The world of Irish dancing can seem very strange to the newcomer. Feiseanna, magik wands, slip jig, recall -- what do they all mean? Should we already know about them? Did we miss something in class?
This glossary is intended to help. If you've heard people talking about things you don't understand, check these pages first.
If you look here and don't find what you need, email us, now. We'll do two things: we'll try to answer your question, and we'll add the answer to this glossary to help the next person.
Adjudicator: the person who judges your dance competitions. Adjudicators are entitled to add the letters A.D.C.R.G. after their names. For open dancers, there will often be a panel of three, and sometimes five adjudicators -- especially for larger feiseanna. Their marks will be aggregated to decide the relative position of each dancer.
Beginner: (Also called Novice). See 'Grades'.
Beginners' Feis: A feis held by the Academy once or twice a year exclusively for beginners. Other grades are not permitted to enter, giving the newer dancers a chance to see how competitions are run, to show their families what they have learned, and to gain experience of dancing in front of an audience.
Blisters: can be caused by intensive dancing, but more often by new and/or badly-fitting shoes. See our hints and tips page for ideas on prevention and cure.
Brat: Irish name for the shawl or cape on a dance costume. Nothing to do with badly behaved toddlers!
Coimisiún, An: Full name 'An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha' -- The Commission for Irish Dance. One of the governing bodies of Irish dance. (See also Comhdhail).
Comhdhail, An: One of the governing bodies of Irish dance. See also Coimisiún
Costume: Your dance dress and crown (girls), or kilt, shirt, trousers, cummerbund (boys) worn for competitions. The most expensive costume in the world won't make you a better dancer, but if you want to be the best there is, you do have to look the part. Attention to detail is what counts -- sloppy socks can destroy the effect of the best costume.
Class costume: Costumes bought by the Academy and the Friends and made available for hire by those who do not yet have their own costume, or who are 'between' costumes. They are released on a 'first come, first served' basis, so make sure you book yours early.
Class feis: A feis organised and run by the Academy (or other dance school) for its own dancers only. It is the only event during the Academy year in which all grades may enter and compete together, and gives less experienced dancers the opportunity to experience the feis atmosphere, to see how things operate, and to show their families what they have learned in class.
Competitor number: In competitive dancing, each dancer is given a unique number with which he or she is identified throughout the competition. The adjudicator notes the numbers of the dancers on stage before they dance, and awards marks to each. When the results are announced, the dancers' number are called to identify the winner, second place, etc.
Confidence: You need confidence to perform at your best, but where does it come from? How do you build up your confidence? The straight answer is that confidence comes from knowing your stuff inside out and backwards -- there are no shortcuts. If you listen to your teacher and practice your steps again and again, you will go on stage feeling confident. And if you find yourself dancing with 'better' dancers, see it as an opportunity rather than a threat. They are expected to beat you. The pressure is on them. Your job is to concentrate on your own dancing -- not theirs. The only thing you can control is the way you dance -- just make sure you dance as well as you can, and the rest is up to somebody else.
Confined feis: An otherwise 'open' feis that has been 'confined' (restricted) to dancers from certain schools or a particular region.
Crown: the raised and decorated headband, usually supplied with, and made to match, girls' costumes. An alternative, depending on hairstyle, is a tiara -- usually a decorative band of metal.
Cummerbund: The wide strip of material worn around the waist by the boys.
Curling papers: narrow strips of tissue paper used to wrap around 'magik wands' before curling hair around them. They are sold in small 'booklets', stuck loosely stuck together along one edge and peeled off as required.
Dancing: Numerous 'authorities' have tried to discourage or ban various dance and musical forms at certain points in history. Fortunately, ordinary people have had enough sense to stick by what they found to be most enjoyable. There is a tremendous common heritage of dance and music in Ireland, Scotland, England, Brittany and parts of Spain. It is rich, varied and woven through history. We should be thankful that people of all races and creeds have had good memories and scant regard for bad laws.
Enjoyment and excitement: Of course you have to take competition seriously, but you also need to enjoy it. It isn't just about the winning, but the excitement and enjoyment that it brings. [Thanks to Sarah for this one -- we totally agree!]
Entry on the day: A feis at which you simply turn up on the day and register at the door. Can sometimes run late! See also 'pre-entry'.
Feis: Pronounced 'fesh', its literal translation is simply 'festival', but it has come to be synonymous with an Irish dance event.
Feiseanna: Pronounced 'fesh-a-nah'), this is the plural of feis. Note the spelling!
Grades: Irish dancers are graded according to their ability. There are four grades: Beginner/Novice, Primary, Intermediate and Open. Beginner and Primary dancers are sometimes confined to dancing in their own regions. The higher grades can dance 'out of region' and in major competitions.
Health: One of the most important things to learn about any sport, hobby or life in general is how to look after yourself. See some of the items on our Hints and Tips page for specific problems that might affect you, but most of all know your own body, eat well, sleep well, and take good care of yourself. Most of all seek advice if you are worried at all. The worst thing you can do is to 'bury your head in the sand'.
Heavies: Dances performed in heavy shoes -- eg, heavy jigs, hornpipes and set dances.
Honesty: Is what you need when you think about your own dancing, and what good friends will be if you ask their opinion. It's not always pleasant, but you have to be realistic about your dancing. It's pointless dreaming of holding the cup on the podium if you aren't honest, because it will always remain just that -- a dream. But hey -- don't beat yourself up either! We all have strengths and weaknesses and it doesn't make you a bad person not to win the world championships. But if you want to have any chance, its up to you to be honest and to work hard at those weaknesses.
Hornpipe: Originally imitative of sailors' dances and performed only by men, the hornpipe is danced in a relatively slow-paced 4/4 time but often involves the most intricate footwork. A notable feature is the 'rock', where the feet are crossed and rocked from side to side at the ankles.
