Irish dance compeitions for adults this April

Hard Shoes
Photo: Christy Dorrity

Many feiseanna (Irish dance competitions) offer competitions for adult Irish dancers.  Here's a quick glance at feiseanna that are friendly to adult Irish dancers in April.


Plan on supporting a feis in your area that includes adult Irish dancers and keep an eye out for those feiseanna who are offering slow speed dances for adults. 


If you have a photo of your adult class practicing or performing that you would like to see featured, please email me.


Source: www.feisworx.com 

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

Feile Denver 2012
Loveland, CO - Apr 15, 2012 
McTeggart, CO 


B, N, PW
4 soft shoe
2 hard shoe, traditional speed
traditional set 
2,3,4,6,8 hand reel, 2 hand jig
specials: light shoe reel


Buckeye State Feis 2012 
Columbus, OH - Apr 21, 2012 
Millennium Academy of Irish Dance 


B/B2, N/PW
3 soft shoe
2 hard shoe, traditional speed
8 hand


Mattierin Spring Feis In The Park 2012 
Sherwood Park, AB - Apr 27, 2012 to Apr 29, 2012 
Emerald Isle Dancers Association 


B, N, PW
4 soft shoe
2 hard shoe, traditional speed
traditional set
2,3,4,6,8,progressive
specials: treble reel


The Little Rock Feis 2012 
Little Rock, AR - Apr 27, 2012 to Apr 28, 2012 
McCafferty School of Irish Dance


B, B2/N, O
4 soft shoe
2 hard shoe, traditional speed
traditional set
2,3,4,8, family 
specials: treble reel 

Emerald City Feis 2012 
Seattle, WA - Apr 28, 2012 to Apr 29, 2012 
Baile Glas and Tara Academy 


B, N, PW
4 soft shoe
2 hard shoe, traditional speed
traditional set
2,3,4,6,8 hand
specials: reel, treble reel


Feis SLC 2012 
Salt Lake City, UT - Apr 28, 2012 
Acadamh Rince 


B, N/PW
4 soft shoe
2 hard shoe, traditional speed
traditional set
2, 3 hand
specials: mens reel, ladies slip jig, double reel, "Prom Night"couples


Check back here for news, results, photos, interviews and more! Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like us on Facebook, Tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below. THANK YOU!

Rince Diabhal, Duke's "Dancing Devils" show there's no reason to give up Irish dancing in college - VIDEO

Collegiate adult Irish dancers Rince Diabhal at Duke University
in North Carolina
Photo: Flickr/RinceDiabhal

In 2009 a group of Irish dancers began Rince Diabhal, an Irish dance and culture club at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. "There's no reason Irish dancing has to end in college even though many

people have to leave their respective dance schools," says Hannah Gold, one of the founders and Rince Diabhal's president, "Rince Diabhal's founders did not want to give up Irish dance, so they brought it with

them."

Megan Tisdale serves as the collegiate club's coach. Tisdale, who often performs with the group, began her own dancing career in 1981 with the late Ann Richens, ADCRG (certified Irish dance teacher and adjudicator) and competed for the Richens-Timm Academy of Irish Dance.

Rince Diahbal means "dancing devil" in Gaelic and as the name implies, these dancers are a whirlwind on campus. They are in high demand for dance showcases at the university and are fast taking on performances off campus. Gold says, "Our performances are received extremely well, and
interest in our dance team has grown exponentially." The group enjoys working with a talented musician group for their practices and performances and collaborating with other dance clubs for varied choreography. See for yourself in the unique Irish/Indian fusion dancing video below.


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Dancers in Rince Diabhal range from never-danced-before newbies to competitive open champions. A few of the dancers attend a certified school and participated in Oireachtas (a regional Irish dance competition) in 2011. All of the dances are choreographed by the members of the club. Currently, Rince Diabhal are only extracurricular, but may expand to offer for-credit classes in the future.

Rince Diabhal adult Irish dancers
Photo: courtesy Kyla Casey

"Full inclusion, but no requirements," is the dance club's motto, meaning that all members are invited to perform if they feel comfortable but are never required.

Coach Tisdale encourages all adults to try Irish dancing: "We invite anyone with an interest in Irish Dance and Culture to check out a school or a club in your area. You will find amazing people and unlock talents you didn't even know you had!"

Irish/Indian fusion by Rince Diahbal
Photo: Flickr/RinceDiahbal

For more information about the Rince Diabhal dancers, please visit them on the Rince Diabhal website.

Readers: Do you attend a collegiate Irish dance club? Does the option of having an Irish dance program influence your decision when choosing a college?

Check back here for news, results, photos, interviews and more! Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like us on Facebook, Tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below. THANK YOU!

Adult Irish dancer Annie Hernandez from Inishfree Texas School of Irish Dancing - PHOTOS

Annie Hernandez, adult Irish dancer
from Inishfree Texas School of Irish Dancing

Photo: Regina Gandara

"I will stop dancing the day I can’t bend down to tie my shoes! My name is Annie Hernandez, I am 40 years old [but] don’t tell!"

Feis America: What school do you attend?

Annie: I have been dancing for 3 years and a half; I started in Mexico and moved to Texas 2 years ago. Since then I have been dancing with Inishfree Texas School of Irish Dancing in San Antonio, Texas under Neill Reagan, TCRG and ADCRG, and Patrick McCarthy, TCRG and former leading role for Lord of the Dance six years running.

Feis America: What inspired you to take up Irish dance?

