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• I could have written the above. I think teams are great but don't think a dancer should be forced under the threat of not being able to dance solos. There are many factors that go into teams; time, money, distance AND the dancer's personal feelings on it. We've had lots of experience with teams including the good the bad & the ugly. (NT) -- I believe it should still be a choice., 15:25:35 06/06/08 Fri

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• Some people think that since teams (ceili dances) are the traditional part of Irish Dancing, its more important to promote and continue the tradition then to keep one dancer doing solos. (NT) -- Aine, 09:47:37 06/07/08 Sat
  • But, if a dance quits -- because they aren't allowed to do solos, and CAN'T do teams (cost, time, etc) then that doesn't promote ANY kind of Irish dancing. My dd knows all 6 of the traditional set dances used in competition.... (more) -- x, 13:31:38 06/07/08 Sat
  • New dancers starts class. Would you hit them with this? See inside. -- ., 08:40:20 06/09/08 Mon
    • solos are about self that is why they are called solos. If we gave most champs the choice they wouldn't do teams. A requirement to do teams if you're doing solos is a good one. A school can't exist without students and if a school only gears itself towards a few champs it won't last. Teams is to give others a chance to dance at the O and I think it's great for promoting Irish culture. (NT) -- aschoolisn'tjustU, 11:01:18 06/09/08 Mon
      • How about teams being for people who want to do them? What does it say when you have to force people to participate, or else, especially your top dancers? If you have to force them, then maybe doing teams isn't quite "all that and a bag of chips." (NT) -- Another view., 11:40:36 06/09/08 Mon
      • bfoc no longer does teams, still has many top dancers (NT) -- me, 12:37:44 06/09/08 Mon
      • All this time I thought ID schools were about teaching Irish dance and growing dancers, not 'geared toward a few champs.' So, you're saying Irish dance is all about doing teams at the O, and that's the school's bread and butter? And about promoting Irish culture...last time I checked the average Irishman on the streets of Belfast wasn't looking forward to ceili dancing at the O and probably couldn't dance one bar of Trip to the Cottage if their life depended on it. (NT) -- Who knew?!, 12:52:54 06/09/08 Mon
      • Actually, most of the solo dancers at DD's ID school were excited to do teams again this upcoming year. Perhaps what you say is true for your school or the schools you know, but it's not true for ALL. (NT) -- and none are forced to, it's optional, 14:46:53 06/09/08 Mon
        • I think that may be the difference. Many will WANT to do teams if they have the choice. (NT) -- x, 21:18:33 06/09/08 Mon
          • I think it matters on the school and on the emphasis put on teams versus the emphasis put on solos. -- g.t.t, 01:23:53 06/11/08 Wed
            • So, Irish dancing is all about the school's desires rather than the needs and wants of the dancers? Sounds like a dictatorship or totalitarianism to me. If the school paid the dancers, then they certainly should have a say in what the dancers do, but that's not the reality of the situation. Dancers pay to be taught to dance, and therefore should have freedom to dance where, and when, they like. (NT) -- Yes? No?, 11:48:41 06/11/08 Wed
              • But that's like when you get a new beginner who has seen Riverdance and wants to jump straight into hardshoes. If they don't want to bother with softshoe, then why should the school make them bother with it? They should be able to just jump into hardshoes because that's what they want to do, and ignore softshoe? -- g.t.t., 12:17:15 06/11/08 Wed
                • You are twisting reality. Prove that ceili dancing is recognized anywhere as being necessary for doing solo Irish dancing, and must be done in order to be an Irish dancer. I think you're making up "musts" to suit your personal preference. And no dance school I've ever seen has ever required ballet in order to participate in other dance forms. Not one. Zip, zero, zilch. (NT) -- Apples and Oranges, 15:53:39 06/11/08 Wed
                  • Really, because all of the ones I went to did. Visit the dance.net teacher boards and see how many studios require ballet. Any top competitive mainstream dance school does. -- g.t.t., 17:35:00 06/11/08 Wed
                    • You information is incorrect. I'm sure SOME schools do require ballet...but I bet the numbers are small. Many teachers are flat out against ballet training, and that's a fact. (NT) -- x, 08:11:58 06/12/08 Thu
                      • Wow, I guess that is just the law of averages then because I've never met a mainstream dance teacher who was against ballet. EVER. I'm not talking about irish dance here, but the regular, mainstream, tap, jazz, shake what you mom gave you, tons of different styles dance studio. I've been involved in that world just as long as I've been involved in irish dance, and I have many peers who do mainstream dancing so my circle is pretty wide, and I've NEVER heard of a single one of them who are against ballet training, and the majority of them require it. -- g.t.t., 12:31:59 06/12/08 Thu
                        • OK... on this I will re-state... I mis-understood your statement. I meant that there aren't many IRISH DANCE teachers that require Ballet. I do agree that most other forms of dance (tap, Jazz, modern, ballroom etc.) value, and even require ballet for high level study. That has not been my experience with Irish though... quite the opposite, most ID teachers are "anti-ballet". (NT) -- x, 17:07:41 06/12/08 Thu
                          • Well good, because that was what I was talking about. So see we agree! -- g.t.t., 22:18:30 06/12/08 Thu
                            • Were people saying this was unique to WEstern Region? I missed that. I don't see how figure dancing is important to solo dancing, in the same way that Ballet is important for modern dance. On that we disagree. -- x, 00:05:44 06/13/08 Fri
    • Wow--you must live high on the hog when you travel with your dancer!! $20 per meal?? And 5 majors per year--who does that?? Even if you do the O, NANs, Worlds & AI, that's only 4 majors. And why is fundraising not an option? Your post is not a true reflection of our experience. Maybe you need to budget better?? (NT) -- --, 08:27:35 06/16/08 Mon