Edited by TheMidlakeMuse (78507) on 2010-03-01 10:03:32 featurefied? featurefied!
Welcome to Reel Treble #41!
In this issue, we meet treblemaker18, a.k.a. Heather, a novice dancer from the Western US region.
Name: Heather
Dance.net Name: treblemaker18
Member since: Nov 17, 2003
Years Doing Irish Dance: 7
Age: 24
Dance School: An Daire Academy
Organization: An Com
Competition Level: Novice
Region: Western US
What is the story behind your DDN name?
Well, I was 18 when I joined, hence the "18". I thought I was being really clever with treblemaker, but once I joined I realized it really wasn't that clever. I've been wanting to change it for awhile, but I just haven't thought of anything good yet.
How old were you when you started Irish Dance and how did you get started?
I started at 16, when a new dance school opened up about 10 minutes from my house. I had wanted to start years earlier, but wasn't able to find a school.
How many classes do you have a week?
Just one, but I assist with a beginner class and teach a performance class as well.
How often do you practice at home?
Not nearly enough.
Did Irish Dancing come naturally to you or did you have to work at it?
Some things come very naturally, like turnout and rythmn. A lot of the "tricks", like bicycles and the like, don't come naturally at all.
Does Irish Dancing get in the way of your school work or social life?
Nope, I make everything else in my life fit around ID.
What do your friends think of your dancing? Do they support it?
My friends are supportive by poking gentle fun at my wig and dress, and coming down to drink to excess at the local pub when I dance. My fiance is clueless as to the ins and outs of ID and feising, but is very supportive and quite handy at a feis.
Do you do figure dances?
Never in competition, but I'm working on learning the "book" dances if I ever sit my TCRG.
What does your dress look like and who made it?
It's the An Daire school dress at the moment.
What brand of softshoes and hardshoes do you wear?
H Pro soft shoes and Rutherford Black Suede hardshoes.
What is the farthest you've traveled for a feis?
About 1700 miles
What is your favorite feis and why?
Feile Samhain, because it's always so much fun and I usually do well there.
Have you ever been to a major championship?
Nope
Do you get nervous before you compete?
I used to, but the last 2 or 3 feisanna all of my nerves have gone, and I don't know how I managed it.
Do you have any rituals you do before you dance?
I always have a couple of bananas in the morning, and I stretch for about 20 minutes, but that's about it.
Tomorrow is another day. --treblemaker18
What is your greatest accomplishment in Irish Dancing?
Making it to Novice. It's probably not a huge accomplishment to some, but I only started competing about 3 years ago after moving from a non-cert school, and I didn't think I'd make it very far in competitions, especially being a 20 year old beginner in the And Overs.
What was your greatest disappointment in Irish Dancing and how did you overcome it?
I haven't really had any crushing dissapointments in Irish dance, but I've had a few feisanna where I didn't place in anything and felt pretty down. Whenever something like that happens I just remind myself that there is always another feis. The fact that I can get last in everything and still want to go to another feis reminds me that I love dancing and I'm not in it for the glory. That usually makes me feel better. A pint or two helps as well.
What are some of your short term goals?
Making it to Prizewinner.
What are some of your long term goals?
Making it to Prelims
What is your favorite dance and why?
I love the hornpipe, because I like the rythmns and it just feels really natural to me.
What is your least favorite dance and why?
Slip jig. I'm not a softshoe dancer to begin with, and I'm *really* not a graceful softshoe dancer, so the odds are stacked against me on the slip jig. Plus I kind of hate the slip jig steps I have right now.
What move took you forever to master?
Probably double-ups, even though they're really simple.
What is your favorite move?
Probably trebles. Do they count as a move?
Do you ever want to take the TCRG exam and teach?
I go back and forth on it. I'm working on finishing all my grade exams (I've passed the first 6) and would like to approach the TC exams that direction rather than the traditional way.
Who do you admire the most in Irish Dancing?
Probably my TCs, because they both started as adults and came so far in the ID world.
If you could take a free workshop with any dancer as your teacher, who would you pick and why?
I can never think of a good answer to this question! It may sound strange, but I think I'd love to have a workshop with Dr. John Cullinane. He was the examiner for my grade exams, and even just talking to him a few minutes it was amazing how many ID tidbits and how much history he knew. I think it would be a very interesting workshop.
...people piled up all over the floors...
Tell us one of your funniest or most interesting feis stories.
Most of my feisanna have been pretty boring, sadly. I did go to a feis out of region (Rose City in Windsor Ontario) and I was amazed my the phenomenon of feis camping. I had heard of it before through DDN, but it was so weird to see people piled up all over the floors with their chairs and "campsites". All the feisanna I've been to in the WR have a ton of chairs, and no one camps out on the floors. So I don't know if that counts as interesting, but it's the best I can come up with.
What was your most embarrassing moment in dancing?
Me and a few other dancers were doing a performance at a multi-cultural dance display type festival. We were doing an acapella dance (treble reel with no music) and got totally confused and just sort of stopped in the middle. We looked at each other and did a few awkward trebles, then one dancer just shrugged her shoulders, and we all slunk off stage to scattered and confused applause. It was awful.
Are you close with fellow Irish Dancers?
I don't have a lot of feis friends from other school, but I'm close with some of the girls in my class. One of my classmates and I have been dancing together for 7 years. We both started at a non-cert school and moved to An Daire, and now we compete with each other
What's in your dance bag?
Shoes, teaching manuals, a couple of medals, random clothing and some bobby pins.
Do you do any other types of dance?
Not currently, but I've done Highland in the past and would like to start ballet lessons some day.
Do any of your family members Irish Dance as well?
Nope
What other hobbies do you have?
I do a lot of quilting, and design my own quilts and patterns. I also do a lot of cycling in the summer.
Tell us something your friends would find surprising about you.
I'm a pretty open book, there's not much my friends don't know about me. Especially my best friend, since we've know each other about 19 years.
Quick Fire Questions:
Hardshoe or softshoe: Hardshoe
Reel or Slip Jig: Reel
Hornpipe or Treble Jig: Hornpipe
Wig or Bun: Wig
Feis or Show: Hmm...Show I think, but I go back and forth.
School Dress or Solo Dress: I'd love a solo, but I only have a school dress right now.
Heather, it was great getting to know you a little better! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. --Reel Treble
do you think you're coming to pan pacifcs this year? 
Best of luck with your dancing!!
