Ceili of the Week: The Three Tunes

Before we get to into all the ceili fun, please don't forget to comment on the previous post {click here} to vote for On My Toes in the Top Dance Blog 2013 Contest! Thanks! Now, onto the fun stuff... 

As the new year begins, the dance classes at the studio where I teach are beginning to learn their dances for the spring recital. Recital dances, as they're called, are really looked forward to by all the dancers. My beloved "Ceili Club" will be performing The Three Tunes this year, and the dancers are SO excited!

The 1996 Minor Ceili World Champions

Dancing The Three Tunes {1st dance of this video}

Weren't those dancers phenomenal?! Their energy, precision, and lines are definately qualities all ceili dancers should strive for... which is probably while I'll have the Ceili Club watch this video too! 

The Three Tunes is ...
-- An eight-hand Figure dance, from County Armagh
-- Danced to three tunes: Haste to the Wedding (jig), Leslie's Hornpipe, & The German Beau (reel)

Movements of the Dance
Formation: Eight dancers in ring, holding hands
          {a} Sides (jig)
          {b} Rings (jig)
          {c} Lead Around (reel)
          {d} Stamp and Clap (reel)
          {e} See-Saw (hornpipe)
          {f} Roly-Poly (hornpipe)
          {g} Hook and Chain (jig)
          {h} Rings (jig)
          {i} Sides under Arms (reel)
          {j} Stamp and Clap (reel)
          {k} Thread the Needle (hornpipe)
          {i} Roly-Poly (hornpipe)

Why do I {love} this Ceili? 

Originally, the Ceili Club & I debated between performing the Sweets of May vs. The Three Tunes in the recital this year. After watching both dances on video, we decided that The Three Tunes was more appealing to an audience, because of the music changes and lack of repetition throughout the dance! We love that this figure dance doesn't have a body that repeats between figures, so the dance remains exciting to watch.  Plus, this dance has lots of stamping, clapping, roly-polies {is that the plural of roly-poly?!}, and even threatening fist shaking! Yes, Ar Rince Foirne actually says to shake fist "in a threatening manner." Only in Irish dance...

Have you danced The Three Tunes, or even competed in a feis with this dance? What do you like about The Three Tunes? 

Keep Dancing,
Moira

Ceili of the Week: The Duke Reel

[Welcome to the second installment of Ceili of the Week! Hope you learn something new, or at least enjoy reading!] 

The Duke Reel is a...

         -- Round dance

         -- For three couples

         -- Dance to any reel 

Movements of the Dance

         (a) Rings

         (b) Sides

         (c) Link Arms

         (d) Interlace

         (e) Advance & Retire

               **Parts b-e make up the body of the dance, repeated after each figure**

         (f) Figures 

               1st Figure: Figure of Eight

               2nd Figure: Right & Left Chain

        (g) Finish --  Swing Around 

This adorable video of dancers from the Kelly School of Irish Dance isn't perfect, but it's so cute! According to the video, this was their second night learning the Duke Reel... not bad!

Unanswered Questions about the Duke Reel:

        --Who was the Duke?

        -- Why does he get his own reel? :)

Why do I like this Ceili?

         The Duke Reel a unique six-hand dance. Most of the ceilis for three couples I've danced have been "long dances," or ceilis with two rows of three dancers facing each other [as in the Fairy Reel]. I also think the Interlace portion of the dance [basically, a chain with no arms] is quite pretty. My favorite aspect of this ceili is the figures. More specifically, each couple has the opportunity to perform each figure. While the repetition of both figures three times [once per couple] might be boring to watch, its fun from a dancer's standpoint. I'm all about all-inclusive dances! More fun for everyone :)

This video shows The Duke Reel, performed up through the first figure. [The video doesn't say who these dancers are, so if you know, please share!] 

Have you danced the Duke Reel? What do you like about it? 

Keep Dancing,

Moira 

Ceili of the Week: The Rakes of Mallow

[This week marks the beginning of a new series of posts: Ceili of the Week! As I'm currently studying for the TCRG exam and teaching weekly ceili classes, my life is lived from ceili to ceili :) Hope you enjoy learning more about these dances along with me.]

The Rakes of Mallow is a...

