Hello
Not everyone has responded to Patricia Finnegan's pleas to return the trophies. Here is one last shout-out. Ensure they are polished. Bring them no later than noon on Friday for Friday night and 11am on Sat for Saturday night. We stress over missing trophies every year and sometimes we haven't had the correct trophy to present.
The trophy room is called Nunavut and is on the 4th floor near the escalators. There won't always be people in there so if that is the case, leave the trophy with the costume consignment crew (check for signs as to where they will be) or leave the trophy in the competition halls as the stages are being built. Teachers will go around to collect anything left there.
On competition days, bring them side stage to the monitor - they will get them to us.
THANKS!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Feis America Magazine
Feis America magazine will be on-site this weekend with a table to introduce you to their magazine. They have kindly donated subscriptions for some of our competitors and have offered to provide a free commentary service wherein they endeavour to post recalled dancers and final results (subject to a reliable internet connection).
They haven't provided me with an exact web address for their blog but check their main website for a link. I suspect the info will be added here: http://blogsgate.com/feisamerica/feis-results-2
For the record, they are not allowed to post recalls before they are announced in the competition halls, and they are not allowed to post results prior to the official announcement either. Please don't bother them by asking when results will be posted. They will need to wait to get the information from our tabulators before they can post anything. Please be patient and remember that this service is free.
On the topic of recalls and results - the same advice applies to those of you at the event. Recalls will be announced the moment they have been printed off and double checked. Results will start when they are ready. Please do not bother the volunteers by asking when they will be announced. Everyone is anxious and excited but everyone will have to be patient.
They haven't provided me with an exact web address for their blog but check their main website for a link. I suspect the info will be added here: http://blogsgate.com/feisamerica/feis-results-2
For the record, they are not allowed to post recalls before they are announced in the competition halls, and they are not allowed to post results prior to the official announcement either. Please don't bother them by asking when results will be posted. They will need to wait to get the information from our tabulators before they can post anything. Please be patient and remember that this service is free.
On the topic of recalls and results - the same advice applies to those of you at the event. Recalls will be announced the moment they have been printed off and double checked. Results will start when they are ready. Please do not bother the volunteers by asking when they will be announced. Everyone is anxious and excited but everyone will have to be patient.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Costume Consignment Room Update
The planned start for the consignment room is 5pm on Thursday. Registration fees are $20 per dress for the weekend. I have been informed that there will be plenty of extra adult volunteers scheduled this year, which addresses staffing concerns from last year.
Pick-up for unsold dresses is 1pm Sunday, after which the costumes will go to the hotel's lost and found. It will be up to the owner of the dress to contact the hotel to find the dress and arrange to get it returned.
IDTACE does not provide assistance with costumes left behind. Have a back up plan - ask a friend to double check the Costume room by 1pm for you in case you forget or something unforseen happens.
Pick-up for unsold dresses is 1pm Sunday, after which the costumes will go to the hotel's lost and found. It will be up to the owner of the dress to contact the hotel to find the dress and arrange to get it returned.
IDTACE does not provide assistance with costumes left behind. Have a back up plan - ask a friend to double check the Costume room by 1pm for you in case you forget or something unforseen happens.
Notes About The Schedule etc.
A few small changes were made to the timetable for this year. Here's what and why, plus a few other notes.
Boys and Girls shall alternate as usual. When it comes to sets, boys don't wait for recalls to be announced so their sets will start first, in order to give more time to tabulating the girls' recalls. This is why some groupings go out of order for the recall round.
The Fri/Sat treble reels were scheduled as best as possible. It's our first time so we're all hoping for the best. Please bear with us.
Our schedule allows time for the unforseen. If all runs smoothly, we could get ahead of schedule in which case we will want to keep moving. This is why dancers must be ready to go at least 30 minutes ahead of time. Be early, check in, then don't disappear. If you need something, send a friend or family member to go get it for you. Don't disappear!!!
Many of the U8 and U9 dancers come with two parents, plus other siblings, making one room too crowded to run both competitions back to back. So, this year we've split these ages into two rooms. Also, many of the children are very small and could look like they belong in either group. It's confusing to the stage hands to line up the U8s when the U9s (who wear the same numbers) are hanging around with their friends. These two age groups are not starting first thing in both rooms in case an inexperienced family accidentally sets up in the wrong room and therefore misses out on dancing in the correct room. Remember, once the first dancers step on stage, check-in is CLOSED - no exceptions.
Recalls get announced as soon as they are processed and sent to the stages. Everyone is curious, but asking "when are they announcing recalls" is like asking when you'll sneeze next. It'll happen when it happens. It is very hard for a volunteer to patiently answer that question over and over and over and over and... The same goes for questions about the time for awards. The dancing has to finish in both rooms and the competitions have to be tabulated, the results have to be double checked, the announcing sheets have to be prepared, the summary of prizes (including ties) has to go to the presentation committee who sets up the awards etc.
Awards will be held in Hall B which is called Confederation Ballroom I. For reference, the other stage will be in Provinces Ballroom I/II. Vendors will be in Confederation Ballroom II and the practice room will be Confederation Ballroom III. Dancing in the hotel floor hallways is not permitted. Dancing in any common space with music is not permitted due to risk of damage and risk of annoyance to other hotel guests. You can find a floor plan on the Westin's website but all you really need to know is everything will be on the fourth floor.
Boys and Girls shall alternate as usual. When it comes to sets, boys don't wait for recalls to be announced so their sets will start first, in order to give more time to tabulating the girls' recalls. This is why some groupings go out of order for the recall round.
The Fri/Sat treble reels were scheduled as best as possible. It's our first time so we're all hoping for the best. Please bear with us.
Our schedule allows time for the unforseen. If all runs smoothly, we could get ahead of schedule in which case we will want to keep moving. This is why dancers must be ready to go at least 30 minutes ahead of time. Be early, check in, then don't disappear. If you need something, send a friend or family member to go get it for you. Don't disappear!!!
Many of the U8 and U9 dancers come with two parents, plus other siblings, making one room too crowded to run both competitions back to back. So, this year we've split these ages into two rooms. Also, many of the children are very small and could look like they belong in either group. It's confusing to the stage hands to line up the U8s when the U9s (who wear the same numbers) are hanging around with their friends. These two age groups are not starting first thing in both rooms in case an inexperienced family accidentally sets up in the wrong room and therefore misses out on dancing in the correct room. Remember, once the first dancers step on stage, check-in is CLOSED - no exceptions.
Recalls get announced as soon as they are processed and sent to the stages. Everyone is curious, but asking "when are they announcing recalls" is like asking when you'll sneeze next. It'll happen when it happens. It is very hard for a volunteer to patiently answer that question over and over and over and over and... The same goes for questions about the time for awards. The dancing has to finish in both rooms and the competitions have to be tabulated, the results have to be double checked, the announcing sheets have to be prepared, the summary of prizes (including ties) has to go to the presentation committee who sets up the awards etc.
Awards will be held in Hall B which is called Confederation Ballroom I. For reference, the other stage will be in Provinces Ballroom I/II. Vendors will be in Confederation Ballroom II and the practice room will be Confederation Ballroom III. Dancing in the hotel floor hallways is not permitted. Dancing in any common space with music is not permitted due to risk of damage and risk of annoyance to other hotel guests. You can find a floor plan on the Westin's website but all you really need to know is everything will be on the fourth floor.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Novotel - last chance to book rooms.
The Novotel has 11 Double rooms left in our block and has agreed to hold them for us until Oct. 27th.
If anyone wishes to book these rooms, can you please advise them to call the Front Desk Directly at 613-230-3033 or 1-866-677-3033. The Passkey link is closed to reservations so that they can better manage these last minute bookings.
If anyone wishes to book these rooms, can you please advise them to call the Front Desk Directly at 613-230-3033 or 1-866-677-3033. The Passkey link is closed to reservations so that they can better manage these last minute bookings.
