Hello everyone!
I have been an irish dance diary stalker for the last few months, and I have said to myself "if I qualify for world's, I'll start a diary, too". So here it is!

I am a Mainland Europe dancer. This years O was my first, and I wore my soft skirted school dress. And it wasn't even my own school dress, because I forgot it at home (oops...). And I fell in my first round. And I won. This shows that it really, truly is about the dancing and not the dress! My goal was to qualify for world's, but that was only because the top 5 qualifies no matter how many they are, and last year there were three or four people. But then, all of a sudden we were nine in my group! And I was like "oh well, no qualifying for me, but I'll do my best anyway". I got the shock of my life!

So, now I'm going to the world's and I'm SO excited! I don't have any goals for getting a recall etc, because that would be highly unrealistic. Therefore, I have set some different goals:

- Get my clicks sharper and higher
- Keep my stamina up over the winter
- Learn my treble jig
- Get my slip jig decent
- Learn a hornpipe set

These are goals I'd like to get before the end of the year. After that, my main goal is:

- To dance my very best and not look out of place at the World Championships in Belfast, 2012.

I must say I'm a bit scared to put myself over the internet, I mean, anyone can read it. So I'm not quite sure exactly how much I'll tell. Oh well, we'll see! At least it's nice to finally have started a diary

Hi!! I've been following you on tumblr and now I can diary stalk you!! Congratulations again for winning your Oireachtas!! I'm excited to hear about your journey to Worlds, can't wait for more!! Take care!

Huge congrats on winning your O, and thanks for the PM- I'll reply soon

Good luck in preparing and I'll be reading this diary

Hello!

Thank you, dancinghabebi and djchara

I'm "dancer of the month" on tumblr!
feckyeahirishdance.tumblr.com . . .

I'm not sure how much this diary will be updated in December, because I only have two dance classes this month!

You're welcome!! I reblogged your dancer of the month post on tumblr (idhabebi). Huge congratulations on that too!!

I was at a four hour dance class today, it was pretty intense! I really enjoyed it, but I hadn't eaten enough because I didn't think I'd dance for that long. First, we did a show choreography that we're preforming in a theatre in January. We are 10 people in the dance, and in the middle of it, our boy (we only have one )and I are doing a solo for 48 bars!

After the show practice, we had "preparing for worlds practice". I know most of my treble jig now, it's so cool! I'm so used to do hornpipe and the new steps have a different style than I'm used to, so it will take some time before I nail the steps. But luckily I have almost four months to make them look good!

When we finished doing treble jig it was almost time to go home, and then I reminded my teacher that I'm doing slip jig at worlds too... and she had forgotten that! She thought I was doing reel, it was pretty funny.

My dance class is an hour away, and two hours by public transport. I'm very used to it by now, but I got some good news: I'll probably be able to practice by myself in my primary school's gym!

I still haven't found out what I should do about getting a dress as worlds... I only have my school dress! I need to make a decision soon, but it's SO hard to decide.

I just remembered that I have this diary, it's been a month since last time

Dance has started up again, and I'll be dancing every day apart from Friday. Even with so much dancing I feel like it's not enough to prepare for worlds - mainly because most of the time in dance class goes to working on learning show dances, because we're doing Lion King right before worlds. My teacher has basically said to us going to worlds that we're a bit on our own when it comes to practising towards it. So then I'll have to be very disciplined and work hard for myself, and even though the situation isn't ideal, it'll work out.

I think my lead and 2nd step in my slip jig is getting decent, but my 1st step needs some serious practice. And, well, I did practice it on Saturday, but then I sprained my ankle when I landed from a turning leap! Luckily it's getting better now, and I can dance lightly again.

I have my whole treble jig now apart from half of the last step. I love the choreography, but the step is the hardest I've done yet. There is so much packed into those bars! But I'm having fun with it, and I'll get there.