          -- Long Dance
          -- For any even number of trios [a gent with two ladies on his right]
          -- Danced to the tune of the same name, or any other reel
          -- Has nothing to do with raking leaves or eating marshmallows :)

Movements of the Dance:

         (a) Advance and Retire

         (b) Swing with Opposite Lady

         (c) Swing with Lady on Right

         (d) Link arms in Centre

         (e) Swing Out

The Rakes of Mallow
from Olive Hurley's Ceili Dancing Step by Step, Volume 2

Fun Facts:

• According to Ar Rince Foirne, this dance was "arranged by the Late Father Lorcan O Muireadhaigh, during ceilithe in the Irish College, Omeath, where the girls outnumbered the boys." 
• The village, Omeath is located in County Louth, in the province of Leinster, close to the boarder with Northern Ireland... and nowhere near Mallow!
• Rake, short for rakehell, refers to a dissolute man, usually given to vices like drinking, promiscuity, gambling, and womanizing. 
• Mallow is located in County Cork, in the province of Munster. 
• The tune, "The Rakes of Mallow," dates back to the 1780s, and is a fight song for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 
• "The Rakes of Mallow" tune has been featured in several films, including The Quiet Man (1952), 1941 (1979), and Rudy (1993).

Why do I like this ceili? 

          Unlike many ceili dances, The Rakes of Mallow doesn't have a repeating body or series of several [often intricate] figures. It's a nice, progressive long dance without too many complications. I think this ceili would be great for a community or school-wide ceili, since its simple to perform and easy to remember. My wonderful ceili class dancers had loads of fun learning this dance, and as seen in the video below, The Rakes of Mallow is fun for Irish dancers of all ages!

Have you danced The Rakes of Mallow? What do you think of this ceili? Do you think you'll still be Irish dancing when you're older [like the fantastic ceili dancers in the last video]? Did you know what "rake" meant?

Keep Dancing,

Moira

Blog Challenge: What are You Reading?

August's Blog Challenge from The Dance Buzz asks the question, "What are you reading?" Well, with fall dance just a week away, I've been prepping for my upcoming classes! I'm so so so excited to teach Ceili Club this year, so obviously there's only one book I've been reading lately... Ar Rince Foirne! For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ar Rince Foirne, this book compiles 30 popular ceili dances and is the basis for the ceili portions of the TCRG examination. If you're interested, Ar Rince Foirne is available online, here!

This summer, our Ceili Club danced a handful of ceili dances over 6 weeks...and had a blast! My favorite ceili dances from this summer's class were the Bonfire Dance & the Gates of Derry. I love those dances because I have wonderful memories associated with both of them.

The Bonfire Dance is one of the first ceilis I remember learning. In the bingo hall of St. Martha's Church, I skipped along [not really knowing what was going on], listening as Sheila Butler called the dance from her well-worn copy of Ar Rince Fiorne. My little 12-year-old self loved "The Rose." I'm not sure why, but standing with my hand on my left hip with my right toe pointed, waiting for my "gent" to come back to swing around with me seemed like the most fun ceili move ever! If you'd like to see what the Bonfire Dance is all about, check out this video from a St. Patrick's Day celebration in Vienna, Austria!  This summer, my dancers made a fake bonfire [consisting of a pile of sparkly red tutus that live at the dance studio] and performed the Bonfire Dance around it...yet another cherished Bonfire Dance memory to add to the file.

Many of the wonderful Butler dancers that helped me through the Bonfire Dance, and Sheila!
I'm 4th from the left, rocking a sweet ponytail :) Gotta love outdoor performances in Florida. 

The Gates of Derry was my favorite eight-hand, danced several times at the Southern Region Oirechtas. My team was super fun, and super serious about winning [a great combination for an oireachtas team, right?]. Somehow, dancing an entire ceili doing overs wasn't so bad when danced with friends!  I'm not sure which was more fun, dancing with some of my favorite Drake dancers, or standing on the podium with them for 3 years running?!

Our 2002 [winning!] Gates of Derry team & the adorable "baby eight-hand" team :)
I'm 4th from the left in this picture too... weird?

If you haven't had the pleasure of dancing the Gates of Derry... well, you're missing out! Here's a lovely video from Olive Hurley's Ceili Dancing Step by Step, Volume 2.

I'm looking forward to more wonderful ceili memories this fall, with the help of Ar Rince Foirne! What are your favorite ceili dances? Do you have any meaningful ceili memories?

Keep Dancing,

Moira

Back to School = Back to Dance [& Back to Blog!]

Hope everyone is having a great back to school [if you're a student] & back to dance season. Summer is sadly coming to a close, but fall brings wonderful changes! Adorable fall clothes, new school supplies, and the beginning of the Oireachtas countdown season!

This fall also marks a momentous milestone on my journey to becoming a TCRG: I'm officially a dance teacher at the Williston School of Dance! I'm teaching our intermediate [novice level] Irish dancers & a super fun class ceili class [or, as we like to call it, Ceili Club]. With the 2013 TCRG exams well on their way, I'm ready to hunker down with Ar Rince Foirne and teach some ceilis!

 I'm eternally sorry for my month long hiatus from updating this lovely blog :) Real life got in the way [read: STUDYING got in the way]. Here's what I was up to when my nose wasn't in a textbook...