Final Schedule
As will be published in the official program...
http://www.irishdancecanada.com/IDTAC/P8_Full_Timetable.pdf
http://www.irishdancecanada.com/IDTAC/P8_Full_Timetable.pdf
Friday, October 1, 2010
Hotel Bookings
There was a glitch with the PASSKEY for the Novotel, not allowing bookings of double rooms. All has been corrected - there are still rooms available.
RC
RC
Parade of Champions - NEWS
Due to feedback received by parents and dancers, some changes have been implemented for this year's Oireachtas.
There will be a step-down-the-line parade of champions added after results on Friday and Saturday as is done is every other region. This is to allow those not able to attend the dinner dance a chance to view our winners perform. Please plan to support the winners by cheering them on.
There will not be an earlybird performance of the evening display since there is no teen dance or teen movie night this year. There is no space to do this additional performance and there really isn't time. The additional performance has meant the (older) dancers in the parade miss out on their dinner at the dance, which they are paying for.
The rehearsal for the evening display will commence after the Saturday awards ceremony finishes. This rehearsal will be limited to two hours in a location to be announced. Pizza and water will be provided.
Dancers attending the dinner dance (i.e. those who bought tickets) will be released from the rehearsal first, so they can go get ready.
Every effort will be made to allow everyone a chance to eat dinner and not be completely rushed. Please understand that it is a lot of work to put together such a display in such a short time.
Kudos to Roisin McGinley for once again stepping up to help display our region's finest.
There will be a step-down-the-line parade of champions added after results on Friday and Saturday as is done is every other region. This is to allow those not able to attend the dinner dance a chance to view our winners perform. Please plan to support the winners by cheering them on.
There will not be an earlybird performance of the evening display since there is no teen dance or teen movie night this year. There is no space to do this additional performance and there really isn't time. The additional performance has meant the (older) dancers in the parade miss out on their dinner at the dance, which they are paying for.
The rehearsal for the evening display will commence after the Saturday awards ceremony finishes. This rehearsal will be limited to two hours in a location to be announced. Pizza and water will be provided.
Dancers attending the dinner dance (i.e. those who bought tickets) will be released from the rehearsal first, so they can go get ready.
Every effort will be made to allow everyone a chance to eat dinner and not be completely rushed. Please understand that it is a lot of work to put together such a display in such a short time.
Kudos to Roisin McGinley for once again stepping up to help display our region's finest.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Sep16 Version of the 2010 ECRO Syllabus
The updated syllabus includes the following changes:
- The Aug27 version had all of these points mentioned on this page but they did not appear in the actual pages of the syllabus. This update takes care of that – hopefully.
-
- Update of year to header and various spots throughout the body and notation of the date of amendment
-
- Addition of speeds for traditional set dances as taken from the 2010 All Ireland syllabus
-
- Addition of Ladies U19 solo category to comply with Worlds 2011
-
- Men 18-20 was re-instated as a double age group (previous information mid-year suggested it was also going to be split)
-
- Addition to Rule 5 relating to World Qualification (dancers may only compete at Worlds for the teacher they qualified for) and amending qualifying rules since 18-20 is now two different age groups for Ladies
-
- Amendment to Rule 6 to remove recalling at Nationals as a way to qualify for the following year
-
- Addition to Rule 7 relating to Teams (teachers may request speeds at the time of check-in)
-
- Spacing corrected for sections 8 and 9
-
- Rule 9 (ceili events) was cross-referenced with the AI/W syllabus for accuracy; no changes were needed
-
- Rule 10 (choreography) the number of permitted words in a story was increased from 150 to 200 to align with AI/W
-
- Rule 12 (adult ceili) was updated with the year when entrants may not have competed solo dancing since
-
- “IF A DANCER” was tidied up considerably to align with the AI/W syllabus (falls/recovers – overall result will not be affected; falls/doesn’t recover – bell will be rung and dancer(s) may be given the chance to dance again within a reasonable time frame; fails to complete a round – dancer shall receive a score of 50 from each judge; does not complete one or both of the first two rounds – cannot recall; loses heel piece/toe piece/entire shoe – dancer is to pick up item if safe to do so then walk to the back of the stage – dancer will not be penalised for the mishap; loses wig/shawl/crown etc. – dancer is to continue unless the judges feel there is a safety hazard in which case the bell will be rung
-
- Rule 20 (i) became Rule 21 (regarding re-dances)
-
- Rule 21 (toewalks) was therefore re-numbered as Rule 22
-
- The cover page has been omitted; dates and location have been added to the headers on each page and will also appear on the blog, the website and on the official (Excel) entry form
-
- Entry deadlines, fees, assessment information and information about advertisements shall appear on the official (Excel) entry form
-
- Please note that in addition to the Family Admission Fee introduced in 2009, we will be collecting accommodation information to ensure all schools are supporting our event. We have high lodging and catering quotas which can only be met with the support of all schools. Failing to meet our quotas will result in higher assessment fees for teachers and added participation fees for the families next year. Obviously, local schools are not expected to stay in hotels but they are encouraged to try to help out a little bit extra to show their support too.
-
- Also new for 2010 is a Mini-Feis treble reel competition and there will be treble reel competitions for Solo Championship dancers too. The solo treble reel competitions will occur on the same day as their solos so they don’t have to get dressed on two different days. Boys and girls will be combined. Age groups will be determined for all traditional set dance and treble reel competitions once the entries are submitted. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE!
SOLO COMPETITIONS:
1. Dancers must be present in the Competition hall no less than 30 minutes prior to their scheduled event. All dancers must be in the location provided and ready to dance at least 30 minutes prior to their event. No dancer may check in once the competition has started. Competitors must dance in the assigned rotation as drawn at the beginning of the event. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. All dancers must perform the dances specified in the official Oireachtas syllabus. Dancers will perform TJ/HP three (3) at a time up to & including Under 14 and two (2) at a time for older age categories. All light rounds will be danced in twos.
2. SOLO MUSIC: All dancers must commence after the introduction of the music has been played once. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from that particular round. The onus of ensuring proper music and speed is on the dancer. Reel (113) and treble jig (73) rounds will be 48 bars. Slip jig (113) and hornpipe (113) rounds will be 40 bars. Set dances must be from the official set dance list and tempos must be within official guidelines. The seven acceptable Traditional Sets include: St. Patrick’s Day, The Blackbird, Garden of Daisies, Three Sea Captains, Job of Journeywork, King of the Fairies and Jockey to the Fair.
3. RECALLS: All dancers will perform the first two dances specified in the competition requirements. Fifty percent (50%) of each Boys/Girls age group with eleven (11) or more competitors who actually dance, (not the number entered) will be recalled to perform their set dance. For groups with ten (10) or fewer dancers participating, all will return to perform their set dance.
4. PLACING: Thirty-three percent (33%) of the competitors who actually dance in each competition will be placed, meaning they will receive a trophy; the remaining dancers will receive a recall achievement medal.
5. WORLD QUALIFICATION: Qualifications for World Championships 2011 are per An Coimisiun rules: five (5) qualifiers for the first twenty (20) or part thereof in any solo event and one (1) qualifier for each subsequent ten (10) dancers or part thereof. Dancers in the 18-20 Men and both Men and Ladies 20+ categories will qualify seven (7) for the first twenty (20) or part thereof and one (1) for each additional five (5) dancers or part thereof. Current World medal holders automatically qualify provided they “participate in their Oireachtas”. As such they will be “skipped over” when calculating qualifying spots. Dancers who qualified at the North Americans DO NOT get “skipped over” when calculating qualifying spots for Worlds. Dancers may only compete at Worlds for the same teacher as at the Oireachtas (i.e. with whom they qualified).
6. NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFICATION: Per I.D.T.A.N.A. rules, ten (10) dancers plus twenty-five (25) per cent of the number of competitors who dance will qualify for Nationals 2011 “subject to being recalled at their regional Oireachtas”. Dancers competing in Open Championships also qualify. Dancers who qualified for the 2010 NAIDC but could not compete due to judging conflicts are qualified for 2011. Dancers in Under 8 and in Under 9 may be entered into the 2011 NAIDC at their teacher’s discretion.
