From
the first slip jig of the day to the last reel at the end, one fact was
abundantly clear:every competitor in
this Irish Dance Feis (Fesh) was still a kid.
Oh,
each one gave their best to stand tall and be mature.
Their
toe points were perfect.The arms were
straight.Knees straight on the
kicks.1 2 3 4 5 6 7, Hop 2 3, Hop 2 3,
Back you go 4 5 6 7, Hop 2 3 and Hop 2 3.
Wigs
are now required as dancers move up the ranks—curly crazy wigs that bounce to
accentuate the dance.The dance schools
each have their own school color and design.It can be blue with red pleats, the Celtic designs in bold embroidery,
white with orange pleats, or any of many variations.The shoes are either soft shoe or hard
shoe.The white socks are held in place
up to the calf with sock glue.
This
is a long way from the surge of Irish dance of Riverdance fame.
For an article that compares the past to the present click here. You will see the before and after photos of Irish dancing!
Many
words could be written about how something simple and pure morphs into a huge
business in the world of dance with rules and regulations, expense (one “worn
only twice” solo dress was for sale: $1,200) and dedication.They won’t be written here.
After
the dancers finish and the dance costumes carefully put away, the dancers are
children. The shoes are packed, and flip
flops replace them.Tee shirts and
shorts don’t glitter, and the wigs are off with a pony tail in their
place.
They
stand before the wall with the results numbers.There is both joy and disappointment.One little girl (in the beginners 1, under 8 yrs. competitions) searched
for the scores for her dances.There she
was:a 3rd place, another 3rd
place, oh and a 2nd place.Oh, Mommy, there I am!I got a 1st
place!!
That
little face lifted to her mother, those sparkling eyes, and a huge smile say
that the dancers are still kids--kids
who want a hug and then go to get some ice cream, and maybe a movie.
As a writer, I try
to weave a thread of humor through my writing.That is how I handle the hard answers to the hard questions.Humor keeps me from spiraling inward.How do other bloggers/writers handle those
same questions?
My list is much
longer, for there are many bloggers who have enriched my life.How
about you?Do you have those universal
questions and bloggers who have helped explore the answers?
A drifter brushed dust from his chaps and
squinted at the line of Mexican tile over the cantina door.“This’ll
do.”He strode through the doorway as
an antiquepiano played. He noticed photos of Pat Garrett and
Billy.“Damn you, Billy.” The drifter left, thirst unquenched.
This writing no way implies that Mr. Eastwood did such in any movie.
Crystal
was dreaming of
a place where her skills would be valued.Cloaked
in white, she glided down a narrow trail
in to a misty world of wishful
thinking.
