WHAT JUDGES WILL BE LOOKING FOR AFTER LOCKDOWN

This cannot last forever. Nothing ever does, so why would Coronavirus be any different. Nothing has ever permanently halted the progress of humanity before and this virus will be no different. Humans, as they always do, will find a way around this. And then, our wonderful community will be able to return to the Irish dancing calendar and the events that shape our year(s). Irish dancing will emerge from our living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, garages and outdoor spaces and return to its rightful home: the stage.

When that happens, as well as dancers around the world returning to what they love, adjudicators will be returning to their passion too, and no doubt their expectations will not have slipped, despite classes not being run in their usual format. Upholding their expectations of high standards is essential to maintaining quality throughout the world of Irish dance. But what qualities specifically will judges be looking for after all of this is over? What will they be focusing on? What will they be expecting? And what advice would they offer to dancers preparing for the stage? We caught up with a handful adjudicators who offered some idea of what they will be looking for.

Cara Casey O’Loughlin ADCRG

“For my own students, this time in isolation has been both restorative and inspirational. I believe that it has been a gift for many dancers to rest their bodies, heal from injury and spend quality time with their families. They have also taken these months to connect with other dancers from around the world and share their love of Irish dance and music through social media in new ways. Some dancers have fought through a lot of adversity the last few months and have still come out fighting. Others have a new found gratitude for their health and privilege during these tough times. What has always drawn me to dance was its escape from ‘the outside world.’ The stage is our safe space. Our calm in the storm. As an adjudicator, there will be nothing better than getting back into the best seat in the house to witness both dancers’ and choreographers’ cutting-edge interpretations of our beautiful, cultural art form. I adore seeing choreography that makes me smile because of its fine-tuned understanding of music. The cherry on top is having it performed by a dancer who understands the choreography, in all of its complexities, and makes it look effortless. If a dancer is passionate about their art form, it comes out in the performance. The best advice I could give to dancers right now would be to think about why they dance, what they excel at, and channel it into their performance. Irish dancers are some of the most dedicated, artists and athletes in the world. When I see the combination of passion, musicality, choreography and refined technique come together in a performance, that’s when I put down my pen and just enjoy.”

Fiona Kidd ADCRG

‘I am always a stickler for feet perfection. I would expect dancers technique for their turn out and crossing to be good as there is simply no excuse for it to be otherwise. This can always be drilled on the spot if struggling for space at home and a dancer only needs a small mirror in front of them or some patio doors; anything where the dancer can see their legs.

I will be expecting good general fitness and the required level of stamina. There is no excuse, with us all having a lot of extra time on our hands, dancers can get skipping, or running or hiit training.

My advice to dancers right now would be to focus their efforts (whilst they have the time) on those exercises that usually are hard for them to get done when rushing from school and between dancing class. For example, increasing flexibility through yoga, working on core strength for posture, and ballet exercises for arches and foot and ankle strength. All of the above take time and patience but will help your dancing so much; but you have to be so dedicated during this time as we all know nothing is a quick fix. Use this time wisely!’

Aidan Comerford ADCRG

‘I am really looking forward to adjudicating again and to watching dancers perform on stage once lockdown is over. When I am sat back in the judging seat I will be looking to see who has managed to keep physically fit and maintain stamina during this period. It will be very evident to me which dancers have stuck to a training regime during the period of no face-to-face classes and it is very important for a dancer to be able to provide a performance which finishes as strong as it starts. I will also be looking out for those dancers who, despite a prolonged period of online classes, have managed to maintain a good top to toe look. The top to toe look is always important to me as a judge but I am conscious that during lockdown it may have been difficult for teachers to be able to see this through zoom classes. I’m talking about things like good posture and good carriage. Overall, those dancers that have worked on their performance, as well as the execution of their steps during this period will definitely stand out to me when I am sat at the adjudicators’ table!’