Intermediate: See 'Grades'.
Jig: There are jigs danced in both soft and heavy shoes. Light jigs include the single jig, light jig and double jig. Heavy jigs are often called treble jigs. The name probably derives from the middle French 'giguer', while the dances are related to the lively Italian 'giga' folk dance. All are danced in 6/8 time except for the graceful, women only, slip jig which is (unusually) danced in 9/8. See also Lights and Heavies
Kilt: The traditional costume worn by boys as an alternative to trousers.
Lights: Dances performed in light/soft shoes -- eg, reel, soft/light jig, single/hop jig, slip jig.
magik wands: narrow strips of foam sponge used to curl hair before a feis. See the 'hints and tips' page for more on curling, and our suppliers page for sources.
Novice: See 'Grades'.
Oireachtas: Meaning 'assembly' and pronounced 'o-roc-tus'. See 'Qualifiers'.
Open: See 'Grades'.
Open feis: As opposed to a 'class feis', this is a 'public' feis at which dancers from different schools can compete against each other. See also 'confined feis'.
Osgood-Shlatter Disease: A condition in which the ligament attaching the kneecap to the lower leg bone swells or becomes partially detached. This can be seen in 'athletic adolescents', and can be recognised by swelling and tenderness near the top of a lower leg, increasing with exercise or straightening of the leg. As with all suspected and/or persistent problems, please consult your doctor.
Poodle socks: The bobbly, white, knee-length socks worn by most Irish dancers. Keeping them up can be a problem, unless you use sock glue.
Pre-entry: A feis for which you (or your dance school teacher) must register in advance of the event. You may receive a dance number before you travel, or pick it up at the registration desk. The organisers of pre-entry feiseanna have the advantage of knowing how many dancers there will be in each competition, making it easier to get the timetable right. See also 'entry on the day'.
Pre-feis beginner: A dancer who has not yet danced in a feis.
Primary: See 'Grades'.
Qualifiers: The annual competition held in each Irish dancing region to decide who will compete in the following year's World Championships. The Southern England Regional Qualifiers (the 'Oireachtas') is held in late November or early December each year.
Recall: As well as dancing their 'solo' dances, open dancers also take part in championships. These often consist of two initial dances (probably a light and a heavy), and a recall. The marks each dancer gains for the first two dances are totalled, and a number of those at the top are recalled to dance again.
Reel: Usually danced to fast music in 4/4 time, by both men and women -- women in soft shoes and men in reel shoes. The treble reel is danced in hard/heavy shoes and involves lots of leaps, kicks and clicks. See also Lights and Heavies.
Region: The geographical area in which the dancer lives (not where the dance school is located). For instance, England is divided into a number of regions, including the Southern, Midlands, etc.
Registration: This differs depending upon the way the feis has been organised. Some events are organised so that all entries are pre-paid, but you need to pick up a competitor number from the registration desk. Others send numbers out to the dancers' schools in advance, leaving no registration to do on the day at all. Often, however, you will need to tell the registrar which competitions you are entering, pay the appropriate fees, and collect your competitor number.
Shoes: there are three basic types of Irish dance shoe -- light and heavy girls' shoes, and boys shoes. The light shoes (sometimes called pumps/pomps) are similar to ballet shoes, but are black. They lace up around the foot. Girls' heavy shoes are also black and are similar to tap shoes, with hard pads on toes and heels. They invariably have both laces and straps. Boys wear 'boys reel shoes' similar to hard shoes, but lighter and with a small heel.
Soft dances: See light dances.
Southern Region: The (English) Southern Region stretches very roughly from Southampton in the south, to Swindon in the West, through Essex and up to Peterborough, and back round through Hertfordshire, taking in London and the home counties as well. (These are very approximate 'borders' only, and they are not 'straight lines', so don't be surprised to be barred from some feiseanna you might expect to go to, and to be included in some you wouldn't.)
Standards: our Academy expects high standards of dress and behaviour from its dancers. Hair should be fully curled for feiseanna, not just bunched up on the head. Shoes should be clean and tape should be neat. Socks should be clean, straight and kept up. Dancers competing at open feiseanna should wear a costume (class costumes are available for hire). And it goes without saying that behaviour in public MUST be good at all times. We have a dance school to be proud of -- let's keep it that way!
Step dances: See Reel, Jig and Hornpipe.
Tan, fake: Useful when dancing at championship level, on a stage, a long way from the adjudicator(s) -- otherwise you can tend to look pretty pale and insipid. But as with make-up, don't overdo it. Also, watch you don't smear those clean socks! See our 'hints and tips' page.
Teacher: Your dance teacher. If qualified, he/she is entitled to use the acronym T.C.R.G. after his/her name.
Tiara: see crown.
Timing: It is very important that your steps are not only neat, elegant and precise, but they have to be in time with the music. The adjudicator awards 25% of his/her marks for timing, so listen to that beat!
Wigs: Often worn by more experienced dancers, who frequently have to perform in displays and/or championships on consecutive days, and would find it difficult to curl hair for both. See our tips for storing wigs, and our feature on curling hair.
Warming down: The exercises done after dancing. This is as important as warming up, since it removes excess lactic acid from the muscles and allows them to relax properly. As with warming up, failing to warm down can build up trouble for the future.
Warming up: The exercises done to warm up the muscles before dancing. It is very important to warm up correctly. Not doing so risks problems in the future, if not immediately.
Zircon: A mineral gemstone that sparkles like diamond. Sometimes used on Irish dance costumes.
Zest and Zeal: Without the enthusiasm and excitement you feel for your dancing, your steps may look wooden and stilted. Make sure you get plenty of sleep and cut down on the junk food, and you will hopefully have plenty of zest and zeal and win lots of competitions!
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