Irish dancing championship. Irish dancing competitions (feches)

Irish dancing can be a great activity for those who want to have a fun, active and friendly company. Firstly, this wonderful music, which will also lift a person who is lying down. Secondly, the Irish tradition is suitable for people of absolutely all ages and physical fitness.

The first mention of Irish dancing dates back to the 11th century. This ancient art has gone through many trials. In the 17th-18th centuries, dancing was generally prohibited. Ireland resisted British rule, and London introduced many bans on nationality and identity here. All this time, the Irish dance tradition was passed on in secret. IN late XVIII century, it returned to a legal position, and at the same time the first official dance schools. In the 20th century, Irish dancing experienced a boom in popularity. Competitions and championships appeared, the first “stars” that thundered throughout the United Kingdom.

Irish dancing reached the global level in 1994, when the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Dublin. The Irish prepared for it dance show Riverdance, which conquered both the Old and New Worlds. Now there are Irish dance schools in a number of countries around the world - and Russia is no exception.

If you decide to give it a try, first figure out what you want to get out of dancing. This will help you choose a school or studio.

Dance: professionally or “for yourself”?

If you want to learn to dance professionally, are hungry for training, competitions, sports passion and challenge - you need to learn Irish solo dancing. They have a complex and very spectacular technique. The show Riverdance is based on her.

Irish ceilidhs - also professional dancing, but most often in pairs or groups. The figures in these dances, as in the solo ones, are standardized by the Gaelic League and the Gaelic Commission. Irish dancing.

Easier genre - “ social dancing" These include quadrilles, also known as set dances, or simply sets.

They are most often performed in the home circle or at village holidays and evenings when a company has gathered and a couple of people have bagpipes and a violin at hand.

The main thing in such dances is positive emotions. However, what has been said does not mean at all that sets are primitive marking time. Many of them require a certain skill and even mastery.

Quadrilles for body and brain

“You can learn all the movements on the spot. This is an excellent form of communication, where everyone changes positions and exchanges partners. The style and atmosphere itself is such that there is no awkwardness. And the music, of course, is fiery,” says Anna, who has been dancing Irish square dances for several years now.

“When I was among the dancers for the first time - it was at a party with friends - I was 47 years old. I was very afraid that nothing would work out at all: “Where am I going?” But the desire to try outweighed me, I’ve dreamed of dancing like this all my life,” she says.

Another interesting thing about Irish dancing is that it is designed specifically for communication. There are clear gender roles. Men lead and are responsible for everything, but they must be attentive to their partners. However, if there are few men (this is an eternal international problem in dance), then women can completely replace them. This is also quite natural and does not cause awkwardness.

“In dance you begin to understand people better - the way a person dances says a lot about him!” - Anna shares her impressions. In her opinion, the sets are suitable for absolutely everyone. “On the one hand, these are pair dances (but no close contact, as in tango), on the other hand, they are social dances, where everyone dances with everyone,” she says. - Sets also train the brain. You have to think all the time where to run. You can also maintain excellent physical shape without tedious exercises. Because the load is serious.”

“You can dance sets until you are very old,” says Anna. “In general, the Irish are very close to us in spirit, only they have more strength and causticity.”

Irish dancing schools in Moscow

Céilídh school

Céilídh (pronounced "Caylee") can be called universal school. It opened in 2001. All types of Irish dances are taught here. If you have not yet decided whether to go to " big sport"or just learn a new hobby, this is the place for you. Just don't rush to buy shoes. For soloists, it should be with a metal insert, but for ordinary set lovers, just leather shoes are suitable. The school is located in the city center.

Hibernia School

Hibernia is the Latin name for Ireland. The school celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. During this time, she became quite successful: she has four halls in different areas of Moscow. The founders of the school invite everyone. The youngest student was 6 years old at the start of classes, the oldest was 50. The trial lesson is free.

Irene School

This is a certified school with a serious approach. Her students participate and win international Irish dancing championships, although their studies are not specifically aimed at training professionals. There are branches of the school not only in Moscow, but also in Kaluga, St. Petersburg, and Vyborg.

