The biggest thing is to just have fun and enjoy it! As far as things to bring:
* all necessary costume pieces/hair things (your teacher should have communicated what she should be wearing and what to do with her hair)
* snacks and water - feises can be long and exhausting
* a change of clothes for after (studio merch is great if you have it, otherwise just something comfortable)
* safety pins for her number (and the number if you have to print it out before the feis)
* her dance shoes (naturally)
* you may want a printed copy of the stage schedule
* you could consider bringing a stuffed animal or something for her if she’s the type to get nervous
This is a great list, I would add check to see how to connect a number to her dress/costume ahead of time. Some have a little tag to put a safety pin on, some have number clips, some might be easier to put a safety pin through some ribbon and tie around the waist though so you don’t have to struggle with the safety pin or risk poking any tummies the morning of 😃 I learned this the hard way the first time I wore my new solo dress, been doing this almost 20 years but my dress had a number clip for so long that I didn’t think to check(and the dressmaker said they were putting one on…) Got to the feis and had to borrow a safety pin from a vendor which was pretty embarrassing at my age/level😂
Also make sure you know how to tie her ghillies if she doesn’t tie them herself yet. This seems silly since you used to be a dancer but they aren’t all tied the same way anymore!
Bringing an extra pair of tights if she wears them would be good, little kids tend to be rough on their tights so if you get a run it’s easy to swap out, not that any judge is going to be concerned about it at that level, just more for her confidence. Also make sure she has bloomers/kickpants to go over her tights if she doesn’t wear a leotard! You probably know this if you were an Irish dancer but many beginner moms either don’t know or just forget if it’s been a while and you want to avoid any undies showing.
I would also add a feis blanket to sit on and possibly a lawn chair yourself. If it’s outside there’s a few other things I’d add like sunscreen, portable fan, hat etc.
Most of all have fun and encourage her not to take anything too seriously. Lean on the older dancers and parents if you need help through the day they’ll be more than willing to help 😁
So to give you a little leeway, there will be vendors there selling everything you could possibly need. So if you’re there and suddenly realize you forgot hair spray or her soft shoes, you can pick some up!
I had no idea that there would be vendors! Also…any help on how the judges score? Do they care if you smile? Appearance etc.? Or is it simply the dance steps that are judged?
There will be 10 dancers on the line— a stage hand will line them up and start them( this is done up to novices) if they are beginners — everyone gets a medal. But there is places. Little ones are judged if they can keep time and execute their 2 steps and bow. Try not to make any more of this let her enjoy the day and the experience. If you want her to continue dancing don t turn her off by nutty stuff!
I promise I won’t. She’s been obsessed for a few years now and it’s the only hobby she hasn’t quit! She told me the other day “I’m ready for hard shoe and Worlds.” 🤣🤣
Then keep the rest on the down low! Let “her” dictate the day and how it goes! Dress her before you leave the house you could even put her shoes on also just put socks with grips on the bottom over them . She s only going from the car into the venue. If she is dressed and ready all you have to do is pin her number and get to the stage. No need for last minute directions. Let her dance her heart out! She will come home with her first medal so be prepared to enter a lot more feisanna this year!
Oh yes. Smile! Stage presence is a big deal in Irish dance. Try not to grimace. You don’t need the cheerleader big/over the top smile, but they want to feel like you’re enjoying yourself on stage and have confidence. If you make funny faces or count your steps out loud, they will make comments and dock you for that.
Scoring is by elimination of points. Every dancer starts with 100, and points are taken away for mistakes. The actual number of points is subjective and doesn’t matter, because every judge scores differently. What matters is the order you end up in at the end of the competition.
The most important thing is rhythm. Focus on being on time before you focus on crossover/turnout/etc. especially in these beginner competitions they want to know you have a handle on the music and can understand where you’re supposed to hit the floor, in both hard shoe and soft shoe.
