Feis Wrap Up

The Silicon Valley Feis was a little different from any of the feis we've attended so far.

First, there were three ballrooms where the competitions were being held. I had three dancers. Wouldn't you know it all three were in different rooms. Two at the same time. At least those two were right next to each other. The other wasn't so we had to keep walking to check where they were on the schedule. The good thing was I got plenty of exercise yesterday. Unfortunately hubby never got to see our youngest dance. I managed not to miss one dance, but I was happy I'd worn my Tevas!

Second, this was the first feis we've attended where they didn't list all the dances on the wall, pulling off the numbers of completed dances so you could see what was coming next. They only listed the current dance so if you didn't have a schedule (which you could print out at home) or pay $5 for an approx. 10 page program, you were out of luck of trying to see when your dancer should check in and would dance. My hubby did ask the guy with the microphone if he could announce when dancers should check in since he was in charge of our son.

Third, the dancers went backstage, out of sight, to check in and were walked out for the dances. This was a tad disconcerting with my five year old, who competes as a four year old since they go by their age as of January 1st, but I didn't see anything really wrong with this method until Mackenna didn't come out for her slip jig. She no longer has to dance the light jig so was sitting out that dance. The other dancers started lining up, but she didn't come out the door. I started getting worried.

Some stage moms (this is the person who checks in the dancers and gets them out on stage) in the other rooms would call out missing dancer numbers, but not these one. I quickly realized there had to have been a problem or something going on backstage, so I asked a dancer from another school if she could run back there and she did, but she doesn't know my daughter. When two dancers stepped on stage and the music started, I bolted back there, found Mackenna chatting with another dancer totally oblivious to the fact she should be dancing and told her to get on stage now. She hurried out and got at the end of the line as the others were already dancing. At another point during the hard shoe dances, she went backstage when she should have stayed on stage, but remembered to come back out before the music for the next dance started.

I plan on filling out the feis feedback questionnaire and bringing up the stage management issue. Seems each room should have used the same procedure if a dancer was missing (i.e. do a final callout of the missing dancers numbers before the music begins.) Though in my daughter's case, it was her lack of attention that was the real problem. Still a quick number callout or next dance would have helped. At the end of the day, I saw another dancer doing her solo dances alone in front of a judge. I wonder if she missed some of her dances.

Fourth, the feis wasn't crowded. This was our second California feis and the first in Southern California in 2005 was packed. This one had plenty of seats which was so nice. Sometimes you have to stand or sit on the ground. Not at the Hyatt. There were comfy chairs and lots of them.

Fifth, this feis gave out beautiful Galway crystal bowls to the first three places in the trophy dances. I love this idea because my daughter has so many trophies already and this bowl is something she can keep forever. (She got third in her Treble Reel Special.)

Overall it was a good day. The kids all placed in at least one solo dance. Finn and Mackenna each placed in a special trophy dance. And my friend and her son got to experience an Irish dance feis.

But my favorite experience of the day was when my youngest danced. She was in the youngest age group and the only dancer in her competition. She danced on stage by herself, quite a feat in itself. During her last solo dance, the single jig, she got confused and started doing some of the steps from the light jig, which is her fave dance. You could see the moment of realization of what she was doing on her face. The judge helped her get back on track and she ended the dance at the right time.

The disappointment on her young face was heartbreaking. Tears welled in her eyes as she ran off the stage to me. Mackenna and I were sitting in the front row of chairs behind the judges table. Rose cried as we told her how wonderful she danced. She was too upset to listen to us.

The judge didn't have any dancers on stage after her dance so he turned to Rose. He told her how great she did and just plied her with compliments. The way he talked to her was so wonderful. He explained what she needed to work on to improve her dancing, too. And then he lowered his voice and told her, as if sharing a special secret, that he'd placed her first in all the dances. Rose sucked in a breath and sat taller. All the tears disappeared and her smile returned. She was so excited, so happy and couldn't wait to get her medals. Granted, she was the only dancer in her competitions so got first by default, but that didn't matter to her. She wore those medals around her neck the rest of the day, telling everyone who asked that yes, she placed first.