Annie: I had never danced before--didn’t even dare to do aerobics, had no coordination at all! But one day I saw Lord of the Dance in New York City, and as I was watching this thing that I had never seen or heard before, something happened and my feet couldn’t stop! I had to learn how to do that. Of course I was already an adult with no dancing background, but I did not care. For my first competition I had been dancing for only 6 months. I was about to die when I had to do my first reel in front of a room full of people and with a judge staring at my feet. I remember thinking, “Ok, let’s do this, but this will be the first and last time--so bring it.” I was shaking inside, my hands had never sweat so much, but I did it, and when everything was over, I had placed first in every dance! It was then that I was hooked.

Annie Hernandez
Photo: Regina Gandara

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Feis America: Tell us about your Irish dance journey.

Annie: Since that first competition back in 2009, I have not stopped dancing. I practice [five out of seven days] at least 1 hour a day. I have done 24 competitions. I started in the first feis adult category and when I got up to Prizewinner level, my teachers said I could and should get as far as I possibly could, so they have been supporting me and helping me work hard so I can become the best I can be. In March, 2011, I dropped down to the "& Overs" category. I started as a Novice and recently moved up to Prizewinner in my soft shoe dances at the Atlanta Feis. Im still working to move up those hard shoe dances--I hope next March.

Feis America: How do you like dancing in the "& over" category as an adult?

Annie: It has been much harder than the Adult category, but nicer too. I got my dress! I won’t lie, IT IS nerve wrecking, but I love hard competition because it brings more from me, it makes me try harder, makes me a better dancer. Every feis I go to, it is still the exact same feeling. I see my 10-23 fellow fifteen-year-old competitors and I want to curl up in a ball and cry. But I get out there, with no more wish than to enjoy what I love to do, and to beat no one but myself, be better than the last time--and still all my dances are placing. Ha ha!

Annie Fernandez, adult Irish dancer
shows off her trophy and medals.
Photo: Regina Gandara

Feis America: What has Irish dance taught you about yourself?

Annie: Irish dancing is my passion, it is what makes me happy--the music and rhythms, the intricate steps, the eye-catching poise and unexpected movements. Irish dancing has changed the way I felt about myself. It has taught me that if I work hard I keep getting better and better. If I dare to try I can. It has showed me how to focus, how to defeat doubt and fear and turn them into confidence and motivation. So, as long as I can keep getting better, I will keep competing. I will stop dancing the day I can’t bend down to tie my shoes!

Feis America: Thank you Annie for sharing your story and inspiring other adults to start Irish dancing!

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Readers: Are you an adult Irish dancer, competitive or not, with a story to share? Would you like to inspire others to feel your passion for Irish dancing and culture? Do you have a question about Irish dancing? Please comment in the box below for replies and contact information!


Check back here for news, results, photos, interviews and more! Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like us on Facebook, Tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below. THANK YOU!

Dreams resurrected - an adult Irish dancer's beginnings

Christy Dorrity, adult Irish dancer
photo: Curtis Judd Photography

“I bought you tickets to a dance show,” my husband said as he handed me Riverdance tickets. We had never heard of Irish dancing before, but he knew I would love any dancing event.

The night of the show I fidgeted with anticipation, unaware of the vibrant world I was about to enter and the effect it would have on my future. Haunting flute music filled the theatre, and I held my breath as dancers drifted onto the stage like ethereal creatures. My heart pounded with their feet in a rhythm of longing that would not be quieted. When the curtain dropped, I yearned to maintain a connection with the song and dance.

For weeks, I couldn’t stop thinking about Riverdance. I listened to the music and researched the show’s roots, wishing I had known earlier about it. My husband mentioned that it would be fun to learn to dance like the Riverdancers. That got me thinking: could I learn to Irish dance?

As I considered taking dance lessons, obstacles surfaced. I was quite pregnant with my second child, so dance instruction would have to wait. I would need money for lessons. I hadn’t danced since college; my muscles and technique were rusty. And in my mind lurked the thought that I couldn’t dance and be a mom too.

After a year of debate, I took informal lessons from a local teenager. I enjoyed the basic movements taught, and the class fueled the ambition that ignited when I had first watched the Riverdancers.

I found an adult class whose doors were open to anyone. Lacing up my ghillies, I soaked up every dance my teacher introduced to our fledgling class. Attending a weekly night class while my children slept required less of my family than I had feared.

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Adult-friendly Irish dance feiseanna for March

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After learning several dances, I realized that it wasn’t enough to practice them; I wanted to perform. My school offered a performance group, but only for children and teenagers. When I learned that adults can compete in Irish dancing, it didn’t take long to find a certified teacher in my area. Armed with a bag full of shoes and a mind full of questions, I began my journey to competition.

The satisfaction obtained from hours of training and focus was expected; the myriad of benefits that resulted were a bonus. I found that even thirty-somethings can pursue dance and be taken seriously on the Irish dance stage. I have gained strong friendships, my technique is improving, and my baby weight is disappearing forever. My quest has even inspired my children to find dreams of their own.

I know there will be sacrifices as I balance a family of seven with my renewed pursuit of dancing. Finding time to be a soccer mom and practice my light jig will be tricky. But with a supportive family and a commitment to rearrange my schedule, I am confident that I can be a loving mother and still succeed in my ambition.

Who says you have to hang up your ghillies when you turn eighteen? No matter your age, you can dance your dreams. My two-year-old daughter may be tiny, but she is not too young to inform me that she is going to dance when she “gets bigger,” just like her mommy. The ladies in my adult class may have decades of life experience, but they are not too old to get in their clicks.

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Check back often here on for news, results, photos, interviews and more!  Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like us on Facebook, Tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below.  THANK YOU!

This article first appeared in the June/July 2009 issue of Feis America Magazine.