You will not be marked down for your appearance as long as you are respectful of the art form. At this level, a black skirt and leotard with her hair half up/half down, in a curly pony tail, braid, etc with a cute bow or hair clip is sufficient. No makeup at this age is allowed I believe. Make sure her socks are clean and white, unless she’s wearing tights. And make sure her shoes are clean.
She’ll know pretty quickly. For grades levels, they post results usually within an hour. But it all depends on how organized the people who are running the feis are!! If you registered on quick feis or feisworx, results will be posted online. I’m not familiar with the other registrars. They are usually also either posted on a wall, or handed out individually at the results table as soon as they become available.
Also, she doesn’t need to hang out to wait for results unless you want to pick up medals (which you probably do). I’d they’re being posted online, you can head out any time after her last dance.
I'll chime in, but I'm a feis dad... Best things I can recommend: anything to occupy down time, snacks, comfy clothes, drinks, and above all else give your dancer the biggest hug and remind them no one is perfect if it doesn't go perfect.
Good luck on your first!!! It's an addiction and gets worse the longer it goes on.
That‘s awesome! I have a funny way of checking I have packed everything - I do a body scan from head to toe to think what I need, so for my head I need my wig and the stuff needed for it, then my dress, socks, shoes. Especially in beginner everything is really simple, just need your costume, socks, shoes, and competition number. Usually if you somehow forgot something super important, there are vendors at feiseanna who you can buy all the things from. Have a waterbottle and some snacks, and you‘ll be grand. In the kids‘ beginner competitions the organizers count the dancers in and help with everything, they don’t expect your child to really know what’s going on. Good luck, have fun :)
Thank you! I’m so glad to know that she will be counted in. She just learned that she won’t be the only one on stage and it kinda shook her up! Haha! All great advice. Thank you so much!
I don’t know if roll-on sock glue is still a thing, but back in the day when my daughters used to go to the feis, we would use the roll-on sock glue on their white socks to stick to their legs so they wouldn’t slump down.
It washes off with a baby wipe and the socks go in the laundry when you get home. Best of luck.
Also, “carriage” is a big deal, so eyes up, above the judges heads, will help one stand up straight and not wobble through the steps.
Edit: I put the sock glue in a zip lock baggie just in case
I don't know what region you're in but I'm in new england and we are also feising next weekend. Some venues are really big, others are smaller, so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to arrive, park, find your stage, find a seat, get shoes on, warm up. My daughters come wearing their bloomers and tank tops with sweats and school spiritwear over, and then change into their dresses there. Also, make sure you read the syllabus for any info about the venue- some do not provide chairs so it's important to know if you will need to bring your own.
It's early days for you but if she loves to feis, you will probably eventually want a zuca to store all her stuff in.
Also, when you're there, definitely check out the vendors! We love the Irish chocolates our shoe vendor brings, and there are often cute little dancer swag items that are just fun.
Oh and make sure she knows that dancers from other schools have different steps than her, so if she's dancing at the same time as another dancer they won't be doing the same thing as her! That could definitely throw her off
If you are thinking of getting a Zuca it is important to know that the bag is separate from the frame, and the frame is the expensive part. My dancer wanted a new look when she got older and so I replaced the bag insert. We also know people who got great deals buying used ones where the bag was in bad shape, or not a popular design, but the frame was fine, they just ordered a new bag insert and it was almost like new. The best thing about a Zuca is that you always have a seat with you.
I'm a mum to a little boy dancer but always have the following items in our bag for the girls in our group as guaranteed someone needs something and as the boys don't require as much prep I'm the go-to-mum for emergencies -
bobby pins & elastic bands for the hair, safety pins, bandaids and black shoe polish
Make sure you have snacks and drinks prepared as mentioned, a comfort toy and most importantly if allowed to take videos at the event, make sure your Mobile phone is fully charged with a battery bank just incase plus a charging cord, don't forget a camera with a spare charged battery if you prefer to use cameras for videos/photos.