Kristin Zagorski ADCRG

‘When judging a dancer after lockdown, I plan to continue being honest and fair, and I will also be understanding, realizing that competitors might not be as polished. Some dancers do well with routine. They are out of the habit of competing and might be more nervous or apprehensive since they haven’t done it for such a long period of time. I realize that some dancers may not have even had access to WiFi or zoom classes, or might not even have had a chance to work with a teacher online. I will still look for the usual qualities of timing, foot placement, each dancer being on their toes, extension, posture, etc. I will be encouraging, supportive, and will do what I can to make them feel at ease. Know that I will be smiling under my mask.

As a teacher, I recently started taking small classes again and I noticed that everyone’s posture was slightly different. Many dancers were tipping forward at the waist or had their shoulders curled forward. I believe this is from looking at a screen, and because I see it in my own dancers, I would expect that some competitors might have a slight lean in their posture too. I would not take off for this “screen lean” as I call it.

I am also expecting dancers to not move as much at first.  Many dancers have practiced in a small space, like a living room or kitchen and are not used to having space to move. More experienced dancers will probably be fine jumping back to a larger space, and excited about it; but I expect younger, less experienced dancers to move less.

My advice to the dancers still in lockdown is to keep working out, drill the pieces that you need to improve, and listen to your teachers. I also suggest working on other aspects to complement your dancing, like listening to music, jumping rope, calf raises, one leg hops, drilling trebles to both hornpipe and heavy jig, stretching, setting goals, and clearing your mind. There have been many workout videos posted specifically for Irish dancers, such as Ellen Gahl Walker from Target Training, James Devine the Irish dance coach, Chloey Turner, etc. to help with your strength, power, stretching, technique, and mindset. A dancer will catch my attention with energy, confidence, control, and style. Do your best and have fun. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone competing again.’

Kelly Hendry ADCRG

‘Well firstly, I’ve always admired dancers’ ability to juggle school, homework, exams, friends, hobbies, dancing, practice, feis’ etc., but I can safely say that lockdown has given me a whole new level of admiration for dancers and their sheer resilience, even during the most difficult of times. As a teacher, taking our classes ‘online’ has allowed us to focus more on ‘basics’. A lot of the time on Zoom, all you can see is a set of feet or a body with no head - so you’re not focused on stage presence, costumes, tricks etc. like you would if you were in the studio preparing for the next major. You’re looking at basics - feet, turn out, crossing, carriage, toe height, power. So I think I will judge through a different lens in the future and have a greater appreciation for basics and a deeper respect for the discipline these dancers possess.

All dancers have had different lockdown experiences, so it wouldn’t be right to ‘expect’ anything of dancers. Some have had small practice spaces; some have had to jump over the dog in their kitchen just to get through their reel! Some have had to continue going to school as their parents/guardians have been classed as key-workers, some have been off for months. Some have had horrendous experiences during lockdown and some have enjoyed a peaceful rest. For me personally, there are no expectations, simply a greater appreciation for how difficult these past few months have been for everyone. I think we’ll all just enjoy being ‘back together’ without too much expectation, and we’ll simply enjoy being back doing what we all love. The one thing lockdown has taught us all is that the results are secondary, we all just want to be able to compete for the love of dancing and to remember WHY we dance in the first place.

My advice to dancers right now would be to use the time you all have wisely. Find new ways of getting fit and improving things that your teacher(s) have asked you to work on in the past. Lockdown has allowed us all a new perspective on life and our dancing. We can always find ways to improve, get fitter, stronger and come back with a new-found passion for dancing. I've found that my dancers now know exactly what it means to ‘home-practice’. Zoom has shown that we can not only teach from home but also PRACTICE at home… Something that I hope my dancers will continue to do long after we return to the studio. It’s also important to use this time to rest and recover. There’s a fine balance between doing too little and too much, so I think it’s important to use this time to re-energize so that we’re all ready and raring to go when our feis world reopens.’