TEAM COMPETITIONS:
7. TEAM ENTRIES: Dancers may compete in their own and/or the next higher age group but may not compete in more than one team in the same age category. All teams must have at least 50% from the proper age group. 50% may be from a lower age group, but only 25% may be repeats from a team in the lower age group. Dancers may repeat only once in a four-hand and once in an eight-hand. Written permission for exceptions to any of these rules must accompany the entry. Teams performing with alternate dancers to their official entry must check-in with a letter stating so, presented by the teacher or team captain. Teachers may request speeds with entries.
8. FOUR HAND COMPETITIONS: Four hand selections may be either the Four-Hand Reel or Humours of Bandon as detailed in Ar Rinci Foirne. Choice of dance and figure must be specified on the entry form. Four hand tops will be positioned on the adjudicator's left and must perform the following:
A-Lead B-Body C-Figure of choice (Tops only) D-Body (HOB only)
9. CEILI EVENTS: All Ceili dances must be danced in accordance with Ar Rinci Foirne. For the purpose of the Oireachtas, Lannigan’s Ball and Gates of Derry will be regarded as eight hand dances. For Gates of Derry, teams may line up horizontally or vertically. In Eight hand Ceilis, tops will be positioned with their backs to the adjudicators and must perform the following:
A-Lead B-Body C-Figure of choice (Tops only)
Some exceptions as taken from the World Syllabus:
1 Sweets of May – from the beginning up to and including the end of the 3rd figure.
2 Three Tunes –either up to and including the 1st Roly Poly, OR from Hook and Chain until the end.
3 Gates of Derry – from the beginning up to and including the swing around of the 1st repeat.
4 Lannigans Ball – the entire dance.
10. FIGURE CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITIONS: Teams may consist of a minimum of eight (8) to a maximum of sixteen (16) dancers and must portray an Irish Theme. Only basic movements may be used. No solo steps will be permitted. Teams are restricted to 4 minutes. Narratives are to be submitted (to a maximum of 200 words) at check in for the competition and supplied to the adjudicators prior to the competition by the Oireachtas Committee. Music changes must be at least 16 bars. Each team member must be on stage and dance from commencement to finish. Short pauses are permitted, but limited to 4 bars. Dances must be in 2/4, 4/4, 6/8 time or a combinations of those times, but any change of music must last for at least 16 bars.
11. DANCE DRAMA: Teams may consist of eight (8) to twenty (20) dancers and must portray an Irish Theme. No spoken words or songs will be permitted. Time limit; fifteen (15) minutes including set up, dance and take down. There is a six (6) minute maximum to the performance. All props must be removed from the performance area and are the sole responsibility of the team. Music must be of Irish or related ethnic origin only.
12. ADULT CEILI: Team requirements are the same as the 8 & 4 Hand requirements noted in rules 8 and 9. Adult Ceili is confined to dancers 18 years of age and older, who have not competed in solo or Ceili, except as an adult, since November 2005. This is a NON-QUALIFYING event and entries must be received as a team from a registered I.D.T.A.C. - Eastern Region dancing school.
13. WORLD QUALIFICATION: All 8-Hands that compete are eligible to enter the 2011 Worlds in the closest appropriate age group. The dancers need not be the same at both events. Teams do not need to place in order to enter Worlds. Figure and Drama teams do not need to participate at Regionals in order to compete at Worlds.
GENERAL:
14. AWARDS: All dancers who perform their set dance will receive an award. 50% of the teams will receive awards. All dancers must be in full solo or team costume, including traditional footwear for presentation of awards. No dancer will be presented an award if they are not in costume. A list of teams who will appear in the results will be posted in advance of the ceremony.
13. TIMETABLE/SCHEDULE: The I.D.T.A.C. reserves the right to limit, cancel, postpone, combine or reschedule any event.
14. VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHY/DIGITAL CAMERAS: No one is permitted to video record or photograph a competition while any dancer is dancing. There is to be no photography in the competition room while dancers are performing.
15. ADJUDICATORS: All decisions made in accordance with Oireachtas events and the I.D.T.A.C. rulings are final. The adjudicators cannot be approached by anyone other than the Oireachtas Committee when a competition is in progress.
16. APPEALS: Legitimate complaints must be submitted in writing, within one hour of the incident, signed by the complainant and accompanied by a $25.00 fee. The fee will be returned if the complaint is upheld.
17. LIABILITY: The I.D.T.A.C., I.D.T.A.N.A., An Coimisiun, T.C.R.G.s/A.D.C.R.G.s and the Oireachtas Venue and supportive staff will not be held responsible for any personal injury, loss or damage to property.
18. MISCHIEF: Anyone caught damaging hotel property or causing mischief will be removed from the premises and barred from all remaining events. Dancers involved will be disqualified from all events and they, along with their parents will be responsible for all damages incurred. Parents are responsible for the whereabouts of their children at all times.
19. PERFORMANCE HALL: Attendees are requested to remain seated at all times when a competition is in progress. Give each dancer the courtesy of a quiet hall and keep noise levels to a minimum. All aisles must be clear in accordance with fire regulations. Entrances to the performance hall will be strictly monitored throughout the weekend. There shall be NO FOOD in the ballrooms.
20. MISHAP: The following are the policies of this Oireachtas Committee for potential mishap.
In the event of a serious mishap as decided by the Adjudicators, a bell will be rung and the dancer(s) will be allowed to dance again.
IF A DANCER:
a) Falls and recovers, their overall result will not be affected.
b) Falls and does not recover, a bell will be rung and the dancer(s) may be given the opportunity to re-dance within a reasonable time frame.
c) Fails to complete a round, they shall receive a score of 50 from each adjudicator. If that happens for the first and/or second round, they will be ineligible to recall.
d) Loses a heel or toe piece or entire shoe, the dancer is to pick up the item if safe to do so then walk to the back of the stage to allow the other dancer(s) to finish. Dancer will not be penalized and will be permitted to dance again after said dancer changes shoes.
e) Has an open lace during a dance, a bell will be rung at judges’ discretion and the dancers will be permitted to dance again.
f) Loses other supportive costume attire, dancers will continue dancing at the discretion of the adjudicators.
21. RE-DANCES: For the purpose of re-dances, if the dancers are stopped in the last 16 bars of their dance, they shall return to dance the last 16 bars. Otherwise they will perform the entire round again.
22. TOEWALKS: Dancers up to and including U11 are prohibited from performing any movements en pointe (stationary or moving), locally referred to as “Toe walks” and “Toe stands”.
ENTRIES:
1. Entries will be accepted only from teachers who are registered and in good standing with the I.D.T.A.C. - Eastern Region, I.D.T.A.N.A. and An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha. Competitors must reside in Ontario, Quebec or the Maritime Region of Canada.
2. All dancers must compete in their own age group for solo events. No dancer may be entered twice in the same competition. See rule #7 Team Entries for age qualifications in team events. All ages are calculated as of January 1st, 2010.
- The Aug27 version had all of these points mentioned on this page but they did not appear in the actual pages of the syllabus. This update takes care of that – hopefully.