And the set... I don't have one yet. I probably won't need one at the worlds, but my teacher said I need one anyway. I think I can chose which tune I want, but it's so hard to decide! I LOVE kilkenny races, but it's too long. So maybe auce&duce, the piper, the lodge road or the hunt? I want one that has some life in it and doesn't sound sad. Any ideas are appreciated

Oh, and I've ordered this dress! www.dance-again.com . . . I'm so excited for it to arrive

I would say Ace & Deuce, personally - I don't find Lodge particularly inspiring (just me!) and the Hunt and the Piper are really too short for the Worlds unless you're going to dance them at the very slow speeds. Ace & Deuce is lovely, lovely music.

The dres is so pretty! You definitely won't look out of place

I feel like your teacher should be paying a bit more attention to the dancers that are representing her at the WORLD Championships - is there any way you could step back from the performing side for a while, maybe take a smaller role in the show? Your performance at the Worlds is a reflection on her and she needs to be taking that responsibility more seriously imo. Perhaps it's time for a chat?

I agree, Ace & Deuce is lovely! And I forgot to say, I'm also thinking about Blue Eyed Rascal.

Thank you, Louise! I also sent you a PM

Blue Eyed Rascal was my first set Really cute music, I love it. Again though it could possibly be a bit short for the Worlds. I wouldn't choose anything shorter than 32 bars in total unless, as I said, you're going to dance it at speed 76 or so. Understood on the PM. You can only do your best, and if you've still managed to win a qualifying championship then you have as much chance as anybody else to do well!

Congratulations on getting that dress! I love it! you'll look lovely!

Thank you!

The dress has arrived!!!!! It's awesome, and even better than it looks in the picture. It fit's much better than I thought it would, but it needs to be taken up two inches. I hope it can be done without ruining the bodice, but I think it will go well.

I have also ordered plane tickets to the Kilkenny feis! I'm so glad I get to do a feis before worlds, so that I can try out those dances and the dress on a stage. But I'll do my old set.

I'm going to go and practice now. The dress gives me extra motivation. I now have everything I need to look the part - not I just have to dance the part!

I'm leaving for Kilkenny feis tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to it. I'm doing both open championships and intermediate, so I'm doing 10 dances! Since the championships is at the end of the day, I hope I'm not too exhausted to do well there. Also, I'm in the 17-25 age group, which feels so strange since it's not long since I turned 17. Oh well, I have a feeling that the level won't be that much higher there than in the 13-17 age group. We'll see.

I'm doing my beloved Oireachtas set there, three sea captains (I think it was my set that made me win the O). For worlds I'm learning a king of the fairies set that someone at our school learned a couple of years ago at a workshop. It's not that hard really, probably super easy compared to other sets at the worlds. But if the impossible happened, that I got a recall, I's be so happy that I wouldn't even mind how my set was! So I think I just need to have one

I have to go and pack now! I'm back on Monday

Its not necessarily the steps but the way that they are excecuted... I have seen dancers do extremely well and dance more simplistic steps to perfection.

I hope the feis went really well for you! I can't wait to hear more about it.

Llamallamaduck, that is very true. It's better to have simple, well done steps than very complicated sloppy ones. However, I love watching a well done, complicated, slow speed set!

The feis was so much fun! I came 2nd in the open championships I really liked the atmosphere there. I talked to a lot of new people, and everyone was really nice. I think that's good about small feiseanna, it's easier to get to know others. I also got compliments for my dress, I absolutely love it! My slip jig felt really good, but my treble jig needs more work. I'm so pumped and ready to practice hard tomorrow!

But now I need to sleep.

Well... I haven't been too good at updating this diary. I think I've been holding back because it's on an open forum and anyone can see it. It's strange though, because I don't mind if people I don't know read it. It's scarier to think that people I know, or half know, will find it. I think private diaries suits me better

Since my last update (nearly two months ago) I've been practicing and done shows with my school. We did 10 shows in 8 days! It was exhausting and also really really fun It didn't give me that much time to practice for worlds though, so I guess I'd have felt more ready if I only had that to focus on.

