Darn, scheduled to work that weekend Although maybe I can pull some strings, if I can get my steps ready

Hope it works out! Im not even sure if I am going or not, but hopefully.

Happy New Years Eve To Everybody!

I have been so bad with dance practice over the break...maybe an hour in 2 weeks. I have never done so little. Oh well, classes restart soon...so I can get back in it then

another belated diary post...

Tuesday at dance I was in a "i suck" mood and nothing looked good
Friday was better, and I felt like I was doing a bit better.

Yesterday I practied my treble jig for 30 minutes and then did some random lyrical dance to loosen my very stiff muscles

Today I have been productive so far! Cleaned and organized my room, did some work with the theraband on my foot, folded laundry, and I am intending to go to the gym for an hour and practice dance for 45-60 minutes today, as well and work on some notes for school in advance,maybe do some creative writing and video-making as well. Oh and watch more Merlin, which is the TV show I am currently obsessed with. I am waiting for the third season to be available for purchase in Canada....9 more days.

Again, Tuesday was an "I suck" day and got an unkind reminder that I have alot to do if I want to go to the oireachtas.Truth though. I practiced for about 15 mins Wednesday (I know thats pitiful) and 45 minutes yesterday. I need to get some thicker foam for my dance floor, there is not enough shock absorption. I intend to do some hardcore practicing over the weekend too. I got a mirror for my floor so now I can see and work on my footwork.

I learnt a new hornpipe step. I was told to keep my old one, then our other teacher from a different location was filling in and made me learn it. Luckily it took me about 5 minutes to get the step! Now to work on the rhythm!

www.youtube.com . . .

New Hornpipe Step. The heel click, heel click, click through, jump over part is very muffled but the timing on it is so weird lol! I think its pretty good for learning yesterday!

I missed dance yesterday...which is so unlike me. I just felt like crap and my legs were being pains in the butt as usual. Maybe i will have to adjust to constant pain? Because i took 2 weeks in December. I practiced for 1 hr 20 on saturday and 45 mins thursday but that was enough to make my legs and shins feel horrid for the next 3 days.

Hi, I like your hornpipe step!

You might want to focus on kicking your bum. It always makes dances look a lot sharper Good job!

^I agree: whenever you have a "treble hop back" or when you are doing the click where the same foot starts and ends in front, make sure to kick your bum ALL the way up. That will make things look crisper.

Also, I can tell you've been working on your turnout; it's really coming along. This is something I struggle with this too, so I feel your pain! Another thing I struggle with is pointing my toes during click throughs- make sure you're thinkin about this too.

Lastly, keep working on trying to cross over just a smidge more; really think about using ALL those leg muscles and squeezing your legs together- one knee in front of the other. Again, I often struggle with this too, but once you get the feeling of crossing, it gets a bit easier.

Good work- especially with it being a new hornpipe step!! You are well on your way; keep up the good work!

I ALWAYS get nagged to kick my butt, so I see why that is an issue stupid long hamstrings!

Thanks for the tips!

^Just try some simple treble hop back drills; just treble hop back over and over until you get a feel for it. Then you could add in that click back movement (I don't know what you call it; we call it the horse click sometimes, because that's what it reminds me of). So jump, treble and hop back, step, click around. Hope this helps! It will come and once you get the muscle memory, that helps a lot too!

Your hornpipe looks really good! It looks like your holding back a little bit throughout the entire step, almost like you could put a lot more energy into it. Otherwise great job, it looks great for only having it one day.

I can tell you've been working on those treble drills! They have improved a lot! Way to go! Just watch the trebles at the very end of the step. They are the only ones now that are missing the 'hop' in between the trebles.

Keep up the great work!!

Yes, those end trebles are driving me insane! And I will try to make it more energetic!
Again, thanks to all for the positive comments and tips!

I learned my set dance for when I get to prelims. Its 3 sea captains, speed unknown currently, I still have to learn the set part, but Ive got the lead.

Apparently I am being pushed up in June to prelims so I can do a feis in prelims before oireachtas maybe?

I now really feel pressure to earn all my firsts because I morally dont want to be in prelims unless I have earned my placements because I wont see it as fair.

as well, my knee is being a cow as of late and today I was scared I was going to twist it or pop it or something.

Sorry for being such a bad updater! I need practice motivation because I have been so bad. I only did about an hour last week home practice in total. Sigh. And I have a feis in three weeks and next week is midterms week.But as always, I intend to do better this week.Oh & I saw the competition numbers for next feis and 16&0 actually has people in it! Its a miracle

Reel-10
Light Jig-6
Single Jig-6
Slip Jig-9
Treble Jig-10
Hornpipe-7
Trad Set-4

I have to return my traditional set perpetual trophy, but there is always the chance I could be in the dance-off again and win the prizewinner perpetual trophy.....and there is only 4 people dancing traditional set....I want to win another perpetual. Maybe it could happen? Ive been practicing St Patricks day alot especially for this lol....