-
- Update of year to header and various spots throughout the body and notation of the date of amendment
-
- Addition of speeds for traditional set dances as taken from the 2010 All Ireland syllabus
-
- Addition of Ladies U19 solo category to comply with Worlds 2011
-
- Men 18-20 was re-instated as a double age group (previous information mid-year suggested it was also going to be split)
-
- Addition to Rule 5 relating to World Qualification (dancers may only compete at Worlds for the teacher they qualified for) and amending qualifying rules since 18-20 is now two different age groups for Ladies
-
- Amendment to Rule 6 to remove recalling at Nationals as a way to qualify for the following year
-
- Addition to Rule 7 relating to Teams (teachers may request speeds at the time of check-in)
-
- Spacing corrected for sections 8 and 9
-
- Rule 9 (ceili events) was cross-referenced with the AI/W syllabus for accuracy; no changes were needed
-
- Rule 10 (choreography) the number of permitted words in a story was increased from 150 to 200 to align with AI/W
-
- Rule 12 (adult ceili) was updated with the year when entrants may not have competed solo dancing since
-
- “IF A DANCER” was tidied up considerably to align with the AI/W syllabus (falls/recovers – overall result will not be affected; falls/doesn’t recover – bell will be rung and dancer(s) may be given the chance to dance again within a reasonable time frame; fails to complete a round – dancer shall receive a score of 50 from each judge; does not complete one or both of the first two rounds – cannot recall; loses heel piece/toe piece/entire shoe – dancer is to pick up item if safe to do so then walk to the back of the stage – dancer will not be penalised for the mishap; loses wig/shawl/crown etc. – dancer is to continue unless the judges feel there is a safety hazard in which case the bell will be rung
-
- Rule 20 (i) became Rule 21 (regarding re-dances)
-
- Rule 21 (toewalks) was therefore re-numbered as Rule 22
-
- The cover page has been omitted; dates and location have been added to the headers on each page and will also appear on the blog, the website and on the official (Excel) entry form
-
- Entry deadlines, fees, assessment information and information about advertisements shall appear on the official (Excel) entry form
-
- Please note that in addition to the Family Admission Fee introduced in 2009, we will be collecting accommodation information to ensure all schools are supporting our event. We have high lodging and catering quotas which can only be met with the support of all schools. Failing to meet our quotas will result in higher assessment fees for teachers and added participation fees for the families next year. Obviously, local schools are not expected to stay in hotels but they are encouraged to try to help out a little bit extra to show their support too.
-
- Also new for 2010 is a Mini-Feis treble reel competition and there will be treble reel competitions for Solo Championship dancers too. The solo treble reel competitions will occur on the same day as their solos so they don’t have to get dressed on two different days. Boys and girls will be combined. Age groups will be determined for all traditional set dance and treble reel competitions once the entries are submitted. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE!
SOLO COMPETITIONS:
1. Dancers must be present in the Competition hall no less than 30 minutes prior to their scheduled event. All dancers must be in the location provided and ready to dance at least 30 minutes prior to their event. No dancer may check in once the competition has started. Competitors must dance in the assigned rotation as drawn at the beginning of the event. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. All dancers must perform the dances specified in the official Oireachtas syllabus. Dancers will perform TJ/HP three (3) at a time up to & including Under 14 and two (2) at a time for older age categories. All light rounds will be danced in twos.
2. SOLO MUSIC: All dancers must commence after the introduction of the music has been played once. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from that particular round. The onus of ensuring proper music and speed is on the dancer. Reel (113) and treble jig (73) rounds will be 48 bars. Slip jig (113) and hornpipe (113) rounds will be 40 bars. Set dances must be from the official set dance list and tempos must be within official guidelines. The seven acceptable Traditional Sets include: St. Patrick’s Day, The Blackbird, Garden of Daisies, Three Sea Captains, Job of Journeywork, King of the Fairies and Jockey to the Fair.
3. RECALLS: All dancers will perform the first two dances specified in the competition requirements. Fifty percent (50%) of each Boys/Girls age group with eleven (11) or more competitors who actually dance, (not the number entered) will be recalled to perform their set dance. For groups with ten (10) or fewer dancers participating, all will return to perform their set dance.
4. PLACING: Thirty-three percent (33%) of the competitors who actually dance in each competition will be placed, meaning they will receive a trophy; the remaining dancers will receive a recall achievement medal.
5. WORLD QUALIFICATION: Qualifications for World Championships 2011 are per An Coimisiun rules: five (5) qualifiers for the first twenty (20) or part thereof in any solo event and one (1) qualifier for each subsequent ten (10) dancers or part thereof. Dancers in the 18-20 Men and both Men and Ladies 20+ categories will qualify seven (7) for the first twenty (20) or part thereof and one (1) for each additional five (5) dancers or part thereof. Current World medal holders automatically qualify provided they “participate in their Oireachtas”. As such they will be “skipped over” when calculating qualifying spots. Dancers who qualified at the North Americans DO NOT get “skipped over” when calculating qualifying spots for Worlds. Dancers may only compete at Worlds for the same teacher as at the Oireachtas (i.e. with whom they qualified).
6. NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFICATION: Per I.D.T.A.N.A. rules, ten (10) dancers plus twenty-five (25) per cent of the number of competitors who dance will qualify for Nationals 2011 “subject to being recalled at their regional Oireachtas”. Dancers competing in Open Championships also qualify. Dancers who qualified for the 2010 NAIDC but could not compete due to judging conflicts are qualified for 2011. Dancers in Under 8 and in Under 9 may be entered into the 2011 NAIDC at their teacher’s discretion.
TEAM COMPETITIONS:
7. TEAM ENTRIES: Dancers may compete in their own and/or the next higher age group but may not compete in more than one team in the same age category. All teams must have at least 50% from the proper age group. 50% may be from a lower age group, but only 25% may be repeats from a team in the lower age group. Dancers may repeat only once in a four-hand and once in an eight-hand. Written permission for exceptions to any of these rules must accompany the entry. Teams performing with alternate dancers to their official entry must check-in with a letter stating so, presented by the teacher or team captain. Teachers may request speeds with entries.
8. FOUR HAND COMPETITIONS: Four hand selections may be either the Four-Hand Reel or Humours of Bandon as detailed in Ar Rinci Foirne. Choice of dance and figure must be specified on the entry form. Four hand tops will be positioned on the adjudicator's left and must perform the following:
A-Lead B-Body C-Figure of choice (Tops only) D-Body (HOB only)
9. CEILI EVENTS: All Ceili dances must be danced in accordance with Ar Rinci Foirne. For the purpose of the Oireachtas, Lannigan’s Ball and Gates of Derry will be regarded as eight hand dances. For Gates of Derry, teams may line up horizontally or vertically. In Eight hand Ceilis, tops will be positioned with their backs to the adjudicators and must perform the following:
A-Lead B-Body C-Figure of choice (Tops only)
Some exceptions as taken from the World Syllabus:
1 Sweets of May – from the beginning up to and including the end of the 3rd figure.
2 Three Tunes –either up to and including the 1st Roly Poly, OR from Hook and Chain until the end.
3 Gates of Derry – from the beginning up to and including the swing around of the 1st repeat.
4 Lannigans Ball – the entire dance.
10. FIGURE CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITIONS: Teams may consist of a minimum of eight (8) to a maximum of sixteen (16) dancers and must portray an Irish Theme. Only basic movements may be used. No solo steps will be permitted. Teams are restricted to 4 minutes. Narratives are to be submitted (to a maximum of 200 words) at check in for the competition and supplied to the adjudicators prior to the competition by the Oireachtas Committee. Music changes must be at least 16 bars. Each team member must be on stage and dance from commencement to finish. Short pauses are permitted, but limited to 4 bars. Dances must be in 2/4, 4/4, 6/8 time or a combinations of those times, but any change of music must last for at least 16 bars.
11. DANCE DRAMA: Teams may consist of eight (8) to twenty (20) dancers and must portray an Irish Theme. No spoken words or songs will be permitted. Time limit; fifteen (15) minutes including set up, dance and take down. There is a six (6) minute maximum to the performance. All props must be removed from the performance area and are the sole responsibility of the team. Music must be of Irish or related ethnic origin only.
12. ADULT CEILI: Team requirements are the same as the 8 & 4 Hand requirements noted in rules 8 and 9. Adult Ceili is confined to dancers 18 years of age and older, who have not competed in solo or Ceili, except as an adult, since November 2005. This is a NON-QUALIFYING event and entries must be received as a team from a registered I.D.T.A.C. - Eastern Region dancing school.
13. WORLD QUALIFICATION: All 8-Hands that compete are eligible to enter the 2011 Worlds in the closest appropriate age group. The dancers need not be the same at both events. Teams do not need to place in order to enter Worlds. Figure and Drama teams do not need to participate at Regionals in order to compete at Worlds.
