Welcome to Reel Treble #39!!
In this issue we meet Kim, a.k.a. Foydancer, a Prelim Champ from the Mid-America Region.
Name: Kim
Dance.net Name: Foydancer
Member since: 2005
Years Doing Irish Dance: 17...gosh I didn't realize it was THAT long
Age: 23
Dance School: Foy and Cosa Meara Company when I was at college
Organization: CLRG
Competition Level: PC
Region: Mid-America
What is the story behind your DDN name?
I am a dancer and I was a dancer at Foy, haha it's simple, really.
How old were you when you started Irish Dance and how did you get started?
I started when I was pretty young, 6 or so. It was the cool thing to do at my grade school, lots of the girls were in Irish dance. When I moved away from my dance school at home to go to college, I started dancing with the Cosa Meara Company of Irish dance. Cosa Meara was a club at my college that put on dance shows.
How many classes do you have a week?
I practiced with my college club 3 times a week. When I was home and going to class, once or twice a week, I used to go more often when I was younger.
How often do you practice at home?
I'm not really into hardcore practicing at home, but I am always thinking about steps and tapping things out with my hands.
Did Irish Dancing come naturally to you or did you have to work at it?
It didn't come naturally. Timing and rhythm were always tough for me, but I was more focused on having fun than actually working really hard to advance.
Does Irish Dancing get in the way of your school work or social life?
Not at all. Dance was my social life. I had alot of friends there!! The only time it ever got in the way of school was during my 8th grade graduation. The graduation and a feis fell on the same day. I skipped my graduation and went to the feis!
What do your friends think of your dancing? Do they support it?
Most of my friends, including my boyfriend, dance as well. They understand!
Do you do figure dances?
I did when I was dancing at Foy. After moving to college, I mostly did show pieces with my college group.
What does your dress look like and who made it?
The dress I wore during college was made by Pennie Drew. It is a black four panel skirt with pink designs, I wore a black leotard on top.
What brand of softshoes and hardshoes do you wear?
Antonio Pacelli and Fays. I used to LOVE Rutherford hardshoes, but last time I bought new ones, I got Fays and they have been pretty solid so far.
What is the farthest you've traveled for a feis?
Chicago to DC would probably be farthest we flew.
What is your favorite feis and why?
Chicago Feis at Gaelic Park. It is big and outdoors and it has been around for a long time.
Have you ever been to a major championship?
Oireachtas and Nationals. I've been to Worlds in Ireland too, but only to watch.
Do you get nervous before you compete?
I remember being really nervous at the O. Everyone around me seemed so intense and had an agenda! I was so intimidated by everyone running steps and stretching and felt like I should be doing those things too, when really those things didn't help me, I just needed to calm down!
Do you have any rituals you do before you dance?
Not so much.
Always finish on your toes. --Foydancer
What is your greatest accomplishment in Irish Dancing?
Sticking with it. Not everyone has something that they did for almost their whole life. I have been involved in Irish dance for such a long time and met so many great people.
What was your greatest disappointment in Irish Dancing and how did you overcome it?
That I didn't take it more seriously and try harder when I was younger. I didn't realize that with a little more practice and determination, I could have done better. At the time, it was just a fun thing to do.
What are some of your short term goals?
Stay in shape! Now that I have graduated from college, I don't have mandatory practice times every week!
What are some of your long term goals?
Stay involved in the dance world.
What is your favorite dance and why?
Treble Reel is my favorite because it produces the most fun show pieces.
What is your least favorite dance and why?
Hornpipe, it's boring!!
What move took you forever to master?
Quivers! They are still hard to do on my left foot.
What is your favorite move?
Quivers, bicycles, toe stands, I like flashy stuff!
Do you ever want to take the TCRG exam and teach?
I don't think so, I don't think I have the patience.
Who do you admire the most in Irish Dancing?
My boyfriend. He qualifed for Worlds every single year and is a 4-time world medal holder. Haha, I love when he lets me wear his Oireachtas sashes around the house. His rythym is amazing, it's absolutely spot on and it all comes so naturally to him. When I was working on bicycles for a week, he was able to do it on his 2
nd try!!
If you could take a free workshop with any dancer as your teacher, who would you pick and why?
Jillian Oury, she achieved so much at such a young age and she is the sweetest girl.
...the bleeding will stop.
Tell us one of your funniest or most interesting feis stories.
This isn't nessecarily funny, but maybe it is interesting and I know I'll never forget it. When I was pretty young, 10 or so, I was standing in line at a feis in my solo dress and I got a bloody nose. I didn't really know what to do, but an older dancer that I didn't know pulled me into the bathroom with her and gave me some tissue to stop the bleeding. Then she explained that she learned at soccer practice that if you press on your upper gum inside of your mouth and under your nose, the bleeding will stop. And it did!! It stopped almost immediately! She saved me and my dress and gave me a helpful life tip haha!
What was your most embarrassing moment in dancing?
There was a feis that I fell at....twice....during the same dance.....it was slippery!!
Are you close with fellow Irish Dancers?
YES! I am dating one and my best friends are all Irish dancers.
What's in your dance bag?
2 pairs of soft shoes, 2 or 3 pairs of hard shoes (I like to mix and match them), sock glue....that's about it, I hate when my bag is a mess so
I don't carry alot of stuff.
Do you do any other types of dance?
Nope, I tried out ballet for a little while, but it didn't stick.
Do any of your family members Irish Dance as well?
nope.
What other hobbies do you have?
Uh oh...I am supposed to have other hobbies?
Tell us something your friends would find surprising about you.
Last summer, I decided to try sewing a dress which could hopefully become a solo dress. I thought that since soft skirts were all the rage now, it couldn't possibly be all that hard. SURPRISE?? It is hard, very hard. Sewing did not last long in this house. Haha...
Quick Fire Questions:
Hardshoe or softshoe: hard
Reel or Slip Jig: slip jig
Hornpipe or Treble Jig: treble jig
Wig or Bun: wig
Feis or Show: show
School Dress or Solo Dress: solo
Kim, thanks for taking the time to stop by and chat with us, it was nice getting to know you! --Reel Treble