I'm leaving for Belfast on Monday (2 DAYS LEFT!!!), and I'm dancing on Thursday. It's so strange because I'm not that nervous, just super excited! I think it is because I don't have pressure from my parents, teachers, or from myself (just from my non-ID friends who expect me to win). Before the Oireachtas I was SO nervous, and even though this is 50 times bigger, I'm just pumped! I'm not planning on recalling or anything, I'm just going to go on that stage, dance my heart out and show everyone how much I love it. It's just awesome that I'm going to the worlds!

I feel quite confident with my slip jig, except that my leaps could be better, sometimes I don't point all the way and I tend to move my shoulders. My treble jig is okay, but I tend to fall, mess up or kick my foot really hard in high clicks. But I feel that I can't do much about that now, I'm just going to focus on stage presence and confidence.

I don't know how I am compared to the others there. But I do know that I have come very far if I compare myself to me. I am so much better than I was a year ago (I saw a year old clip of my reel... ouch). I have also improved a lot since the Oireachtas. Sometimes I watch videos of world champions and realise that they're so much better than me. But then I remind myself of how far I have come. It's going in the right direction, and that's what matteres.

Worlds, I'm comming for you! I'm ready, I'm pumped and I will give everything I've got. It's going to be awesome.

(Oh, and one question: I have a blue dress, light blonde hair and brown eyes. Should I go for blue, black/silver or black/brown eyeshadow?)

Just wanted to say best of luck, and have a BLAST! Know that no matter what happens, you've worked really hard and deserve to be there, enjoying every moment!

I'm not really a fan of black eyeshadow; my dress is blue as well, but I have blue eyes and brown hair. I do brown eyeshadow instead, with a silvery/pink highlight underneath my brow. Happy dancing and happy make-uping!

How about blue and silver for the eyes? Like a smokey blue look?

Good Luck for the Worlds. Have fun and enjoy it. I'm sure you will.

Claire.

Best of luck at WORLDS!!!!! Enjoy yourself, I'm sure you'll have an amazing time.

Eyeshadow - I'd go with blue and silver like Claire said. Blue will definitely "pop" more than brown. And you definitely want that pop for worlds

Good luck at Worlds!! Have an absolute blast! You have worked hard, improved loads, now just go and show the judges that. That is the most important! Can't wait to hear about your experience, you'll be amazing!!

I just wanted to say, best of luck at Worlds!!!! We are all rooting for you! Be sure to let us know how it goes!

Thank you so much, everyone! All the support means a lot, it really does I went for black and silver eye shadow with a hint of blue. And the black wasn't really that black. I think it looked quite good, actually!

So, now I've been to worlds. And I don't even know what to say, it was amazing! I loved everything; the hundreds of girls with wigs, the excitement, the huge amount of TALENT gathered under one roof, the stalls with all the bling, actually having normal-sized calves compared to the others. Oh, and the dancing too, of course! Doing the slip jig on that stage... it was the most incredible feeling ever.

I didn't get a recall or anything, but when I calculated the scores I beat about 30 dancers, and that's definitely good enough for me! I didn't come last and I was happy with how I danced, therefore I achieved what I wanted. So now my next goal will be to get a grid point, I think.

Now that I'm back home I feel empty and exhausted. I've been so incredibly focused on this; first the Oireachtas, then worlds. But now I have to rest because of a stress fracture and the next major is half a year ahead. I like to say that I have temporary post-worlds depression! Anyone know how to overcome it?

I've improved a lot, only because of all the work I've put in. And I'm going to continue working and we'll see where it takes me! Dance is my passion, and I am so glad and grateful for where it has taken me. That week in Belfast was an incredible experience and something I will remember forever. It was all worth it.

thepowerofdance.tumblr.com . . .
thepowerofdance.tumblr.com . . .

Just wanted to say, I had no idea that you were PowerofDance on tumblr. I follow you and GardenofDaisies =D
So many congratulations for making it to and through worlds!