r/irishdance

Have a few questions about interpreting rules/recalls for adults and in general:

https://www.naidc26.com/comps/adults

1. Assuming the O40 adult teams have each member age 40 and older and U40 likewise, age 40 and younger? What if the team is a mix of people above 40 and under 40? What determines the placement of where a team is in this case?
2. Is it me or are some of the adult categories only featuring 1-2 teams each, or will more be posted? For instance, adult mixed 4H O40 only has two teams--Iris Cairde and Richens Timm/Columbus Celtic Dancers? (Category 72)
3. Finally, saw someone mention a dancer "finished as the next to recall", just assuming that is the one place directly adjacent to recall position. It was a dancer who was newer and at his first Nationals and he did great.

What methods are the most effective for making heavies as slip proof as possible?

I wipe the carpet fibres off mine before going on stage and some of my class rub Coca Cola onto their shoes! Are there any other tricks we are missing which don’t compromise sound?

I currently wear Fays which are incredibly comfortable however I do not think they are the most flattering on my feet. I could definitely do with sizing down (originally bought close to my shoe size as I needed shoes last min before a feis) and perhaps this is the issue.

Are other brands more flattering for arches or is it more so about wearing a smaller size? In my organisation we can’t wear white tape or laces so I am really depending on the shoe as is for aesthetics. Thank you!

So I used to Irish dance as a kid and saw Riverdance at Wolftrap in the DMV area back in the early 2000’s. Recently, I have been reinvesting my time and enjoying the part of my culture that I feel so connected with. I saw Riverdance back in 2024 and it was BREATHTAKING. My birthday was coming up this year (2026) and my husband, being an absolute gem, got me tickets to Celtic Throne thinking it would be similar to Riverdance. Let me tell you, Celtic Throne is not even similar. The story starts in 539 BC in Jerusalem. There isn’t much connection to the actual history of Ireland. In fact, nobody (or very few) of the dancers are actually from Ireland. They are from Oklahoma. After doing some research, the funding for Celtic
Throne comes from the ‘Philadelphia Church of God’. Apparently the son of the head of the church took a liking to Irish dance and now they use it as a way to spread Evangelical propaganda. When the show begins, i noticed there were many dancers in soft shoes who were obviously not professionals. Please, if you are a fan of Riverdance, do not be fooled into thinking Celtic Throne is on the same level. It is solely a way for them to promote their church.

Hello we are Canadians hoping to attend our first Feis in Toledo in August. Our oldest is in Novice/Prizewinner so hoping for her to gain more experience. Our youngest is 5 and typically we would have her do the Tir na nog but it seems like the only option for her would be first Feis since it is structured a little differently than the ones we are used to. She mostly has the first step of her reel both sides. Would that be enough to do first Feis? Just want to understand what is typical.

Wondering if anyone could help me/has been in a similar situation!
I am going to be 19 in a month and I haven’t danced in over a year besides the club i recently started at college. I did not go to nationals last year because i tore my MCL (knee injury) and essentially just never went back after that because of school and life changes.
I would love to get back into it and I’m having a really hard time not being at the same level I was over a year ago when I got injured. My goal would be to go to NAIDC next year and maybe competition ready by the end of winter/early spring 2027 so I can get at least one comp in before nationals.

my main question is what should I be focusing on strengthening/stretching etc. and how much a day/week should I practice so I don’t overdo it? I’m very use to 10+ hours a week and genuinely don’t know how to limit myself. I am extremely out of shape haha

The competition is this week…so I’m interested to see what exactly happens?

This is my first time buying ghillies by myself and I have no idea what I’m doing.

What brands are the best for competing in?

What’s the benefit of having a split sole vs non split sole?

Any other advice is welcome!!

I have an 8 year old dancer who started dancing at 3 years old. She was very unserious about Irish dance until about a year ago, which I think is healthy! In the last year she started competing in feisanna and has become very driven to succeed and practices on her own every day. She had been dancing at her school once per week, but we added a supplemental class this spring at her request. She handily moved up from First Feis to Novice in all dances in that year.

Her dance school has suggested that she participate in teams as well, which adds another day and many more hours of dance per week to her schedule. At our school you cannot move to the more advanced classes unless you commit to participating on teams. My daughter REALLY wants to do this, but it would mean cutting other activities, which I don't think is appropriate at her age.

So my question is, what is the end goal of all of this? Getting to OC or Worlds competitions as quickly as possible? What happens if you make it to OC level at 10, 11, 12 years old? Is your goal then to place higher every year? Is there a reason to push so hard to move up levels at a young age vs. slowly improving over time?

My daughter loves Irish dance so I'm trying to balance her competitive nature with what's a healthy level of commitment for a kid her age. I also would hate to see her burn out of something she loves by letting her push too hard too soon!

I am struggling with what size I should try for these ghillies. I am a US women’s 9-9.5 in street shoes, a 6.5 in Rutherford hard shoes, and a 6.5 in Broga soft shoes. I felt like my Brogas were a little too loose, so I ordered a size 6 in Hullachan Hugs- they were so tight I couldn’t get them on my feet. Sent them back and ordered a 6.5, since that’s what my other shoes are. My toes pop all the way out of the front. Then ordered a 7 and 7.5, figuring one of those MUST be my size. Even the 7.5 seems a touch too small! I am so confused, and irritated because I’ve been waiting to try these out for a while now.

1. NAIDC notes the event in Orlando is a competition AND a conference. What is the "conference" part in this case? Or does that just include the vendors, teacher meeting, etc. and other related activities that are not competition-related?

2. In the syllabus, how come there are no Senior Men U22 and Senior Men 22 and over? The break point for men is U20 and 20 and over instead?

Not a big deal, just curious--love our crazy, weird sport! I'm still learning new things every day. So many arcane details and little things to keep track of.

What are the reasons that allow a child to move schools, is there a way to avoid the ban/restyljng or to shorten it from 6 months. My girls dance with an chomhdhail registered school currently. Ideally I would like to move them to a school within the same branch but unsure what reasons I would have to give or even if I can