FINALLY!!! It feels SO good to have met this goal.

My new goals for 2012 are to;
Dance at the All Irelands - although this may or may not happen. I have the ok from one of the TCs but nothing has been said and I've asked and I'm not getting answers. So I'm not sure if we're going or not. Anyways...
Do St. Patrick's day shows. I missed them last year and I hated it.
Recall at NANs - this is a bit extreme and I have no idea if I can, but I like to dream big.
Be close to placing at Feis's.
Start placing.
Qualify for Worlds at the O.

Most of these are definitely hard goals to achieve, especially at my age and considering who my competition is, and I don't know if they'll happen, but I want to work towards them. I figure it's better to dream big than not dream at all. If I have a goal that I could achieve easily then it won't mean as much in the end.

Now, on to learning material suitable for OC and then perfecting it over and over again.
So far I have the lead in both my slip jig and treble jig. My set will be a version of my old hornpipe since it worked for me. I'm not sure what tune it will be though.

I have ideas for my jig steps and we have some say in our steps, so hopefully my TC likes it. We shall see.

My big toe and toe knuckle are still stiff and when I tried dancing on them today it hurt, but I think if I dance in my dance sneakers tonight I should be ok.

Alright, off to class!

I'm excited to follow your OC journey now You'll do amazing! And the best thing about this is that you're finally at the top! It's very free being in OC, because there is no pressure to place/place out like there is in PC. You can feis to have fun, and really put all your efforts into those major goals - which I know you can achieve, you have the heart for it, that's for sure.

Good luck Beth!

Thanks Jaimye!

So I was talking with my teacher last night and she didn't full out say no, but it's basically a no to AIs. But she said we can think about All Scots in October and AIs for the next year.
At first I was SUPER bummed, but then I knew I had to change my attitude. So I thought about all the different senerios in my head and it's probably for the best that I wait a while before my first over seas major. If I had done AI I would have only done one OC feis, but if I wait till the fall then I'll have done a ton of feis' and NANs so I'll have a lot more experience under my belt.
It's funny how much your attitude can affect things. Like I changed my attitude and then I learned a new slip jig step and I was able to dance it to music in less than five minutes. That rarely happens to me. But if I had kept the down, sad, bummed out attitude I doubt I would have caught onto the step at all.

I only have one step in my treble jig but I did that last night and my teacher said it actually looks pretty good, and I haven't even practiced it lol. After I did it she said I am such a jig dancer. Yup, lol.
I'm going to think up a second step. I'll watch youtube for inspiration. I still have the step I choreographed in my mind, but I'd like to spice it up more.

Anyways, here is the newest slip jig step www.youtube.com . . .

OH MY OH MY OH MY! How could I forget. Last night when I got home and my mom and I were talking about not doing AIs this year and she said that maybe I should get a new dress for NANs instead. WEEEE!!!! So I said how about a new Gavin... And she said I could get a new to me Gavin lol. So we'll see!

That step is so pretty and suits you well! Funny, it actually looks a lot like our current second SJ step. Our teachers must have similar choreographing styles.

I am in LOVE with that slip jig step!! I'm more in love with the way you DANCE that slip jig step!! Nice work...I'm jealous of your slip jiggy style; I tried mine for the first time last night....not so pretty! haha

Yay! Welcome to Open Champs!
I LOVE that slip jig step!

That Slip Jig step is gorgeous and you moved so gracefully around the floor. Well done!

Wow, like everyone else, I love your slip jig! I am a reel dancer but I'll have to do slip jig for worlds, I might look here for some inspiration If this was 5 minutes after you got it, I'm sure you'll do great with it!

Thanks for all the slip jig love

I practiced yesterday for some unknown length of time and today for about an hour and 15. I've been making up steps and working on the new ones. So far my slip jig is alright, I'm just getting slightly confused on the left foot of my second step because of all the turns, but it's almost there. My treble jig lead is alright except for the moon walk, but I've been working on it and I have it now, it's just slow. My three moon walks need to fit into half a bar and I can do it in about 1 1/2 bars now lol.
I made up a second step, well spiced up the original I had in my head and I really like it, but I can't get the ending to music because I jammed so much in there. It looks GREAT in my head, but really awful on my feet lol. So we'll see, but the beginning is really nice. It goes jump double click cut and heel step, slow treble slow treble fast trebley slow treble hop back, treble up front click and treble and a toe spin stamp and drum and drum pause fast trebley stamp. Then from there is when it gets CRAZZZZY. I saw this awesome drum thing in a video on youtube where she does 6 or 7 drums but changes direction every two and it's soooo fast and then I want to put in stamp up (pointe) stamp and and heel click click (think wizard of oz) and treble hop back.
Kudos if you understand this

I have a private Monday morning/afternoon so I'm sure we'll work on all this and we'll see what happens.

There is one other girl from my school going to NANs, so we're thinking up ideas for fundraising. We're also going to fundraise for All Scots!

Any ideas?

im pretty sure I know which youtube video you are reffering to. If its the same one its the most awesome step ever. is the video called treble jig 2010?

^ I think that's the one. The girl is from Dillon Gavin, I think.

So I'm changin my second step again haha. It just wasn't moving enough, but I like what I've changed. I also made up a half step for SJ so I'll see if my teacher likes it. I love it! It's so flowy and pretty.

I haven't started my set yet, but it's going to be Madame Bonapart at 104 and it'll be different than my hornpipe last year. I love love love Madame Bonapart! It is such a pretty tune.

And just for kicks, www.petersmithschool.com . . .

yeah she was from dillon gavin. I love that step!

www.youtube.com . . .

^I think this is the one you're referring to

And now back to lurking.

