IrishCentral: Adult-friendly feiseanna in September

An adult Irish dance class, Boston

This article first appeared on IrishCentral.com.

Many feiseanna offer competitions for adults.  Here's a quick glance at the adult-friendly feiseanna in September. Plan on supporting a feis in your area that includes adult Irish dancers.

*source: www.feisworx.com 

Key: FF-first feis B-beginner, N-novice, PW-prize winner, O-open championship

Kansas City Feis 2011
Kansas City, MO - Sep 2, 2011 to Sep 3, 2011
O'Riada-McCarty-Manning Academy

B1,B2, N/PW

4 soft shoes

2 hard shoes, traditional speed

traditional set

2,3,4,8 hand figures

parent child figure

Clearwater Beach Feis 2011
Clearwater, FL - Sep 3, 2011
McGinley Academy and McGinley Parent Booster Club

B,N,O

4 soft shoes

2 hard shoes, traditional speed

traditional set

2,3,4,8 hand figures

Hidden Valley Feis 2011
Coronado, CA - Sep 3, 2011 to Sep 4, 2011
Donna Means School of Irish Dancing

B, N, PW

4 soft shoe

2 hard shoe, traditional speed

traditional set

2,3,4,6,8 hand figures

specials: reel, traditional hornpipe, traditional set

Texas Coast Feis 2011
Corpus Christi, TX - Sep 3, 2011 to Sep 4, 2011
Corpus Christi Irish Arts Association

B, N, PW

4 soft shoe

2 hard shoe

traditional set

2,4,8 hand figures

Longs Peak Feis 2011

Estes Park, CO - Sep 10, 2011 to Sep 11, 2011
Bennett School

B, N, PW

4 soft shoe

2 hard shoe

traditional set

2,3,4,6,8, hand figures

specials: hard reel; prizewinner plus (hard and soft shoes); family dance

Rock River Valley Feis 2011
Loves Park, IL - Sep 10, 2011
McNulty School and Illnois Celtic Arts

B 1-2, N/P

3 soft shoe

2 hard shoe, traditional speed

traditional set

8 hand figure

Boise Feis By The River 2011
Boise, ID - Sep 17, 2011
Tiernan Irish Dancers

B,N/PW

4 soft shoe

2 hard shoe, traditional speed

traditional set

2,3 hand

specials: N/PW/O Hornpipe; Music and Domestic art

Oklahoma State Championships & Feis 2011

Oklahoma City, OK – Sep 16, 2011 to Sep 17, 2011

McTeggart

B1, B2, N/PW

4 soft shoe

2 hard shoe

traditional set

2,3,4,6,8 hand figures

specials: music; art

Michigan Feis 2011
Muskegon, MI - Sep 17, 2011
Ardan Academy

FF/B1, B2, N, PW

3 soft shoe

2 hard shoe, traditional speed

traditional set

2,3,4,8 hand figure

special: domestic art

Raleigh Feis 2011
Raleigh, NC - Sep 23, 2011 to Sep 24, 2011
Inis Cairde School of Irish Dance

B1, B2, N, PW

4 soft shoe

3 hard shoe

traditional set

treble reel

2,3,4,8 hand figure

specials: parent/child; music and domestic art

The Minnesota Feis 2011
St Paul, MN - Sep 24, 2011
The Minnesota Feis, Inc.

B1/B2,N/PW

3 soft shoe

2 hard shoe, traditional speed

traditionalset (trophy dance)

8 hand figure, Parent/child figure

specials: music and domestic art

Oktoberfeis 2011
Greenwood Village, C - Sep 30, 2011 to Oct 2, 2011
Martin Percival School of Irish Dance

B,N, PW

4 soft shoe

2 hard shoe

traditional set

2,3 hand figures

special: hornpipe

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IrishCentral: Feispants provides a custom fit for men and boys

'Reel men wear Feispants'

This article first appeared on IrishCentral.com.

When Christine Nicholas couldn't find affordable pants that fit her Irish dancing son, she custom sewed some for him. Soon other parents at her son's dance school, Drake School of Irish Dance in Georgia, began asking Christine to sew pants for their sons. Word traveled and the demand for flat-front feis pants prompted Christine to start her own online business, Feispants.

"They look great on stage," Christine says."When a dancer is on the world stage and his pants are baggy and ill-fitting, it detracts from the whole thing."

       
*photos courtesy of www.feispants.com

The pants are made from a heavier cotton/lycra material and feature a flat front with no pockets. When dancers kick, the pants stretch. Each pair of pants is custom made to the dancer.

Christine loves seeing dancers excel in her custom made Feispants. "I don't always get to meet my clients, but it's always exciting to see someone doing well. I might say, 'my pants just recalled' or 'my pants are onstage'."

Adult dancers will be glad to know that Christine will custom make pants for men and boys.

Feispants sells custom made pants, vests and ties.  For more information, visit www.feispants.com 

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IrishCentral: Stretch your feet--improve your dancing

We adults can dance with the best of them, but we also know that taking good care of our bodies will go a long way to keeping us healthy and on our feet. 

Photo by dance photographer Katherine Williams

This article first appeared on IrishCentral.com.

Foot stretches can strengthen your dancing and save your feet from injury.  While warming up, treat your feet to a massage and reap the benefits.

·      Preparation for impact-by warming up you protect muscles in your feet, legs and back when you land those leaps. 

·      Prevent injury-keeping those foot muscles pliable decreases the chance of fall and injury.

·      Relaxation and rejuvenation-release stress and recuperate by massaging foot muscles. 

·      Increased energy-muscle massage stimulates and energizes.

There are many ways to massage and stretch your feet. Start out with these suggestions and add some of your own:

·      Pinch a toe between your thumb and first two fingers. Gently roll the toe back and forth as your fingers and thumb slide to the end of the toe. Repeat with each toe.

·      Grasp the upper portion of your foot, placing your thumb over the pad. Massage the pad of your foot directly underneath the toes in a circular motion.

·      Hold the outer part of your foot with the opposite hand (right hand to left foot, etc). Press the end of your thumb into the muscle of the outer part of your foot, continuing in a line down the length of the foot.

·      Grip your foot with both hands, placing both thumbs on the underneath part of the heel.  Massage the heel in a circular motion with both thumbs.   

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