GENERAL:
14. AWARDS: All dancers who perform their set dance will receive an award. 50% of the teams will receive awards. All dancers must be in full solo or team costume, including traditional footwear for presentation of awards. No dancer will be presented an award if they are not in costume. A list of teams who will appear in the results will be posted in advance of the ceremony.
13. TIMETABLE/SCHEDULE: The I.D.T.A.C. reserves the right to limit, cancel, postpone, combine or reschedule any event.
14. VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHY/DIGITAL CAMERAS: No one is permitted to video record or photograph a competition while any dancer is dancing. There is to be no photography in the competition room while dancers are performing.
15. ADJUDICATORS: All decisions made in accordance with Oireachtas events and the I.D.T.A.C. rulings are final. The adjudicators cannot be approached by anyone other than the Oireachtas Committee when a competition is in progress.
16. APPEALS: Legitimate complaints must be submitted in writing, within one hour of the incident, signed by the complainant and accompanied by a $25.00 fee. The fee will be returned if the complaint is upheld.
17. LIABILITY: The I.D.T.A.C., I.D.T.A.N.A., An Coimisiun, T.C.R.G.s/A.D.C.R.G.s and the Oireachtas Venue and supportive staff will not be held responsible for any personal injury, loss or damage to property.
18. MISCHIEF: Anyone caught damaging hotel property or causing mischief will be removed from the premises and barred from all remaining events. Dancers involved will be disqualified from all events and they, along with their parents will be responsible for all damages incurred. Parents are responsible for the whereabouts of their children at all times.
19. PERFORMANCE HALL: Attendees are requested to remain seated at all times when a competition is in progress. Give each dancer the courtesy of a quiet hall and keep noise levels to a minimum. All aisles must be clear in accordance with fire regulations. Entrances to the performance hall will be strictly monitored throughout the weekend. There shall be NO FOOD in the ballrooms.
20. MISHAP: The following are the policies of this Oireachtas Committee for potential mishap.
In the event of a serious mishap as decided by the Adjudicators, a bell will be rung and the dancer(s) will be allowed to dance again.
IF A DANCER:
a) Falls and recovers, their overall result will not be affected.
b) Falls and does not recover, a bell will be rung and the dancer(s) may be given the opportunity to re-dance within a reasonable time frame.
c) Fails to complete a round, they shall receive a score of 50 from each adjudicator. If that happens for the first and/or second round, they will be ineligible to recall.
d) Loses a heel or toe piece or entire shoe, the dancer is to pick up the item if safe to do so then walk to the back of the stage to allow the other dancer(s) to finish. Dancer will not be penalized and will be permitted to dance again after said dancer changes shoes.
e) Has an open lace during a dance, a bell will be rung at judges’ discretion and the dancers will be permitted to dance again.
f) Loses other supportive costume attire, dancers will continue dancing at the discretion of the adjudicators.
21. RE-DANCES: For the purpose of re-dances, if the dancers are stopped in the last 16 bars of their dance, they shall return to dance the last 16 bars. Otherwise they will perform the entire round again.
22. TOEWALKS: Dancers up to and including U11 are prohibited from performing any movements en pointe (stationary or moving), locally referred to as “Toe walks” and “Toe stands”.
ENTRIES:
1. Entries will be accepted only from teachers who are registered and in good standing with the I.D.T.A.C. - Eastern Region, I.D.T.A.N.A. and An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha. Competitors must reside in Ontario, Quebec or the Maritime Region of Canada.
2. All dancers must compete in their own age group for solo events. No dancer may be entered twice in the same competition. See rule #7 Team Entries for age qualifications in team events. All ages are calculated as of January 1st, 2010.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
ECRO 2010 Hotel Update
Thank you to everyone for supporting our host hotel.
The Westin is sold out. We have negotiated rooms at the nearby Novotel for the same rate as the Westin ($139 plus taxes and destination fee etc.). There is a four guest maximum per room. There is a charge of $25 for additional bedding. Cots are not guaranteed. There is a deposit required at booking equal to one night's accommodation and this is non-refundable. A credit card will be required to secure the room.
Another hotel has recently contacted some of the ECR teachers to offer bookings, but their rate is higher.
Rooms at the preferred rate will be available until October 20, 2010 or until they sell out - whichever occurs first.
Please use this link to secure rooms at the Novotel.
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=2692139
Telephone enquiries can be made through 1-866-677-3033. We are registered as: 2010 Irish Dance Teacher's Association of Canada Oireachtas
For the first time, teachers will be required to list accommodation information for all families on the official Oireachtas entry form.
The Westin is sold out. We have negotiated rooms at the nearby Novotel for the same rate as the Westin ($139 plus taxes and destination fee etc.). There is a four guest maximum per room. There is a charge of $25 for additional bedding. Cots are not guaranteed. There is a deposit required at booking equal to one night's accommodation and this is non-refundable. A credit card will be required to secure the room.
Another hotel has recently contacted some of the ECR teachers to offer bookings, but their rate is higher.
Rooms at the preferred rate will be available until October 20, 2010 or until they sell out - whichever occurs first.
Please use this link to secure rooms at the Novotel.
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=2692139
Telephone enquiries can be made through 1-866-677-3033. We are registered as: 2010 Irish Dance Teacher's Association of Canada Oireachtas
For the first time, teachers will be required to list accommodation information for all families on the official Oireachtas entry form.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Perpetual Trophies
Someone had complained in the survey about receiving a perpetual trophy last year that was not in great condition. Our teacher volunteer (Patricia Finnegan) has been collecting the trophies in advance to fix them up, replace lost name plates and ensure they are cleaned for a few years now, but unfortunately, not everyone returns them on time as requested. Every year, at least one family returns the trophy the night before and it isn't cleaned or polished. If you have a perpetual trophy at home, please read this message with care, thank you.
============
Hi, I hope everyone is having a nice summer! I am looking to contact families regarding the condition of the perpetual trophies that were received at the 2009 Oireachtas. Some families provided e-mail addresses and have been contacted directly. However, if you could please spread the word for families and have them contact me directly with any concerns regarding the condition of the trophies, I would greatly appreciate the help. I am specifically looking for information regarding any damage or missing name plates or trophies with no more room to add more nameplates, so we can get the issues sorted before having to hand out damaged (or full) prizes to our champions.Families can reach me at xxx-xxx-xxxx or e-mail me at this address.Thanks for your help with this matter,Patricia Finnegan TCRG
Please contact me through our Association e-mail address given below and I will give you Patricia's phone number and e-mail address. newfangle@yahoo.ca
============
Hi, I hope everyone is having a nice summer! I am looking to contact families regarding the condition of the perpetual trophies that were received at the 2009 Oireachtas. Some families provided e-mail addresses and have been contacted directly. However, if you could please spread the word for families and have them contact me directly with any concerns regarding the condition of the trophies, I would greatly appreciate the help. I am specifically looking for information regarding any damage or missing name plates or trophies with no more room to add more nameplates, so we can get the issues sorted before having to hand out damaged (or full) prizes to our champions.Families can reach me at xxx-xxx-xxxx or e-mail me at this address.Thanks for your help with this matter,Patricia Finnegan TCRG
Please contact me through our Association e-mail address given below and I will give you Patricia's phone number and e-mail address. newfangle@yahoo.ca
Update To Cots In Rooms
Our contracts negotiator managed to arrange for cots to be supplied at no additional charge for our group.
There are 25 cots available in the hotel and they will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis only.
You may reserve a cot in advance but the hotel has been very clear to us that there are no guarantees that a guest who reserves a cot will get one. Should 25 families check-in before you, you will not get a cot.
The hotel staff have asked that we be very clear on this issue so no one is standing at the counter yelling at a check-in agent.
There are 25 cots available in the hotel and they will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis only.
You may reserve a cot in advance but the hotel has been very clear to us that there are no guarantees that a guest who reserves a cot will get one. Should 25 families check-in before you, you will not get a cot.
