fact, I just bought a copy of "The Children of Húrin" today. Google it. You will see how big of nerd I am.
Quick Fire Questions:
Hardshoe or softshoe: hard
Reel or Slip Jig: reel
Hornpipe or Treble Jig: hornpipe
Wig or Bun: wig
Feis or Show: show
School Dress or Solo Dress: solo
Christie, thanks for stopping by to chat with us today! --Reel Treble