Studio Irisland

Appeared in Moscow in 2012. The school is intended for those who want to realize themselves in solo, most complex types Irish dance. The institution emphasizes high professionalism and holds annual feches in Moscow - official competitions in Irish sports dancing.

Celteria School

In “Kelteria” the work is organized in an academically pedantic manner. Groups for beginners and intermediates. Children separately, adults separately. This is not surprising - the school is a member World Association Irish dance, strives to teach professionally and achieve the best results. The first lesson is free.

*The article is based on a review of WIDA (World Irish Dance Association) competitions. The rules and principles of other schools affiliated with other Irish dance commissions may differ from those described below*

Irish dancing competitions are held under the auspices of a specific governing commission, in which schools registered there can participate. Our school is registered with WIDA. It is in the competitions of this commission that we can compete, and in those few other championships that can be open to everyone.

Competitions can be qualifying - Oireachtas or Open Championships (grand championship) and local - Feis (fesh). Qualifying championships are mandatory for further participation in the European Championships and World Championships. There are only a few such championships throughout the year. In turn, the European Championship is also mandatory for participation in the World Championship.

Feis or Grade feis (grade feis) - numerous competitions, of which there can be many throughout the year, and where dancers can confirm the qualifications of their level and move on to the next one.

The competition process itself is divided into several parts:

1. Solo dance competition.
They are judged at all four levels (Beginners, Primary, Intermediate, Open) - prizes are given separately for each dance performed.

2. Championship/Fashion Cup: Premierships, Pre-Championships, Championships.
Premiership is a separate type of competition at three of the levels (Beginners, Primary, Intermediate) - a competition for the championship or fesh cup. Special cups or other prizes are awarded for winning places.
Pre-Championship or Preliminary Championships - an intermediate competition at the Open level - the fight for the right to participate in the Championship competition.
Championship - competition for the title of Champion - main part any fesh or championship.

4. Show - Show Competition.
As a rule, the final stage of the competition is staged mini-performances of various themes, but based on Irish choreography.

LEVELS

Wherein:
- all solo dances are performed in 32 bars (as a rule, these are 2 steps with left and right leg every);
- traditional sets at each level differ and up to the Open level they dance only “on the right foot” - that is, the second step (set) in solo open dances is performed on both feet;
- Single Jig, Light Jig may not change by level and at the Open level these dances are available only to children’s categories of dancers;
- the mentioned Treble Reel is not always included in the competition program, since it is not a qualifying dance;
- Modern Set is not a separate species solo competitions, remains the domain of Open dancers only and is included as a component of the dance in the decisive round in the Championship competition.

So, more details on the levels.

At the Open level there is no Premiership competition, but there is a Pre-Championship and a Championship.
In Pre-Championship you can choose between Open Reel (48 bars) or Open Slip Jig (40 bars) and Open Treble Jig (48 bars) or Open Hornpipe (40 bars). For dancers over 25 years old, there are “age discounts”: Reel and Treble Jig (40 bars), Slip Jig and Hornpipe (32 bars).

In Championship competitions they dance a Reel or Slip Jig on a soft round, a Treble Jig or Hornpipe on a hard round (the number of bars is similar to Pre-Championshis), as well as a Traditional set and a Modern Set (Modern Sets: Jig or Hornpipe). A specific list of dances is specified in the championship/fesh schedule, that is, for each age group there is its own mandatory set of dances for the championship. The list of modern sets is also dictated by the schedule. The teacher or dancer must choose two - the jig and the hornpipe. The speed is selected independently: the minimum for a jig set is 66, for a hornpipe set it is 76.

QUALIFICATION

If a dancer wins a solo dance and there are more than 5 people in his age group, he receives a qualification - a transition to the next level, that is, at the next championship he may no longer dance the dance he won (for example, having won the Beginners Reel, at the next championship the dancer receives the right to perform the primaril). At initial levels, if there are more than 15 people in a category, the first three prizes can receive this qualification. If there are more than 10 people in a category, then the first two places are transitional.
In categories at the primary level, according to the principle described above, the first two places can also go forward. At the intermediate level, regardless of the size of the group, only the first one passes prize place. Open level is the highest and final dance competition level in Irish dancing.
At competitions marked Grade Feis, it is allowed to dance at two levels - that is, a dancer, having a dance at the beginners level, can dance the same dance at a higher level - at the primary level (for example, the level of a primary dance gives the dancer the right to dance a reel at the intermediate level, etc.) .