I still need to win treble jig, hornpipe, and slip jig. This is going to be hard. I just hope I am not injured on feis day like I was last time.

oh my goodness i have been pitiful at updating this. well today I had the worst feis I have ever had so far, but hey we all have to have a bad feis at one time and I dont feel there is any point to being all cranky about it. I got what I put in and lately I have not been putting in much. So, I am, obviously really really going to attempt to change that from now on. Next weekend I am going to a feis in Seattle and the competition numbers for that are incredibly huge for what I am used to( 20 people in HP and TJ agh). Today I got 4/6 in light jig ( I also didnt dance single jig), and 2/5 in Trad Set. I really wanted to win Trad Set so I could be in the dance off for another perpetual trophy . Oh well. I also got 5/22 in reel trophy special and I got the tiniest, cutest little trophy ever.

so I am dancing at the Pacific Northwest Championships tommorow. It is the biggest competition I have ever faced. 19-22 dancers in each core dance. blaaaaaahahahah!!!!!! I am really going to have to try super super super hard tommorow.

Good luck girl! I hope you do well. It'll be a great experience either way!

Thanks ! It was last weekend actually and I did quite well. I seem to place more with big nUmbers.

Reel-6/21
Light Jig-3/12
Slip Jig-4/19
Treble Jig-3/18
Hornpipe ...nothing
Traditional Set-3/12
Treble Jig trophy-2/11
St Patricks Day Trophy-3/7

I was especially happy with my treble jig and treble jig trophy placements

I also met a Feis friend from my school ( from a different location ) who was in my age group, and just re-started competing but she has moved to prelims now! I also met some Irish dancers from tumblr.

In other news, st Patrick's day is coming, I've got to remember three new routines because our numbers of dancers are so small that we have to be put in tiny troupes (4 people sometimes) which means I need to learn the stuff and I don't want to mess up !!!!!!!

wow, ive been pathetic about updating.
st.pats went well, I only knew a few of the numbers so just kind stepped in at the ones I did know...danced in a few pubs, that was um shall we say interesting. we had this simple finale number that I didnt know how to do but I watched it a few times and decided I would join in for it at the last gig because if i messed up a bit it wouldnt matter lol...it was fun. we went in a limo to the last few gigs (my school is small )so that was fun too. um aside from that, we are on spring break right now and I was planning to practice, until, bang! Hammered with illness again. This time, head cold, sore throat, and sniffles on top of existing cough that ive had for 5 weeks and am pretty convinced its whooping cough. So yeah, stamina is dead, schoolwork level is ridiculous and I cant wait for April 4th because I will be freeeee!

Then to study for exams, look for a job, practice like a maniac because I will be off school.

Two of my papers got the due dates extended because A) my history proffessor recognizes the majority of us are first years and need a bit of extra time ( he did this for our term paper last time too) B) my womens studies proffessor is so kind and is like "Whatever I can do to help you guys feel less stressed"... she also cut the sources we need from 3 extra sources to 2.

I am going to the Emerald City feis the weekend after my exams end for a mini-vacation. (Friday-Monday? I think)

Then I get back, have a week, then go to the Victoria feis

Then its back to school on the Monday for a summer course! I am taking an anthropology course on societies views on illness and health, which should be interesting, since I have not taken any anthropology yet. This course runs Mondays and Wednesdays for three hours each, from May 7th-June 15th. so very short!

I also hope to get a job in this time, because I need to really help my parents pay for our europe trip. Im really aiming for anything at this point...mcdonalds, fast food, retail, grocery store....just anything that pays minimum wage. I would prefer starbucks because I have an insane addiction to that store and would enjoy the employee benefits immensely.

So hopefully both my illnesses will be cleared up soon and I can go back to practicing and thinking straight and being able to focus on schoolwork

unfortunately my cold has turned into a sinus problem which is throwing me off balance...I cant walk straight and it feels like I am on a tilt-a-whirl 24/7. It is quite annoying. I hope it goes away soon. Its the weirdest feeling, and I dont like it one bit! I can concentrate on schoolwork mildly, but I am still finding it hard because of the diziness. I hope it goes away before Tuesday! I would really like to be able to dance full out when I go back because its been a bit hard to practice feeling like this and I dont really want to risk spraining something because I lose my balance or what not.

I agree, you should wait until you're feeling better; I find that when I'm sick, it's always better if I wait. Sometimes you can push through it, but usually I'm not dancing at my best and I just feel awful! haha

I hope you make a speedy recovery, and if it's a sinus infection, you can go to your doctor or a clinic and get a medicated nasal spray for that. I get sinus infections all the time and they're NO FUN! Get well soon!

I have been atrocious at updating this. So um exams and internal stress have led to me skipping a bunch of dance classes, but I have consistently being doing home practice. I could be doing alot more but anything is a start. I practiced 45 mins last wednesday, 50 mins thursday,skipped fridays dance class for stupid invalid reasons, 30 mins saturday, 2hr 45 min dance class on tuesday ( i obviously wasnt dancing for that time straight. I did get a fair bit done though and well as some nice stretching), and an hour today. I feel my treble jig is sounding better, still not great but good in comparison to my hornpipe. I want to change the ending of my hornpipe so bad because I just cannot get through it. I dont have enough energy or stamina to do the repeated moves at the end and ive been doing this step for a year and still cant do it properly. Its currently more like a horror-pipe. I think my slip jig is looking better. Id really like to win it at one of my two upcoming feises. Im getting hang leaps a bit more too...I think. So yeah...