Tried to rest & allow my stress-fractured/tendinitis afflicted foot heal...

...which is really hard to do with an awesome new pair of Iconic hard shoes to dance in!
[more on the new shoes to come!] 

Ran into some much-loved fellow Drake dancers at an Irish pub back home...

... and danced a treble reel [while barefoot & wearing a maxi-dress] with Kelsey! 

Danced a 4-Hand with the WSD dancers and the fabulous Irish band, An Triur!

[I said I tried to rest my foot...] 

Mostly, I cheered on Team USA during the Olympics! 

Including A LOT of Gators...

Like this handsome gent: 

Ryan Lochte brought home 5 medals... and looks pretty good in a speedo #Jeah

I celebrated Ryan's triumphant return from the London games at his surprise homecoming party [thrown by good friend of mine.. and his] 

and of course... I was completely mesmerized by the USA women's gymnastics team:

and would love to see those be-sparkled leos translated into solo dresses! 

So, those are the highlights of the last month or so! Sorry for the lack of updates, but I'm back and ready for some fall fun!

Keep Dancing,

Moira 

Strictly Irish Dance: Live Blog!

I cannot express how excited I am to watch Ireland's TV3's documentary of the 2011 World Championships: Strictly Irish Dancing! I'm so so so psyched! Why? Not just because my former and much loved teacher, Karl Drake, is featured. Not just because I'm hoping to see some of my Drake dancing friends on the small screen. Not just because the documentary showcases the awesomeness that is my friend, Camp Rince Ceol counselor, dress maker [Fairy Reel Dancewear], and new TCRG: the extraordinary Caitlin Kelly. I'm excited for all of those wonderful things, but I'm extra excited because TLC decided to show the world what Irish dancing is really all about... in a one-hour format :) 

Stay tuned for LIVE blogging during the show! [10:00pm EST on TLC]


10:00pm: YES! Here we go. Within seconds, Karl Drake is screaming on TV. Thanks TLC, I miss that voice :)

10:01: Claire is far beyond amazing amazing! Sheesh, she can do so much up on her toes. Unbelievable!

10:05: Oh, hi again Karl! So happy to see him [yelling at his dancers] on TV. "ARMS KELSEY" ...Oh my dear, sweet Kelsey Micko, that was meant for you, I'm sure. I've know her since she was tiny, adorable, and amazingly talented. Now she's tall, gorgeous, and amazingly talented :)

--- 1st commercial break ---

10:12: Hi, Catie Foley! There's another blonde Drake dancer I can remember from when she was tiny. And yes, Mr. Karl, the jet lag is a serious problem! I remember that, all too well! Side note: I want need rhinestone buckles.

10:15: I'm so distracted by this narrator. What else does he narrate?! His voice is so familiar. Clearly, I watch too much TLC! [Update: I think he narrates "Say Yes to the Dress" and/or "What Not to Wear"]

10:16: Jack is a cutie...love his stripes and plaid combo outfit during his interview. More than that, I love watching him dance. He's got the relaxed-arms thing down perfectly. And he smiles! Such a rarity in competition.

10:17: Love Catie's giant fluffy flower! Super cute bun-wig look.

---2nd commercial break---

10:22: Sock glue! Thanks for explaining that to the rest of the World, Ronan...such a necessity! I'm not loving how TLC edited this to be all abut this U19 rivalry, but Jessica looks lovely! I love white solo costumes. A LOT. She's a beautiful dancer! I'm so happy with how much of her set TLC aired!! Note to self:  Work on axles in hard shoes and trebles up on your toes. 


10:26: Why do they keep showing Catie's back!? I want to see the front! Love that Karl matched his shirt to her costume... Oh, Mr. Karl. Catie is a lovely dancer, and I love her dress! She and Karl are super cute together as well :) Wish I could've seen more of her set!

10:28: Interesting interpretation of curls! Agree about looking realistic and natural! 

--- 3rd commercial break ---

10:31:  I like Jack's competition look. Very clean, and not too blingy... the rhinestones can get to be a little much on the boys for my liking. 


10:33:  Way to pop your collar, Claire! She's so fabulous. Look at those legs, and feet!! Her calves are insane. "How did you ever win the Worlds?" ...Oh, Claire. No one will EVER ask that question about you! She's so sweet with her lucky Winnie the Pooh :) World Champ's trick: Coke on your soft shoes to not slip! I'm more of a rosin girl myself, but that works! 


10:36: Her dress is beautiful! Perfect combination of modern [so sparkly!] and traditional [with the pleats and knot work]. And then there's the controversial globe on her cape. My thoughts? She earned it, let her wear a globe! What are your thoughts on World champs wearing globes on their costumes?


10:38: It's called a RECALL, not a call back!