Pre-Championship or Preliminary Championship. Competition is provided only at local feshes. Dancers who have dances of Open level 4 or more are allowed to participate. Dancers who win 2 such competitions, subject to the presence of five participants and three judges, are allowed to compete in the Championship and more Preliminary Championships may not dance.

JUDGES

There are up to seven judges at competitions. At qualifying championships and feches - one judge judges solo dances and group dances, three judges judge Premiership, Pre-Championship and Championship competitions.

The European Championships are judged by three to five judges, and the World Championships by five to seven judges.

On every stage there is identification marks, indicating what kind of stage it is and what category will be dancing on it. There is also staff specially designated for this purpose who helps participants navigate in the right direction, and there is a presenter who announces the beginning of one or another stage of the competition. The announced age group is lined up on stage in ascending order of participants' numbers. As a rule, they start with soft solo dances and the first dance is reel, then light jig, slip jig, single jig. Then there are either Premiership competitions (if we are talking about the first three levels) or then a hard round - treble jig, hornpipe, traditional set.

Solo dances are performed by two people, dancing non-stop - sequentially, pair after pair, until all participants from this category have completed their program. And so - every dance in every age group and at every level, including Premiership competitions.

Next, collective competitions begin. “Twos” and “threes” (2-hand, 3-hand) are performed in the same order: gradation by age, participants dance pair after pair non-stop. Kaylee's "fours" and other dances are performed separately. In between individual categories or levels, results are announced. Competitions usually end with show competitions.

Pre-championships and championships are built separately. The dancers also perform their program in groups of two (sometimes three people), but each dance is performed separately, that is, the musician performs the dance melody anew for each pair. And so - every dance in each age group.
In Pre-Championship competitions, as a rule, there are 2 rounds - hard (treble jig or hornpipe) and soft (reel or slip jig).
In Championship competitions there are three rounds: hard dance, soft dance and a traditional set. This is followed by the announcement of the results - at the discretion of the judges, the championship is declared closed or the fourth round follows - “recall”, when in a category of more than 10 man walking elimination of half of the contestants. Dance of the fourth round - Modern set, which is performed strictly one at a time. In cases where there are less than 10 people in a category, the recall may be canceled at the discretion of the judges.

At the European or World Championships everything is more strict. There are no solo competitions, there is a series of championships in age groups. Competitions are built according to the rules of all championships, consisting of three rounds and recalls. Next comes the Keili team competition, figure dancing and show. Results for all categories are announced at the end of the competition day.

Based on the results, the dancers who received the titles of Champions participate in the traditional ceremonial exit of all the winners of the Championship - the Parade of Champions. Traditionally, at the parade, participants take a lap of honor and then perform one step of their dance, but sometimes the organizers make whole shows out of such parades, which greatly delights the audience, who receive their well-deserved reward for their patience and attention.

Photo archive of the Killarney Irish Dance School.

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This incendiary click of heels can make you forget about everything in the world. To Moscow for international competition Irish dancing brought together real gurus of this art.

It’s interesting that in the old days, at feshes - that’s what such competitions were called - the winner usually got a pie with a delicious filling. But modern dancers think main award applause and smiles from the audience.

Report by Yulia Safonova.

At first it seems that nine-year-old Olya and Vanya are rehearsing an ordinary polka. If you take a closer look, their legs masterfully draw intricate patterns on the plank floor. They have been practicing Irish dancing for four years. We have won prizes at competitions more than once.

Olya Norenko, participant of the Moscow International Irish Dancing Championship: “If you got something wrong there, naturally, continue dancing. Whatever you want to the music. But the main thing is don’t stop.”

Irish dancing competitions in Moscow are being held for the second year. And if earlier the number of participants did not exceed a couple of hundred people, today there are twice as many of them. Age - from five to infinity. Any level of training. The main condition is a love of Celtic culture.

