Now more than ever we absolutely must look forwards. Even with no definitive end in sight, we all, each of us in the Irish dancing community, must doggedly, resiliently and determinedly focus on a positive Irish dancing future. We must look forward to an Irish dancing future where we come together again and dance, and adjudicate, and teach, and play music and officiate. We must hold on to hope. We must stay positive and we must keep reminding ourselves that in the grand scheme of things this is a pause on an otherwise life-long journey.

Yes, there has been evidence from around the world that shows some schools are losing dancers. It’s probably fair to assume that this is the case for many sports. However, we are also (mainly through social media) inundated with reminders that the Irish dancing community is not just surviving but also still thriving. Ok, there aren’t a fraction of the events to perform at, and yes, the world feels like a very strange place presently, but Irish dancing hasn’t stopped, Irish dancers are still at class (even if for some regions that is still online), Irish dancing events are still happening in some regions, and Irish dancing is still at the core of what drives many young people around the world. Irish dancing is still an art form that is making thousands of young people happy.

If we can assume that Irish dancing will be back in the not-too-distant future then we can assume that dancers will be happier than ever to be back under the bright lights in their fabulous costumes. We can also assume that dancers will have dreams and goals for when that does happen. Humans are driven by goals; they’re important for many reasons: mental health, connectivity, ego/status, relationships, instilling a feeling of purpose. The list goes on and on. So when FEIS App reached out to Irish dancers around the world, asking whether or not they had Irish dancing related goals and dreams for 2021, the response was overwhelming.

Morgan Elizabeth Bullock, USA

As an Irish dancer, I feel there is so much to look forward to over the coming year. For me, the silver lining in all the craziness that has been 2020 is the opportunity to really focus on my basics as well as taking time to think about what my next steps might be in regards to Irish dancing. In 2021 I hope to really become the confident dancer that I feel myself evolving into. This year has taught me so much about myself not only as a dancer, but also as a person. I have learned that risks are meant to be taken and that I am capable of much more than I have given myself credit for. Next year I hope to be able to honestly say that I seized every opportunity I had to become stronger, smarter, and better.

For the Irish dance community, I hope that the love and enjoyment of dance is really pushed to the forefront. We compete against one another but we also make friendships that can last a lifetime. It is so important for us as a community to remember why we do what we do; for the love of dance.

Morgan Crammond, Australia

The year 2020 has been so unpredictable and a lot of events that we normally look forward to as competitive dancers were unfortunately canceled. We have been forced to find new ways to enjoy our dancing and stay motivated. Staying motivated for when the majors once again come around. But when that is, we don’t know. As a dancer who loves the live music, the stage, the friends, the travel and the competitive atmosphere, my biggest hope and dream for 2021  would be to travel and dance on an international stage again. As an Australian dancer, it was heart breaking to miss our National Championships for the first time ever this year. I would love to be able to perform on our Nationals stage again in 2021 and aim for my 5th National title.

Ultimately for 2021, my biggest hope and dream is for the competitive circuit, both locally and internationally, to open up again (with safety in mind) and to continue to become the best dancer I can be.

Faith Moore, Ireland

It’s hardly a secret that this year was a difficult time for Irish dancers. For me personally, the hardest thing about the year was the cancellation of the World Championships. I originally planned for this to be my last year of competitive dance as I have just completed my leaving cert and I wanted to take a year out to go touring with shows before I started in college. But during quarantine, as I was practicing on my own, I realized how important Irish dancing is to me and the major role it plays in my life. I decided I wasn’t finished with competing and plan to compete for another few years.

As for 2021, I can only hope everything gets as close to normal as possible for the Irish dancing community, as we have been deprived of so much this year. But we made the best out of a bad situation with all the Zoom calls, the online competitions and all the fabulous collabs!

Ezme Hollick, UK

Throughout my dance career, I have always maintained a very goal-driven attitude, training intensely to improve my technique and competition results. After I won the World Championships in 2018, I found that my intense focus on results and competition had taken over my love for the sport. Taking time out from competing has allowed me to remember why I fell in love with Irish dance in the first place — the energetic rush of a powerful reel and the delicate intricacy of hornpipe beats. It reminded me that I dance because it makes me feel strong, gives me purpose and the chance to be part of something bigger; a community and a family. In 2021, I aim to take my innate passion for this unique sport and transfer it to the competition hall, focusing on sharing my joy with the audience rather than on a single result. After all, the process spans a much longer period than the results ceremony.

Sofia Martin, UK

2020 has been a tough year for me and for a lot of other dancers across the world — especially having the worlds cancelled and taking all classes on Zoom. However, a very positive outcome of all of this is training on Zoom made me realise how blessed and lucky I am to have such an amazing studio space and dance school. This made me stronger and more determined to come out of this better than ever. As we are all slowly starting to get back to some normality, getting back to competitions is something I cannot wait to do. Having that feeling of stepping onto the stage, and the nerves and the adrenalin, and the waiting for  results. 2021 is a year where I want to make myself proud, I want to show myself that hard times do not last and good things come out of hard times.