The hotel staff have asked that we be very clear on this issue so no one is standing at the counter yelling at a check-in agent.
Monday, August 23, 2010
2010 ECRO Hotel Rooms/Bedding
Our reserved block of rooms at the Westin Hotel ran out of double beds last week. We contacted the hotel to change some king rooms over to doubles and received all there was left. Presently there are about 13 rooms remaining but they could even be gone as I type this.
To compromise, our hotel coordinator has negotiated a price reduction for travel cots. The hotel normally charges $35 per night for a cot. They have agreed to charge only a flat rate of $25 for the entire stay. This fee covers the labour charge of loading/unloading the cot to the room as well as the additional linen cleaning.
By law, cots cannot go in rooms which already have two double beds.
Cots are on a limited basis and cannot be confirmed in advance, which is standard with all hotels of this size.
Should anyone have a double room but only need one bed, please consider calling the hotel to change it for a king size bed to allow more families the comfort of staying on site.
To compromise, our hotel coordinator has negotiated a price reduction for travel cots. The hotel normally charges $35 per night for a cot. They have agreed to charge only a flat rate of $25 for the entire stay. This fee covers the labour charge of loading/unloading the cot to the room as well as the additional linen cleaning.
By law, cots cannot go in rooms which already have two double beds.
Cots are on a limited basis and cannot be confirmed in advance, which is standard with all hotels of this size.
Should anyone have a double room but only need one bed, please consider calling the hotel to change it for a king size bed to allow more families the comfort of staying on site.
How To Book Rooms (as requested in the survey)
Oireachtas 2010
Place: Westin, Ottawa
Dates: November 12, 13 & 14, 2010
Dear Parents and Dancers:
Let me start by saying thank you to all the parents and teachers, family and friends that assisted in the running of the 2009 Oireachtas by staying at the host hotel and enabling us to continue to run this event in manner and style which we all know it deserves.
This year we are moving to Ottawa and again we are asking your assistance by booking at the host hotel. The following is the reservation information for our 2010 Oireachtas.
Reservations Open: NOW OPEN
Guest Room Rates:
Single; Double; Triple & Quad: $139.00 (taxes 10% increasing to 13% July 1st (HST) & 3% destination fee)
Additional Charges: $25.00/night for additional bedding
Children under 18 stay free in parents’ room using existing bedding
Reservation Procedures:
- 2010 Eastern Canadian Oireachtas
(OR copy and paste the following link into a web browser)http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1002122330&key=63C99
- Multiple bookings are not possible via the website – you must do each separately;
- (ii)calling Westin’s Central Reservation Office at 1-800-WESTIN -1 AND identifying yourself as a member of the Group Event: “2010 Eastern Canadian Oireachtas”
- Hotel agrees to send at no charge confirmation of reservations and/or reservation changed to the registered guest within seven days of receipt of such information.
- Name changes to room reservations may be made up to (2) days prior to the arrival at no additional charge, if there is no change to the arrival and departure dates.
- Reservation Cut off Date: October 20, 2010
Check-In/Check-Out:
- Check-In is 3:00pm
- Check-Our is 12:00pm
Deposit Policy:
- A non-refundable deposit equal to one night’s stay is required at time of reservation to hold each individual’s reservation. Guests must provide a credit card at time of reservation.
If you have any questions, please contact your teacher or a member of the executive.
Regards,
Yvonne Kelly,
Regional Director
Place: Westin, Ottawa
Dates: November 12, 13 & 14, 2010
Dear Parents and Dancers:
Let me start by saying thank you to all the parents and teachers, family and friends that assisted in the running of the 2009 Oireachtas by staying at the host hotel and enabling us to continue to run this event in manner and style which we all know it deserves.
This year we are moving to Ottawa and again we are asking your assistance by booking at the host hotel. The following is the reservation information for our 2010 Oireachtas.
Reservations Open: NOW OPEN
Guest Room Rates:
Single; Double; Triple & Quad: $139.00 (taxes 10% increasing to 13% July 1st (HST) & 3% destination fee)
Additional Charges: $25.00/night for additional bedding
Children under 18 stay free in parents’ room using existing bedding
Reservation Procedures:
- 2010 Eastern Canadian Oireachtas
(OR copy and paste the following link into a web browser)http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1002122330&key=63C99
- Multiple bookings are not possible via the website – you must do each separately;
- (ii)calling Westin’s Central Reservation Office at 1-800-WESTIN -1 AND identifying yourself as a member of the Group Event: “2010 Eastern Canadian Oireachtas”
- Hotel agrees to send at no charge confirmation of reservations and/or reservation changed to the registered guest within seven days of receipt of such information.
- Name changes to room reservations may be made up to (2) days prior to the arrival at no additional charge, if there is no change to the arrival and departure dates.
- Reservation Cut off Date: October 20, 2010
Check-In/Check-Out:
- Check-In is 3:00pm
- Check-Our is 12:00pm
Deposit Policy:
- A non-refundable deposit equal to one night’s stay is required at time of reservation to hold each individual’s reservation. Guests must provide a credit card at time of reservation.
If you have any questions, please contact your teacher or a member of the executive.
Regards,
Yvonne Kelly,
Regional Director
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Survey Results At Last...
Thanks everyone for completing the 2010 Oireachtas survey. I received 198 replies. I was holding out for 200 but I didn’t want to post the link a third time on Voy and I couldn’t wait any longer.
Here is the breakdown of respondents and some of the findings:
TC/AD with children 14
TC/AD without children 4
Adult/Parent who competed last year 14
Adult/Parent who volunteered last year 11
Adult/Parent who attended last year 81
Dancer who did just solo 34
Dancer who did solo and teams 27
Dancer who did just teams 5
Dancer who did mini-feis and teams 6
Dancer who did just mini-feis 1
Planning to support the hotel and dance 93
Planning to support the hotel but no dance 69
Staying elsewhere but going to the dance 8
Staying elsewhere and no dance either 15
Staying at home but going to the dance 4
Staying at home and no dance 7
Other 13
Interest in the treble reel for U10/11/12/13 was 42 for and 29 against; for U14/15 it was 20 for and 11 against and U16/upwards it was 22 in favour. Hardly scientific values since all of these numbers are so small compared to the total entries for the corresponding age groups. Still, we will give it a shot. Like the mini-feis, interested dancers enter one treble reel competition. Then, we will look at all of the entries and split them into fair sized competitions, rather than decide age groups now and risk having four dancers in one group but 25 in another. Boys and girls will be combined.
There wasn’t enough support to add the Reel to the mini-feis so it will remain as traditional set dance only. There was enough to give the mini-feis treble reel a shot so like the champ treble reels, we will try it for this year and decide afterward for future years.
As for the website/blog – most are very happy with the information provided. Thank you for the notes of appreciation. Suggestions of things to add include: info on local restaurants, bars, grocery stores and things to do in the area (if someone will compile, I will post, but google should be able to help everyone with these non-event related issues); info on the parade of champions rehearsal and performance(s); clearer details for booking rooms within the block; an explanation of percentages for placing versus recalling and how to qualify for bigger events; on-site food prices and the number of dancers/world qualifiers per group.
As I expected, there was no clear direction regarding awards. Go back to plaques/plaques are awful; change it up each year/change it up every few years/don’t change the awards; trophies are boring/kids love trophies; be sure to mark the award with the year and location; ensure perpetual are in better condition; give a medal to every dancer because they all work hard; make the medals bigger; switch to giving out only (prestigious) medals for all awards like the Worlds and All-Irelands; eliminate teacher trophies for teams; go with a Canadian theme; give out sashes for top five because only giving them out for top three is cheap and my favorite – “I’ve been dancing for 15 years and I am tired of every award we’ve had – get something new” (and yup, you guessed it, there wasn’t a suggestion with that charming comment, lol).
Several trophy companies submitted bids for our business and awards were selected with the advice of the survey in mind, although since there was no clear direction as noted above, the committee made the final decisions.