Alexander became interested in Irish reels, jigs and hon-pipes by accident. One day, for a KVN number, I decided to simply imitate them. Now his signature number is step - 20 beats per second. However, you can’t do without tricks here.

The most important part of a stage costume is the boots. They should be comfortable, fit tightly on the leg, but the most important thing is the heels, which are made of a special material. Therefore, even a slight kick will be clearly heard from afar.

How to surprise the jury and audience? Deviate from the rules a little, the dancers joke. The guys from Ufa decided to move away from traditional Irish curls and costumes with national patterns and suddenly dressed up as a horse. The result is a comedy based on one of the folk tales.

The girls from St. Petersburg, on the contrary, played out a whole drama with chases and shooting, seasoning the number with a good portion of Irish step dance. But the biggest surprise came from the Moscow Dance School. The king of rock and roll himself, Elvis Presley, suddenly began performing their Irish steps.

Rustem Khamitov, participant of the Moscow International Irish Dancing Championship: “Irish dancing is very multifaceted. They are built on rhythm. Elvis Presley’s songs have a lot of rhythm, and it seemed to me that this is a worthy application of our skills for this dance.”

Such improvisations take the jury's breath away. Judge Brendan O'Brien has been dancing his entire life.

Brendan O'Brien, judge of the Moscow International Irish Dancing Championship: “Aerobatics is when the arms are relaxed, and the legs, on the contrary, clearly perform every element of the dance. But the main thing is not even this. When you have free control of your body, it feels like you are taking off ".

This art is hundreds of years old. In the West, the secrets of craftsmanship are passed down from generation to generation. For Russia, this is a new hobby and, of course, not everyone can click their heels effectively. But Russian dancers there is a clear advantage, the Irish note, on stage they always smile and even in the most difficult steps they try to maintain a proud posture. And this is already worthy of the highest praise.

Many beginners take up Irish dancing, inspired by shows such as Lord of the Dance And Riverdance, unaware of the competitive world of Irish dancing sports. Meanwhile, in Moscow, since 2009, we have been holding international competitions. There are several traditional Irish dance commissions around the world. Their goal is to contribute to the development and preservation of Irish culture. Rhythm Academy registered in World Irish Dance Association and has the right to enter school students into commission competitions on preferential terms.

W.I.D.A.

W.I.D.A. (World Irish Dance Association) was founded in January 2004 in Germany. This non-profit organization, dedicated to spreading Irish dance and Irish culture throughout the world. For this purpose, international competitions, master classes and certification of teachers, both with previous experience in Irish dancing and beginners, are organized. On this moment The association consists of more than 140 schools from 21 countries, and new ones are constantly joining it*.

A distinctive feature is the desire to organize at every event warm and friendly atmosphere, despite the great sport. Every dancer, parent and teacher can feel part of one big family, sharing a common love of Irish dance.

In its first year, W.I.D.A. organized 3 feshas (Irish: feis/feiseanna - festival of Gaelic culture and arts. In Irish dance it means “competition”): in Düsseldorf, Bonn and Stuttgart. Also, the first training seminars for teachers were held in Bonn. Since then, the commission has not stopped developing. More than 50 feshes are held annually, examination sessions in Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and the USA. You can find out about this year's events in our calendar.

School-studio Academy of Rhythm is registered in International Association Irish Dance (WIDA) and has the right to enter school students for commission competitions on preferential terms. You can apply to participate in the competition from your teacher.

Sports Irish dancing is divided into levels:

• Beginner
• primary
• intermediate
• preliminary
• open

In each level (except priliminari and open) there are 4 dances in “soft” shoes and 3 in “hard” shoes (you can read about shoes for Irish dancing).

"Soft":

• reel
• light jig
• slip jig
• single jig or hop jig

"Hard":

• treble jig
• hornpipe
• traditional set dance
• modern set dance at open level

Competitions are judged by certified judges. Read about how to become a judge.

Almost every dance increases in difficulty with the new level. Only light and single jigs remain unchanged due to the limited number of dance movements allowed. When registering for competitions from your school, you can enter each dance at two levels at once. Taking the winning place, 1-2-3, depending on the number of participants in the category, you close the dance. This gives the right not to dance it again at this level.