Feis Survival
What to Bring to a Feis
- Dance Shoes
- Dance Costume
- Poodle Socks
- Bloomers
- Brush and hairspray
- Safety pins for the shawl *
- Safety pins or a thin ribbon
for the entry number ** - Water/Juice/Snacks
- Camera - no video is allowed
- Band-aids
- Syllabus and directions
- Stage sheets if available
Suggestions:
* Sometimes the shawl comes unhooked while dancing. Safety pins can be used to
secure it.
** The competitor number needs to be worn in front of the costume. If you don't want
to put a hole in the costume, make a little hole in each corner of the card. Thread the
ribbon through each hole and tie around the waist. Some feisanna have a hole puncher at the
check-in desk.
Arriving at the Feis:
- Arrive about a half hour early
- Go to the check in/registration table to get the competitor card.
- If stage sheets were not available, get a program with them.
- Find the stages where your child will be dancing.
- Dress your child in the costume.
Suggestion:
Point out a meeting place if you and your child get separated. There are HUNDREDS of people
at these competitions.
Competing in an Event
- Each stage will have a poster or white board stating the current event and next event.
- Each stage will have a check-in person, a "launcher", a judge and a musician.
- When your event is next, send your child to the check-in person.
- The check-in person will check the competitor card to verify it's the right event.
- The check-in person will direct your child to the standby chairs next to the stage.
- When your event begins, the "launcher" will take a group of competitors onto the stage.
- The competitors will then stand in a line at the end of the stage.
- The "launcher" will tell the first 2 children to come forward.
- The music will start.
- At the beginning levels, the "launcher" will begin counting measures so the kids know when to start dancing.
- The launcher will tell the next pair to get ready when the prior pair are almost done.
- When all the competitors have danced, they will bow to the judge and walk off the stage.
Suggestions:
Do not stand next to another Dó Cairde dancer on the stage. Any differences in performance,
intentional or not, will be apparent to the judge.
Keep dancing even if you make a mistake - DON'T STOP!
After Competing:
- Results from each event will be posted on large pieces of poster board.
- The location of these posters varies with each feis.
- Results are posted about 20 minutes after the event. It varies with each feis.
- Look for the event number in the left column of the poster.
- Reading across, there are boxes for first, second, third and possibly honorable mention.
- Depending on the level, there may be a few competitor numbers in each box.
- If your child's number is in one of the boxes, go to the trophy table with the competitor card.
- The volunteer will verify things and present a trophy or medal.
Getting the Marks or Scores
- Once the results have been posted, you may get the scoring results.
- Get a form and enter the competitor number and event(s).
- These results will detail the score for each place and what your child scored.
- Sometimes mistakes are made when listing the placements. Do check your score.
- In addition, it may contain comments from the judge.
Some feisanna will mail marks home. Fill out the form, address the envelope and put it in the pile. This can be done before any results come in.