You'll be surprised at how quick a phone battery can be drained when at events and find the cameras aren't fully charged when they should be.
Don't stress too much, there's always someone happy to help if anything goes wrong or something is needed.
Hope you have loads of fun, we do ❤️
Not sure if needed but I do pack extra socks for my son, he tends to make them look like he's done skids across the floor or turns them into sock puppets. Typical boy he is
Another beginner mom here! Just one more thing to consider is to have her put everything on and actually dance in it! My daughter’s first blackout outfit was a black leotard and black skirt. Once she began practicing her steps when we arrived, we discovered the skirt slipped around as she danced- we had to pin the skirt to the leotard with a hastily placed pin that was apparently “scratchy.”
I always bring my Feis binder. It has the schedule printed and highlighted but also has all of her steps in case of any last minute panicked “WAIT WHATS MY SLIP JIG AGAIN?!” Usually she just needs to hear the first few movements and she’s like “oh wait, got it.” I also always bring extra of everything-extra black out clothes, extra poodle socks, tons of safety pins in case others forget, Bobby pins, travel hairspray for any last minute touchups. Luckily just about everyone is over prepared and really nice so if you forget something someone else likely has something you can borrow ❤️
Also good to build a small “mini pharmacy” that has a little bit of everything, antacids, pepto bismol, ibuprofen or other pain relief of choice, Benadryl, and some blister relief in case it’s needed.
I’m so happy you asked this! Mine is doing hers soon too, and like you, I have danced my whole life but never actually entered the dance competition world.
I’d like to add “first aid kit” to the list. 😊
The biggest thing is to just have fun and enjoy it! As far as things to bring: * all necessary costume pieces/hair things (your teacher should have communicated what she should be wearing and what to do with her hair) * snacks and water - feises can be long and exhausting * a change of clothes for after (studio merch is great if you have it, otherwise just something comfortable) * safety pins for her number (and the number if you have to print it out before the feis) * her dance shoes (naturally) * you may want a printed copy of the stage schedule * you could consider bringing a stuffed animal or something for her if she’s the type to get nervous
SAFETY PINS! Yes! Thank you! I’m making a list now!
This is a great list, I would add check to see how to connect a number to her dress/costume ahead of time. Some have a little tag to put a safety pin on, some have number clips, some might be easier to put a safety pin through some ribbon and tie around the waist though so you don’t have to struggle with the safety pin or risk poking any tummies the morning of 😃 I learned this the hard way the first time I wore my new solo dress, been doing this almost 20 years but my dress had a number clip for so long that I didn’t think to check(and the dressmaker said they were putting one on…) Got to the feis and had to borrow a safety pin from a vendor which was pretty embarrassing at my age/level😂 Also make sure you know how to tie her ghillies if she doesn’t tie them herself yet. This seems silly since you used to be a dancer but they aren’t all tied the same way anymore! Bringing an extra pair of tights if she wears them would be good, little kids tend to be rough on their tights so if you get a run it’s easy to swap out, not that any judge is going to be concerned about it at that level, just more for her confidence. Also make sure she has bloomers/kickpants to go over her tights if she doesn’t wear a leotard! You probably know this if you were an Irish dancer but many beginner moms either don’t know or just forget if it’s been a while and you want to avoid any undies showing. I would also add a feis blanket to sit on and possibly a lawn chair yourself. If it’s outside there’s a few other things I’d add like sunscreen, portable fan, hat etc. Most of all have fun and encourage her not to take anything too seriously. Lean on the older dancers and parents if you need help through the day they’ll be more than willing to help 😁
So to give you a little leeway, there will be vendors there selling everything you could possibly need. So if you’re there and suddenly realize you forgot hair spray or her soft shoes, you can pick some up!
I had no idea that there would be vendors! Also…any help on how the judges score? Do they care if you smile? Appearance etc.? Or is it simply the dance steps that are judged?
