By Catherine Duplisea
Competitive Irish dancing has grown tremendously in the past 20 years and is now truly a global sport. There are dance schools spread clear across the globe, from Russia to Germany, Mexico, Australia, Canada, and everywhere in between. Dancers compete locally and travel, sometimes across the country or even the ocean, for competitions.
There are six competitive levels, called grades, that dancers progress through over the years. The first level is beginner, where dancers need to win a first, second, or third place in each dance to progress.
The next level is advanced beginner, a continuation of beginner for those who have already been competing for a year. Next, students compete in Novice, where the steps get a bit more intricate, the music slows down to allow for this, and dancers must win a first place in each dance to progress but can move up in each dance as they are ready.
Many schools require students to earn more than one first place to ensure success as they progress through the grades. Dancers may stay in this level, even after winning, for the calendar year.
The next level is prize-winner, and this is the last level before entering the championship levels. Dancers must win first place in each dance to progress and must get first place in soft and hard shoe dances before they can move up to the championship levels. Again, many teachers require their students to do more than the minimum requirements to move.
Once dancers move up to the championship levels, they enter preliminary championship first. In this level, dancers compete dancing a soft shoe round and a hard shoe round in front of three adjudicators; the scores are tallied, and the top half of the competition receive awards. You must win first place in your prelim competition three times to enter the final level.
Open Championship
Open championship is the highest competitive level and mimics the three rounds dancers perform at major competitions, but usually has three adjudicators vs. the five at majors. Majors are the regional, national, and international competitions that dancers compete in.
Traditionally the competitions ran from May through October, but in the last decade, they have become available almost every weekend of the calendar year, with many back-to-back days. These competitions are called feiseanna or feis for short. Feiseanna is a Gaelic word that translates to “festival.”
Many dance families pack up for the weekend, stay in a hotel, and enjoy a mini vacation in surrounding cities and states as they attend these competitions. Traveling is one of the best and most expensive parts of competitive Irish dance that allows people to explore new places and experience other cultures!
Catherine Duplisea
*Catherine Duplisea was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She danced for and now assistant teaches for the Burke School of Irish Dance. Catherine attained her Bachelor’s degree at John Carroll University, Ohio and earned a Masters of Education: Applied Digital Learning degree from Lamar University, Texas.
Catherine taught elementary education for ten years, served as a curriculum STEM coach for teachers for five years, and currently supports principals in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