I have three steps of my treble jig now and 2 1/2 in my slip jig. I made up my half step and my TC really likes it. My SJ lead will need work or a change. It's not really me, sooo we'll see. We're going to work on it, but it may get changed.

There's not too much to report, just learning new steps and changing things and that's about it. I've been getting kinda busy with Christmas and such and my big toe is still really giving me problems. That's about it.

Now off to more Christmas stuff!

Here is the half step I made up www.youtube.com . . .

And this is the treble jig step I made up (well, most of it) www.youtube.com . . .

Obviously they need TONS of work, but I'm happy with the way they're coming considering I've only had these steps for less than a week.

oooh-I really like both of those. My dd is getting her new steps now-she is loving hers so far -also a Dillon Gavin dancer

I had the most weirdest dream ever. It was so real and I woke up not knowing what was going on. I dreamt I was back teaching and dancing (open platform) at a recreational school I used to teach at a few years ago. I woke up at 7:00 and went back to sleep and then woke up at 7:50 and within that time I had this dream. And it was so life like, when I woke up I didn't know where I was and who I danced for.

What makes this dream even more weird is because of how I left teaching there. The teacher and I kind of had some passive agressive conflict. She didn't like that I competed as she was very against CLRG because she had been burned by someone in it. So because of that she wasn't being fair to me anymore, and I don't think she even realized it. But I left pretty abruptly, something happened and I couldn't take it anymore so I quit without any notice. Irresponsible on my part, but I was young and I was being treated pretty badly. Anywaaays, none of this matters but this dream just really shook me up haha.
I told my mom and she's like you better not go back! And I was like, no way! Not a few months before Nationals!!!! haha.

I was wondering why you hadn't updated your diary in a while... Yay for a new OC diary!!

I'm really liking your slip jig steps! They suit you very well.

Oh, I hate dreams like that! I hate waking up so confused and not sure what is going on. But your steps are looking lovely, as usual.

I practiced yesterday for about 45 minutes. I was really working on crossing and especially turning out on trebles. So I just drilled different trebles and that's about it. Then I went into wall sit, sit ups and stretching. I probably won't get a chance to practice again until Thursday. It's ridiculously busy at this time of year as many of you know I'm sure.
I'm looking forward to January when I can really have the time to buckle down and get to business!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Mine was pretty good, my brother and his girlfriend came over and it was really nice.
My parents got me the Best of Riverdance DVD and I'm excited to watch it

I'm doing a show tomorrow afternoon at a hospital. I was really worried my dress wasn't going to fit because of all the bad food I've eaten over the holidays, but I tried it on yesterday and it fit! I was so relieved! Thank goodness, I don't know what I would've done had it been too tight to zip up.

I'm going to practice later today and run through everything because I don't know what I'll be dancing at the show tomorrow so I really need to review my old hornpipe and reel as well as my new jig steps.

The show went well yesterday. There was only four of us so there wasn't a chance to catch your breath in between dances, but I guess it helps with stamina. But boy, were we tired haha. And my dress was able to zip up, but it was SO tight .
We did the four hand reel straight into reel step about then slip jig step about (two steps each) then one girl did her set while we changed shoes then I did treble jig step about and then one girl and I did our hornpipes.
I'm used to someone talking in between dances so it was different dancing non stop.

But the people really enjoyed it. We were in a rehab section of the hospital, so elderly people who've had a hip or something else replaced were the audience. They asked a lot of questions afterwards and genuinely enjoyed it.

So I practiced for close to two hours today. It was ok, my practice room has a low ceiling because it's in the basement and I hit my head REALLY hard on a low beam. OUCH! I've had a headache all day.
And I was working on my treble jig, and...I don't think I like it. I never thought I'd ever say that I liked my hornpipe more than my jig. Who would've thought...
This jig just isn't me at all...the lead is ok except one thing looks absolutely ridiculous on me but it's only half a bar so I'm going to see if we can just slightly change it. But the second, the one I made up and then was tweaked, looks blah and the third....ew don't even get me started. It's awkward and has a super weird timing.
I'm SO glad that our steps get changed all the time because these ones really aren't working for me.
My slip jig second and half are great, the lead is ify. It's not the worst step I've ever done, but it's not a very graceful type of slip jig. I need skips and slides and flow.
I really liked all my steps at first, but once I started picking them apart and really polishing them I realized that they just aren't me.

My toe has been getting a little bit better, but it's still giving me trouble. My knee has been a little sore as well, I think my IT band is just too tight.

If you've met me or seen pictures of me without make up then you know I have pretty bad acne. It's plagued me since I was nine years old, so for the past 13 years. It's been really bad lately so my mom picked up a product by Loreal, "Intense Adult Acne Peel".
You use it two to three times a week and you're supposed to see small results within a week and huge results in four weeks. So I tried it last night for the first time and it seems pretty quick and easy. I'm going to track the progress though pictures on a weekly basis. I forgot to take one before I did the treatment, so I took one this morning. I already noticed a slight difference, my face seemed a little less red.

This diary will focus on dance/skin care for the next four to six weeks

Dancing part:
I barely practiced today. I think I'm still burnt out from the Oireachtas because I haven't really had a break. I've been going nonstop since the end of September and it's catching up to me. Even though I haven't danced in class since the 15th I've danced at home because if I don't then I'll feel guilty. But when I went down to dance today I felt like I was going to faint and my whole body felt like jello. So I only lasted about 20 or so minutes. And then there was Christmas and New Year's which definitely kept me busy. I just haven't had a lot of down time. My personality gets overwhelmed very easily and I guess I'm just at that point.

I need a nap lol.