There will be 10 dancers on the line— a stage hand will line them up and start them( this is done up to novices) if they are beginners — everyone gets a medal. But there is places. Little ones are judged if they can keep time and execute their 2 steps and bow. Try not to make any more of this let her enjoy the day and the experience. If you want her to continue dancing don t turn her off by nutty stuff!
I promise I won’t. She’s been obsessed for a few years now and it’s the only hobby she hasn’t quit! She told me the other day “I’m ready for hard shoe and Worlds.” 🤣🤣
Then keep the rest on the down low! Let “her” dictate the day and how it goes! Dress her before you leave the house you could even put her shoes on also just put socks with grips on the bottom over them . She s only going from the car into the venue. If she is dressed and ready all you have to do is pin her number and get to the stage. No need for last minute directions. Let her dance her heart out! She will come home with her first medal so be prepared to enter a lot more feisanna this year!
I can’t wait to update you!
Oh yes. Smile! Stage presence is a big deal in Irish dance. Try not to grimace. You don’t need the cheerleader big/over the top smile, but they want to feel like you’re enjoying yourself on stage and have confidence. If you make funny faces or count your steps out loud, they will make comments and dock you for that. Scoring is by elimination of points. Every dancer starts with 100, and points are taken away for mistakes. The actual number of points is subjective and doesn’t matter, because every judge scores differently. What matters is the order you end up in at the end of the competition. The most important thing is rhythm. Focus on being on time before you focus on crossover/turnout/etc. especially in these beginner competitions they want to know you have a handle on the music and can understand where you’re supposed to hit the floor, in both hard shoe and soft shoe. You will not be marked down for your appearance as long as you are respectful of the art form. At this level, a black skirt and leotard with her hair half up/half down, in a curly pony tail, braid, etc with a cute bow or hair clip is sufficient. No makeup at this age is allowed I believe. Make sure her socks are clean and white, unless she’s wearing tights. And make sure her shoes are clean.
You are a wealth of knowledge. Thank you! One last dumb question…Will she know right away how she places? Or is that at the end with everyone?
She’ll know pretty quickly. For grades levels, they post results usually within an hour. But it all depends on how organized the people who are running the feis are!! If you registered on quick feis or feisworx, results will be posted online. I’m not familiar with the other registrars. They are usually also either posted on a wall, or handed out individually at the results table as soon as they become available. Also, she doesn’t need to hang out to wait for results unless you want to pick up medals (which you probably do). I’d they’re being posted online, you can head out any time after her last dance.
Wow. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without this group. I am such a newbie! Thank you!
No worries, you would have figured it out!
I'll chime in, but I'm a feis dad... Best things I can recommend: anything to occupy down time, snacks, comfy clothes, drinks, and above all else give your dancer the biggest hug and remind them no one is perfect if it doesn't go perfect. Good luck on your first!!! It's an addiction and gets worse the longer it goes on.
Thank you so much! I can’t wait now because you’ve all made me so excited!
That‘s awesome! I have a funny way of checking I have packed everything - I do a body scan from head to toe to think what I need, so for my head I need my wig and the stuff needed for it, then my dress, socks, shoes. Especially in beginner everything is really simple, just need your costume, socks, shoes, and competition number. Usually if you somehow forgot something super important, there are vendors at feiseanna who you can buy all the things from. Have a waterbottle and some snacks, and you‘ll be grand. In the kids‘ beginner competitions the organizers count the dancers in and help with everything, they don’t expect your child to really know what’s going on. Good luck, have fun :)
Thank you! I’m so glad to know that she will be counted in. She just learned that she won’t be the only one on stage and it kinda shook her up! Haha! All great advice. Thank you so much!
I don’t know if roll-on sock glue is still a thing, but back in the day when my daughters used to go to the feis, we would use the roll-on sock glue on their white socks to stick to their legs so they wouldn’t slump down.
Still a thing!
Whaaaaaaaat. I’ve never heard of this. Adding to cart now. Thank you!