As for announcing results, we don’t have the time or resources to announce scores for each dancer in each competition on a large screen as is done overseas. The comment about the WQ certificates getting in the way of photographs was helpful. As such the certificates will be half the size this year (just the ones I did for Nationals this past summer). One person complained that the participation certificates looked cheap and also complained because they did not have everyone’s name already inscribed on them (I won’t publish their choice of wording to describe the type of job he/she said we did). I find it unfortunate that a first time, mini-feis only dancer cannot be gracious and appreciative of the volunteer efforts of others or of the chance they have been given to participate in an event as prestigious as this.
I was surprised to read how many people didn’t notice the trivia in the program, but not as surprised as the response “we didn’t attend last year”. The whole point of the survey was to get feedback from those who attended last year and are planning to go again this year. Ah, well. If I have time, then puzzles will again be included in the empty space on the competition listing pages. To answer someone’s question, they did not add any cost or size to the program. The puzzles were easy enough to add in, but the trivia took a lot of time. This year – more puzzles, no trivia.
There was a complaint that people aren’t given suitable notice that they can advertise in the program (yet the person didn’t leave their info so I can contact them to advertise). In fact, only one person did so and I will write to them very soon. All teachers get the official syllabus which contains advertising information and they are asked to spread the word to their dance families. Traditionally, only two or three schools submit ads on behalf of their dance families. This year, a flyer will be sent to teachers to forward to all of you, so hopefully you will now have your chance to be included. Talk to your child’s teacher in September if you haven’t heard anything by then.
There was a request to not raise the rates (I’m sure they have been the same since I competed) and there were complaints that the required specifications were too complicated and that not all pages resulted in equal quality despite following the guidelines. With more details, I can help further.
Volunteers are needed mostly for stage set up and tear down (five people responded). There were lots of offers to help with selling programs and handing out numbers/results. 81 people in fact, which is great, but only about ten people left their e-mail address. Not sure how this is going to work but we’ll see…
Advice for Mass was as inconclusive as expected. Leave it alone, don’t have it, we’re too busy on Sunday, move it to before the dinner dance, don’t move it before the dinner dance because not everyone attends the dance, move it to Thursday night, it should be non-denominational, do an opening prayer each day instead, advertise it – we never knew (an ad has been in the program every year). Pending finding a local priest, it shall remain on Sunday morning.
The last section of the survey was for anything I had missed in the previous questions. Here are some answers to your comments/questions:
Choosing a location for the Oireachtas:
While it is true that the bulk of ECR dancers live in the GTA, it is insensitive to expect dancers from Cornwall, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax etc to travel to Niagara Falls every year. Hosting the event in the GTA is impossible. We would never get enough people to stay in the host hotel, which means we would have to pay for ballrooms at a cost of anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 or more. Where would that money come from (higher entry fees)? Imagine being charged $200 to do solo, $50 per team and $150 for a family fee; just so you can stay at home during the Oireachtas.
Niagara Falls ran its course. We were there for over 25 of the previous 35 years. It was suggested we build a relationship with the Sheraton in NF. We tried. They were not interested. Believe me, from an organizing point of view, it was so easy to go back there year after year. We knew the layout, we knew the managers and sales team; everything just fell into place. This year is already proving to require a lot more work, as we have to figure out where the vendors will go, how many we can have, how to line up the stages, seating plans for the ballrooms, where to have the judges/musicians breakfast and lunches and many more things. NF was still a bit too close to the GTA and there were too many other options for accommodation (like Orlando). We try to find an event that is affordable to the families but it must be affordable to the Association or else we simply cannot run it. There are also requests to take the event to new locations and as mentioned above we need to respect dance families from all parts of our region.
We looked at Blue Mountain a few years back and an ad hoc committee was formed to look at other locations such as Windsor and London. All short-listed locations had potential but they also had areas of concern such as: much higher costs to the Association, space concerns for the stages etc. and proximity to airports and/or driving concerns in the winter time.
The Parade of Champions:
For the first time in several years, there will be a standard step-down-the-line parade of champions after both Friday and Saturday’s award ceremonies, with the first place winners in each of that day's solo categories participating. This is in response to feedback from those who don’t attend the dinner dance who otherwise never get to see the parade. The rehearsal for the gala performance to entertain patrons at the dinner dance will be conducted by Roisin McGinley once again this year. Pizza and drinks will be provided during the rehearsal as requested in after the 2009 practice. Details about the time and location will be announced at the award ceremonies each night once Roisin decides.
As there is no teen dance this year, Roisin is looking for space to do a POC performance for dancers not attending the dinner dance. Roisin will try to sort this out when she arrives at the venue. Additional space will be needed so if permission is granted by the hotel, she will post signage with more details. My recommendation to you is to attend the parades after the awards ceremonies and not count on a supplemental showing of the gala version. We will try, but the logistics are not in our favour.
Recalling/Placing/Qualifying:
50% of the dancers in solo events with eleven or more are recalled to the third round. 33% of solo dancers place, which means they get a trophy versus a recall medal. Some events announce the ranking of only those who place, and call up the remaining dancers as recallers. IDTACE elected to announce the ranking of all dancers in each result. The qualification rules for worlds and nationals (as requested in the survey) are on our website.
http://www.irishdancecanada.com/ECRO.htm
We have no control over these formulas and sometimes, one or two dancers are included in a recall but excluded from nationals’ qualification. For teams and the mini-feis, 50% will place and a list of those who are going to be in the result will be posted. As suggested, we will make every effort to delay posting the lists to avoid disappointment to those dancers who still have to perform in other competitions.
-END
Here is the breakdown of respondents and some of the findings:
TC/AD with children 14
TC/AD without children 4
Adult/Parent who competed last year 14
Adult/Parent who volunteered last year 11
Adult/Parent who attended last year 81
Dancer who did just solo 34
Dancer who did solo and teams 27
Dancer who did just teams 5
Dancer who did mini-feis and teams 6
Dancer who did just mini-feis 1
Planning to support the hotel and dance 93
Planning to support the hotel but no dance 69
Staying elsewhere but going to the dance 8
Staying elsewhere and no dance either 15
Staying at home but going to the dance 4
Staying at home and no dance 7
Other 13
Interest in the treble reel for U10/11/12/13 was 42 for and 29 against; for U14/15 it was 20 for and 11 against and U16/upwards it was 22 in favour. Hardly scientific values since all of these numbers are so small compared to the total entries for the corresponding age groups. Still, we will give it a shot. Like the mini-feis, interested dancers enter one treble reel competition. Then, we will look at all of the entries and split them into fair sized competitions, rather than decide age groups now and risk having four dancers in one group but 25 in another. Boys and girls will be combined.
There wasn’t enough support to add the Reel to the mini-feis so it will remain as traditional set dance only. There was enough to give the mini-feis treble reel a shot so like the champ treble reels, we will try it for this year and decide afterward for future years.
As for the website/blog – most are very happy with the information provided. Thank you for the notes of appreciation. Suggestions of things to add include: info on local restaurants, bars, grocery stores and things to do in the area (if someone will compile, I will post, but google should be able to help everyone with these non-event related issues); info on the parade of champions rehearsal and performance(s); clearer details for booking rooms within the block; an explanation of percentages for placing versus recalling and how to qualify for bigger events; on-site food prices and the number of dancers/world qualifiers per group.
As I expected, there was no clear direction regarding awards. Go back to plaques/plaques are awful; change it up each year/change it up every few years/don’t change the awards; trophies are boring/kids love trophies; be sure to mark the award with the year and location; ensure perpetual are in better condition; give a medal to every dancer because they all work hard; make the medals bigger; switch to giving out only (prestigious) medals for all awards like the Worlds and All-Irelands; eliminate teacher trophies for teams; go with a Canadian theme; give out sashes for top five because only giving them out for top three is cheap and my favorite – “I’ve been dancing for 15 years and I am tired of every award we’ve had – get something new” (and yup, you guessed it, there wasn’t a suggestion with that charming comment, lol).
