jaina

2017 was a pretty great year for me, Irish dance-wise. I started learning Irish dance in the first week of January 2015 (at age 33), so this is the end of my third year of dancing. Some highlights and memories:

• I got 11th place in adult trad set at Oireachtas! Out of 52 competitors, and with at least five ex-champs ahead of me. I worked my ass off to improve my St. Patrick’s Day– I had a bad result at the last feis before WRO, and I used that to push me to practice and polish all the little bits of the dance. And it paid off!
• I survived being top gent in our 8-hand. You guys, I was terrified of being top gent. The same person has been top gent for our team for ages but she couldn’t do teams this year, and when the teachers told us our positions I was so freaked out that I would screw up and let the team down. I definitely messed up a lot at first but I kept practicing and trying to give 100% at every practice. And not only did I survive…
• …WE WON THE 8-HAND AT OIREACHTAS! This has been our goal for so, so long. We never beat Cleary and this year we beat them twice, once at a feis (which won us a giant perpetual trophy) and once at WRO. It was the most amazing feeling. I’m so happy that the Western region listened and finally split the adult teams by age (average age U40/40&O), because it gave a level playing field– the teams of ex-champs who are now adults competed against each other, and the teams of people who started as adults competed against each other. It was awesome. Our 4-hand also got 2nd out of 8 teams!
• I moved up reel and slip jig to PW, leaving only single jig and hornpipe in Novice. I’m consistently placing in the top 4-5 in all my PW dances now, and I got my first PW first place (in reel) out of 14 competitors! Also I won my first sash at a feis, in a treble reel special!
• I learned my first slow treble jig and slow hornpipe. And I learned the prizewinner reel and slip jig for my school– the same ones the kids do. They need serious clean-up, but I know the steps! I also learned Jockey to the Fair and started on Three Sea Captains.
• I worked a lot on my technique– straight legs, crossed knees, pointy feet. I found out there were a couple things I’d been doing wrong basically since I started, so I’m working to undo those bad habits.
• My fitness level is finally getting back to pre-baby levels. At the 2016 Oireachtas I barely made it through our 8-hand and there was no way I could’ve done double run-throughs. This year I was ready to dance it through as many times as we needed.

Goals for 2018!

• FITNESS. Strength training 2-3 times per week consistently, drilling steps at home (waiting on my new practice pad!), and start working on flexibility.
• Keep working on technique. When I watch the kids do my steps, I know what they can look like. I don’t want to look like an adult Irish dancer. I want to look like an Irish dancer, period.
• Compete the 2-hand and 3-hand I learned this month at our feis in February!
• Get hornpipe and single jig to PW! This is really dependent on getting 5 people at a feis, but when we do, it’s time for first place! No more Novice seconds!
• Get my slow HP and TJ to a level where I feel comfortable competing them. Right now they’re messy as heck. Given the choice between a clean, simpler dance and a messy, harder dance, I’ll do the simple one every time…but what I really want is to do a clean, harder dance.
• Podium in trad set at WRO 2018!!! My best dance friend did it this year, and she’s only been dancing a year longer than me. Maybe with a new set, maybe not. I’ve done SPD for three years now and I love it. See above re: clean, simpler dances.
• And…finally get a solo dress! I have way too many ideas and I need to just pick one and go with it.
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