New Year Means New Posts
December 23, 2009
Merry Christmas to everyone!
I want to say thank you to everyone who has read and commented on my blog. It has been really fulfilling for me to express my feelings and ideas here and get such honest and positive feedback. I love to write, so this has been a great outlet for me.
In a dance form so intense, full of passion, emotion and relationships, there are a lot of situations to be canvassed. I’d love to address questions that you may have about how to succeed, both personally, with friends or with your mentors.
So, for Christmas, may I ask a favor?
Please reply with questions that you would like answered or blogged about this coming year. I won’t publish the responses, but hole them up for use as inspiration this coming year.
Thanks for your help to make the Irish Dance Teacher’s Blog more meaningful for all our visitors!
IrishDanceTeacher's Blog 
I have found your posts really helpful when trying to motivate my daughter. She is an Open dancer and has hit a plataux over the last year. She has been told it is only her confidence that is holding her back. Her reply is that her confidence will grow when she starts placing but she knows she won’t start placing until her confidence grows!! I find that hard to argue with. Ant thoughts to get us over this hurdle would be greatly appreciated. She is committed to working physically, but mentally something need to change.
Many Thanks
How do you help your dancers continue when their hard work doesn’t pay off? When the months of effort that’s more than they’ve ever given result in a worse placement?
A girl who’s never once beaten me, in two years of competition, got 34th at my Oireacthas. Even accounting for her having a fabulous day, before my set I was still 14 places behind her. My set dropped me 12, which I don’t feel is unjust. But I really dance well, I thought, in my first two rounds. I love dance more than anything, and want to do well. And yes, I know achieving a championship status, recalling at regionals, I know that’s better than a lot of dancers do.
But for me, it’s not good enough. I want to be in Dublin next year. How do you motivate your dancers when they’re stuck in a rut?
Does what connections your teacher has in the Irish Dance world (ex: ADCRGs, TCRGs that they’re friends with) really have an effect on the placements of their dancers? Do teachers gossip about their dancers with other teachers?
Three Topics so far. Please keep them coming!
Thanks!
I am hoping to be a teacher once I am done my competitive career and would love to hear your thoughts on what skills you need as a teacher. What has made you successful? What things have you regretted?
I would love to know what sports are complementary with ID, what sport is good for cross training?
LOVE this blog!
Any tips on improving turnout and keeping arms in.
Thanks!