Orlaith Bradley

Although 2020 was not the year we had planned due to the Covid 19 pandemic, I hope that 2021 is a happy, healthy and successful year for everyone. It will certainly be an unusual year for dancers, with classes and competitions being socially-distanced as well as many other precautionary measures being put in place to ensure our safety. Nevertheless, even though 2021 might be different, we can still embrace it! Having classes moved onto Zoom and the cancellation of many of our major dance competitions in 2020, including the World Championships, will hopefully teach us to fully appreciate and enjoy every dance class and competition that we get to attend in the future. I will never again take for granted all of the wonderful opportunities Irish dance has to offer, and I feel more motivated than ever to work as hard as possible to reach my Irish dance goals in 2021.

My dreams for 2021 are to dance three great rounds at the World Championships, and feel like I have achieved my personal best performance. I hope to make my parents and dance teacher Sarah proud, especially since I haven’t danced on the World Championship stage since 2018 and I was unfortunately injured in 2019. I would also love to enhance my performance skills and possibly gain more experience as a show dancer in 2021. I am currently studying Law at Queen’s University in Belfast, so I hope to succeed in my 2021 exams too.

I hope we can all adapt to the new “normal” and stay positive, resilient and determined as we dance together through the next year!

Mackenzie Cross, Canada

My hopes and dreams for 2021 are to just get back on the stage! The time away from competing due to Covid has made me realize how much I love the rush of stepping on stage for my first round. I really hope that we will be able to have international competitions this coming year, but I have found it really inspiring the ways in which the Irish dance community has rallied together to create safe ways to get back to what we all love. I can't wait to see all my competition friends from all over the world — I miss you all!

Roisin McCabe, USA

I have been dancing with the Denogla-Ardmore Academy for 13 years. I compete in the u19 age group and am the current 2019 Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas champion. Throughout my dancing career, like many others, I have had numerous obstacles to overcome, with injury and illness. In 2016 I became severely ill with complete organ failure and spent over a month in the hospital. After numerous surgeries and treatments I was left with stage 2 chronic renal failure which I have to this day. With my sickness putting me out of dance for multiple months I couldn’t wait for the day I would be able to dance again. My longing for dance is exactly what I and so many other dancers are experiencing right now. Whether it's wanting to get back into the studio or dreaming of the next time we can get on stage to compete.

As 2020 has taken the dance world by surprise and kept us all from competing at majors, feiseanna and even going to class, it has been an extremely difficult time. One thing that kept me going in my most challenging times and now during quarantine, is the thought of standing on that stage. Thinking back on the past year there have been countless times I have come off stage and didn’t appreciate the moment enough, or came off feeling like there was more I could have done. This leads me to my goal for 2021 — whenever it is we may be back competing it is my goal to take in each and every second on that stage leaving no regrets. After experiencing so many losses such as Worlds, Nationals and for many of us our Oireachtas, my goal for 2021 is to work harder than I ever have to ensure that I get up on stage and give it my all every time.

As I sit dreaming of the next moment on stage I never want to take for granted being able to do what I love most, as we never know when our last time on stage truly is the last.

Oscar Donelly, Scotland

Hopefully, I’ll get to dance at my first all Ireland’s in 2021 and my dream would be to win that title. My goal is to continue practising really hard and push myself. We might not have feiseanna that we can go to right now, but we can dance wherever we are and that is what I plan to do.

Caragh Hendron, Ireland

2019 was a year I will never forget as I was crowned Under 16 World Champion — a dream and a goal that I worked really hard for. 2020 has been a very strange year for all of us but throughout the pandemic I continued to stay focused,  practising my dancing and fitness through Zoom classes. As 2021 is fast approaching and hopefully we are saying Slan to Covid 19, my dancing and fitness now have to move to a different level in preparation for the Ulsters and 2021 World Championships where again I hope to achieve my dreams and goals.

Emily Rose Colangelo

I just want to get back on that stage again and feel the rush of adrenaline and excitement when I get the opportunity to perform for the ‘Hall’. I want to see that wee look of pride on my teachers’ faces when I’ve danced my best. I’ve missed seeing the wonderful dancing friends I’ve made from all around the world and catching up with each other’s lives. I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I’ve missed the hectic speed of our dance life routine (whilst also thoroughly enjoying the quality time with my family at home during lockdown). My dreams for 2021 are to get a balance of making more dancing dreams come true and climbing a few more Donegal mountains with my family.

Wishing everyone all the best for 2021!

Naturally, every dancer is missing the stage. Every single dancer is looking forward to getting out onto the stage again and completing the process that is currently largely suspended: to practice, to improve, and lastly to perform. Even if feiseanna move online across all organizations, that will never replace the feeling of dancing at an event. It’ll never capture the tension in the room, or the rise of adrenaline each and every dancer feels, culminating in an award ceremony that celebrates the endeavours of every dancer, teacher and family member in the auditorium. Hopefully 2021 allows dancers to answer the call of the stage and return to where they belong — safely of course. Aside from the common theme of missing the stage, it’s interesting to read that many dancers have a new found gratitude for feiseanna and a new appreciation for being able to perform. Absence appears to be making the heart grow fonder for many of these dancers, and probably a large proportion of Irish dancers in general. 2020 appears to have reminded many of these dancers why they dance in the first place — because they love it. Let us all hope to see these dancers back on stages at major feiseanna, fully appreciating the moment with a rejuvenated love for Irish dance in 2021. 2020 has been tough, but good times follow bad times, and if the responses of this sample of Irish dancers are anything to go by, when the flood gates are opened again there will be an army of fit, healthy and excited dancers rushing back through the doors of feiseanna the world over!