10:39: Yes to natural looking style of dance and expressiveness. There's nothing like a dancer who makes it look effortless. 

--- 4th commercial break---

10:44: RECALLED! NOT CALLED BACK! WHY DOES HE KEEP SAYING THAT?! Sorry for the shouting. 

10:45: WHY did they cut away from Claire's dancing so much?! And keep showing her from the knees up?!  Her feet are amazing and deserve all the screen time. I don't care about the audience...

10:46: I do appreciate that TLC is attempting to explain the ever-confusing Irish points scoring system.  YAY Jack! I love watching people succeed!

10:48: "It's so brilliant!" - Jack Quinn, 2011 World Champion

---5th commercial break---

10:52: Jessica or Catie? Spoiler alert: neither... but 3rd and 8th are amazing!! I love Karl and Catie's reaction to Catie placing 8th! "I love you! I love you! I love you!" - Mr. Karl Drake :) Well done, girls!

10:58: Why am I so nervous watching Claire listen for her scores?! I know already know she won! Winning the Worlds 5 times in a row is unbelievable! Claire's family is adorable...that "Galway Bay" sing-a-long was the perfect way to end the movie.

-------

Reaction: I'm so glad they showed this movie on TLC! Although the editing wasn't quite right, I'm still happy to have Irish dancing on a national network. I wish TLC didn't put such an emphasis on the U19 Jessica Hindley vs. Catie Foley rivalry. I also wish they showed Claire dancing more, and had an actually Irish dancer consult on the editing of the documentary. They might not have done this movie justice in the editing room, but they did portray Karl Drake perfectly! I loved watching my teacher on TV! Oh, and they cut out the TCRG-hopeful storyline with my friend Caitlin Kelly. Lame...she's awesome, and I've been spending a lot of time with Ar Rince Foirne lately. Overall, TLC's version of Strictly Irish Dancing was still fun to watch, but the original was MUCH better and more true to Irish dance.

What did you think of this version? Comment with your thoughts :)

Be sure to watch the Strictly Irish Dancing in it's original format at RincePop! & for a more extensive look at the pros and cons of TLC's version this documentary, check out Rince Go Bragh.

Keep Dancing,
Moira

PS: Thank you everyone for reading my blog! Make sure to enter for a chance to WIN a pair of your very own hard shoes from Iconic Dancer!

What's in S.J.'s Dance Bag?

Our next dance bag comes from one of my favorite Irish Dance bloggers... S.J. from RincePop! S.J. is a professional multimedia journalist by day, Irish dancer by night. 

Isn't she lovely?

She currently works at The Buffalo News as multimedia content coordinator for Buffalo.com and regularly blogs for IrishCentral.com. She also maintains RincePop.com. Her Irish dance-themed news articles, videos and blogs have appeared in Hornpipe Magazine, Feis America Magazine, The Irish Times, The Buffalo Irish Times, I Heart That Dance blog, MichaelFlatley.com and Diddlyi.com -- and RincePop.com and  IrishCentral.com, of course!

S.J. dances with the Clann Na Cara School of Irish Dance in Buffalo and is a newbie flamenco dancer. 

And without further ado, let's see what's in S.J's Dance bag...

I've tried so many time to clean out my bag, a hardy medium-sized L.L. Bean Tote, but I always end up stuffing it full of dance necessities and other goofy junk. 

Here's what I found in my dance bag today, in no particular order: hard shoes, ghillies, flamenco shoes (I just took up the Spanish dance form this year), shoe horn, headband, sock glue, baby powder, stray socks, deodorant, shoe polish, lotion, anti-bac, sewing kit, lip balm, pen, permanent marker, Ar Rince Foirne and Back to Back booklets (gotta have all the ceili steps on hand to know if the top gent turns clockwise), mini makeup kit from Sephora, digital camera (to record my teacher's steps when I know I won't remember them), hair pins, duct and electrical tape, iPod and little hamburger speaker (IT REALLY COMES IN HANDY),blinged shoe buckles, water bottle and two notebooks -- a Moleskine and an Ursula Celano, which I won from IrishFireside.com.

Now, to explain myself. The hamburger speaker seems extravagant, I know. But I've actually used it a few times at competitions when I need to go through steps and don't want earbuds dangling from my head. It's nice -- like having a tiny boombox that fits in a pocket. And as for the two notebooks, I'm a journalist by trade, so I'm always interviewing people or writing down potential story ideas. So one of the notebooks acts as a reporter's notebook, and the other is more of a dancer journal.


Love S.J. and this dance bag? [I do!] Here's more from S.J. on the web:
RincePop [blog]
RincePop [facebook]
@RincePop [twitter]
Irish Dance and Pop Culture [blog on Irish Central]
SJVelasquez.com [tumblr]


Keep Dancing,
Moira