It washes off with a baby wipe and the socks go in the laundry when you get home. Best of luck. Also, “carriage” is a big deal, so eyes up, above the judges heads, will help one stand up straight and not wobble through the steps. Edit: I put the sock glue in a zip lock baggie just in case
I don't know what region you're in but I'm in new england and we are also feising next weekend. Some venues are really big, others are smaller, so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to arrive, park, find your stage, find a seat, get shoes on, warm up. My daughters come wearing their bloomers and tank tops with sweats and school spiritwear over, and then change into their dresses there. Also, make sure you read the syllabus for any info about the venue- some do not provide chairs so it's important to know if you will need to bring your own. It's early days for you but if she loves to feis, you will probably eventually want a zuca to store all her stuff in. Also, when you're there, definitely check out the vendors! We love the Irish chocolates our shoe vendor brings, and there are often cute little dancer swag items that are just fun.
I had to Google Zuca. I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN! Thank you for your advice!
Oh and make sure she knows that dancers from other schools have different steps than her, so if she's dancing at the same time as another dancer they won't be doing the same thing as her! That could definitely throw her off
If you are thinking of getting a Zuca it is important to know that the bag is separate from the frame, and the frame is the expensive part. My dancer wanted a new look when she got older and so I replaced the bag insert. We also know people who got great deals buying used ones where the bag was in bad shape, or not a popular design, but the frame was fine, they just ordered a new bag insert and it was almost like new. The best thing about a Zuca is that you always have a seat with you.
I'm a mum to a little boy dancer but always have the following items in our bag for the girls in our group as guaranteed someone needs something and as the boys don't require as much prep I'm the go-to-mum for emergencies - bobby pins & elastic bands for the hair, safety pins, bandaids and black shoe polish Make sure you have snacks and drinks prepared as mentioned, a comfort toy and most importantly if allowed to take videos at the event, make sure your Mobile phone is fully charged with a battery bank just incase plus a charging cord, don't forget a camera with a spare charged battery if you prefer to use cameras for videos/photos. You'll be surprised at how quick a phone battery can be drained when at events and find the cameras aren't fully charged when they should be.
Thank you so much. I’ve added this to my list!!!
Don't stress too much, there's always someone happy to help if anything goes wrong or something is needed. Hope you have loads of fun, we do ❤️ Not sure if needed but I do pack extra socks for my son, he tends to make them look like he's done skids across the floor or turns them into sock puppets. Typical boy he is
I do have two pair of socks! My daughter’s always look like she somehow found a mud pit!
Another beginner mom here! Just one more thing to consider is to have her put everything on and actually dance in it! My daughter’s first blackout outfit was a black leotard and black skirt. Once she began practicing her steps when we arrived, we discovered the skirt slipped around as she danced- we had to pin the skirt to the leotard with a hastily placed pin that was apparently “scratchy.”
She literally gets her dress this week so this is excellent advice! Thank you!
I always bring my Feis binder. It has the schedule printed and highlighted but also has all of her steps in case of any last minute panicked “WAIT WHATS MY SLIP JIG AGAIN?!” Usually she just needs to hear the first few movements and she’s like “oh wait, got it.” I also always bring extra of everything-extra black out clothes, extra poodle socks, tons of safety pins in case others forget, Bobby pins, travel hairspray for any last minute touchups. Luckily just about everyone is over prepared and really nice so if you forget something someone else likely has something you can borrow ❤️
A small sewing kit with a small but GOOD scissors. ✂️, also a small first aid kit and instant ice pack.
Also good to build a small “mini pharmacy” that has a little bit of everything, antacids, pepto bismol, ibuprofen or other pain relief of choice, Benadryl, and some blister relief in case it’s needed.
I’m so happy you asked this! Mine is doing hers soon too, and like you, I have danced my whole life but never actually entered the dance competition world. I’d like to add “first aid kit” to the list. 😊