Byron Tuttle ADCRG

‘When lockdown is finally over and we can all meet again at a feis, I think the results may seem almost secondary at first, given the circumstances. It will be great just to be able to be together again with friends and colleagues doing what we love. No doubt, we may find ourselves feeling very thankful; with a new found respect and appreciation for everything that Irish dancing offers us.

That being said, dancers and teachers alike are all anxiously counting down the days until we can get back to competitive normality. Maintaining a desire to practice, improve, excel, and compete is still extremely important.

Aside from the basics of timing, posture, and foot placement, something I would like to see from a dancer when judging the next feis (especially after lockdown) is determination. You can tell if a dancer is determined by the way they walk on stage, the way they stand, the effort they put into their dancing and the attention to detail they place on their basics and choreography. I would like to see a dancer who is clearly undeterred by the setbacks of lockdown. These are trying times for competitive dancers and I feel it is important to show that, despite all odds, you have worked hard at home, put in the time, never given up and are giving it everything you’ve got when the time comes to dance onstage again.

After months of staying at home; doing your best to remain motivated and train is not easy without being able to get into your dancing class and see your teachers and fellow classmates. As much as we would like to think we will return to the feis circuit unaffected, the reality is it will be extremely difficult, and that’s ok. Dancers and teachers shouldn’t feel discouraged and need to remember that everyone around the world is in a similar situation and will get through it.

When judging after lockdown, I would expect to see dancers who may not be as fit as they usually would be or dancers who may need a little more polish. However, all of these things will surely come back in no time.

I think it’s important that we all support one another and not rush to judgment so quickly when seeing dancers back in action after so much time away. It is important that dancers try to regain a sense of confidence and self-esteem with regards competitive dancing, without worrying about being criticized too harshly.

I have several pieces of advice for dancers out there who are training at home and are eagerly awaiting their return to a feis:

First, I would strongly encourage rigorous and meaningful practice at home and also when you are eventually back in your dancing class. Often times dancers think they’re going to keep fit for dancing by doing other forms of exercise or training, however, there is NO better way to be fit for dancing than by dancing. No amount of exercise can replace the benefits of doing your dances repetitively all the way through. If dancers want to use other methods of exercise and training IN ADDITION to their dancing, that’s fantastic, but in place of daily dance practice, I wouldn’t recommend that.

Second, listen to your teachers. They have always got your best interests at heart and will be able to guide you and help you to get back on track and stay on track.

Third, I would encourage all dancers to take a moment to reflect and remember WHY they dance. Hopefully the answer is because you absolutely love Irish dancing. No amount of social distancing or lockdown could have kept me from continuing to dance because I loved dancing so much. If I had to wait an entire year to do a feis, I would have waited and I would have danced every day until then. If you are only in dancing purely just to compete, and you base your self worth as a dancer solely on placements in dancing competitions, you may find yourself even more discouraged than normal and feeling like hanging up the shoes. So I recommend you take a moment to remind yourself WHY you dance; because you love it and the feeling of dancing brings us such joy. You should never let that go. If you can hold onto that, you will get through this global pandemic and it won’t be long before you are shining onstage once again.’

Sure, this is just a tiny sample of the adjudicators out there right now. And sure, these adjudicators do not speak for the rest of the adjudicating body Irish dancing has to offer. However, there certainly are common themes here that might be representative of the opinions of adjudicators generally. We have adjudicators acknowledging the incredible difficulties dancers will have had to overcome just to get back to the stage. We have adjudicators respecting that dancers might not be at their very best when they first return to the stage. All have stated that they will still be looking for the fundamentals of Irish dance to be executed to a high standard while some have stated that they certainly will not be judging anyone harshly once all of this is over. One thing that has shone through is that adjudicators are certainly missing feiseanna. So, take their advice: be determined; consider why you dance; stay fit and practice as much as possible during this time, and when you get to point your toe in front of an adjudicator again, be mindful that they have missed you and that they might just be the happiest set of adjudicators you will have ever danced in front of.