Several trophy companies submitted bids for our business and awards were selected with the advice of the survey in mind, although since there was no clear direction as noted above, the committee made the final decisions.
As for announcing results, we don’t have the time or resources to announce scores for each dancer in each competition on a large screen as is done overseas. The comment about the WQ certificates getting in the way of photographs was helpful. As such the certificates will be half the size this year (just the ones I did for Nationals this past summer). One person complained that the participation certificates looked cheap and also complained because they did not have everyone’s name already inscribed on them (I won’t publish their choice of wording to describe the type of job he/she said we did). I find it unfortunate that a first time, mini-feis only dancer cannot be gracious and appreciative of the volunteer efforts of others or of the chance they have been given to participate in an event as prestigious as this.
I was surprised to read how many people didn’t notice the trivia in the program, but not as surprised as the response “we didn’t attend last year”. The whole point of the survey was to get feedback from those who attended last year and are planning to go again this year. Ah, well. If I have time, then puzzles will again be included in the empty space on the competition listing pages. To answer someone’s question, they did not add any cost or size to the program. The puzzles were easy enough to add in, but the trivia took a lot of time. This year – more puzzles, no trivia.
There was a complaint that people aren’t given suitable notice that they can advertise in the program (yet the person didn’t leave their info so I can contact them to advertise). In fact, only one person did so and I will write to them very soon. All teachers get the official syllabus which contains advertising information and they are asked to spread the word to their dance families. Traditionally, only two or three schools submit ads on behalf of their dance families. This year, a flyer will be sent to teachers to forward to all of you, so hopefully you will now have your chance to be included. Talk to your child’s teacher in September if you haven’t heard anything by then.
There was a request to not raise the rates (I’m sure they have been the same since I competed) and there were complaints that the required specifications were too complicated and that not all pages resulted in equal quality despite following the guidelines. With more details, I can help further.
Volunteers are needed mostly for stage set up and tear down (five people responded). There were lots of offers to help with selling programs and handing out numbers/results. 81 people in fact, which is great, but only about ten people left their e-mail address. Not sure how this is going to work but we’ll see…
Advice for Mass was as inconclusive as expected. Leave it alone, don’t have it, we’re too busy on Sunday, move it to before the dinner dance, don’t move it before the dinner dance because not everyone attends the dance, move it to Thursday night, it should be non-denominational, do an opening prayer each day instead, advertise it – we never knew (an ad has been in the program every year). Pending finding a local priest, it shall remain on Sunday morning.
The last section of the survey was for anything I had missed in the previous questions. Here are some answers to your comments/questions:
Choosing a location for the Oireachtas:
While it is true that the bulk of ECR dancers live in the GTA, it is insensitive to expect dancers from Cornwall, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax etc to travel to Niagara Falls every year. Hosting the event in the GTA is impossible. We would never get enough people to stay in the host hotel, which means we would have to pay for ballrooms at a cost of anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 or more. Where would that money come from (higher entry fees)? Imagine being charged $200 to do solo, $50 per team and $150 for a family fee; just so you can stay at home during the Oireachtas.
Niagara Falls ran its course. We were there for over 25 of the previous 35 years. It was suggested we build a relationship with the Sheraton in NF. We tried. They were not interested. Believe me, from an organizing point of view, it was so easy to go back there year after year. We knew the layout, we knew the managers and sales team; everything just fell into place. This year is already proving to require a lot more work, as we have to figure out where the vendors will go, how many we can have, how to line up the stages, seating plans for the ballrooms, where to have the judges/musicians breakfast and lunches and many more things. NF was still a bit too close to the GTA and there were too many other options for accommodation (like Orlando). We try to find an event that is affordable to the families but it must be affordable to the Association or else we simply cannot run it. There are also requests to take the event to new locations and as mentioned above we need to respect dance families from all parts of our region.
We looked at Blue Mountain a few years back and an ad hoc committee was formed to look at other locations such as Windsor and London. All short-listed locations had potential but they also had areas of concern such as: much higher costs to the Association, space concerns for the stages etc. and proximity to airports and/or driving concerns in the winter time.
The Parade of Champions:
For the first time in several years, there will be a standard step-down-the-line parade of champions after both Friday and Saturday’s award ceremonies, with the first place winners in each of that day's solo categories participating. This is in response to feedback from those who don’t attend the dinner dance who otherwise never get to see the parade. The rehearsal for the gala performance to entertain patrons at the dinner dance will be conducted by Roisin McGinley once again this year. Pizza and drinks will be provided during the rehearsal as requested in after the 2009 practice. Details about the time and location will be announced at the award ceremonies each night once Roisin decides.
As there is no teen dance this year, Roisin is looking for space to do a POC performance for dancers not attending the dinner dance. Roisin will try to sort this out when she arrives at the venue. Additional space will be needed so if permission is granted by the hotel, she will post signage with more details. My recommendation to you is to attend the parades after the awards ceremonies and not count on a supplemental showing of the gala version. We will try, but the logistics are not in our favour.
Recalling/Placing/Qualifying:
50% of the dancers in solo events with eleven or more are recalled to the third round. 33% of solo dancers place, which means they get a trophy versus a recall medal. Some events announce the ranking of only those who place, and call up the remaining dancers as recallers. IDTACE elected to announce the ranking of all dancers in each result. The qualification rules for worlds and nationals (as requested in the survey) are on our website.
http://www.irishdancecanada.com/ECRO.htm
We have no control over these formulas and sometimes, one or two dancers are included in a recall but excluded from nationals’ qualification. For teams and the mini-feis, 50% will place and a list of those who are going to be in the result will be posted. As suggested, we will make every effort to delay posting the lists to avoid disappointment to those dancers who still have to perform in other competitions.
-END
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Take Our Online Survey For Oireachtas 2010.
I have written a survey for ECR Oireachtas-bound families to complete. It should not take more than ten minutes to complete. Follow the link below.
Thanks
Ryan C
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XPRFPX8
Thanks
Ryan C
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XPRFPX8
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
18-20 To Be Split For Worlds So...
THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 2/10.
MEN 18-20 IS NOT BEING SPLIT.
The ECRO (and all regions to be exact) is splitting the 18-20 solo LADIES championship categories to coincide with Worlds 2011. It was decided that the ladies 19-21 at Worlds is very large and should no longer be a double age group.
Here is the list of required dances that will appear in our syllabus when it goes out to teachers.
LU18 Reel HP, 6/8 set
LU19 SJ TJ, 2/4 or 4/4 set
LU20 Reel HP, 6/8 set
L20+ SJ TJ, 2/4 or 4/4 set
MU18 Reel TJ, 2/4 or 4/4 set
MU18-20 Reel TJ, 2/4 or 4/4 set
M20+ Reel HP, 6/8 set
Dancers or teachers who have been preparing for Men U19 should email Ryan Carroll ASAP at newfangle@yahoo.ca
Since the 18-20 LADIES group has been split up, each (new) age group will follow the same qualification formula as the younger age groups (5 for the first 20, then 1 for each ten or part of ten after than to a max of 15 not including WMHs who will be skipped). Only the MEN 18-20 and the LADIES 20+ categories will remain at 7 for 20 and 1 for 5 or part thereof.
MEN 18-20 IS NOT BEING SPLIT.
The ECRO (and all regions to be exact) is splitting the 18-20 solo LADIES championship categories to coincide with Worlds 2011. It was decided that the ladies 19-21 at Worlds is very large and should no longer be a double age group.
Here is the list of required dances that will appear in our syllabus when it goes out to teachers.
LU18 Reel HP, 6/8 set
LU19 SJ TJ, 2/4 or 4/4 set
LU20 Reel HP, 6/8 set
L20+ SJ TJ, 2/4 or 4/4 set
MU18 Reel TJ, 2/4 or 4/4 set
MU18-20 Reel TJ, 2/4 or 4/4 set
M20+ Reel HP, 6/8 set
Dancers or teachers who have been preparing for Men U19 should email Ryan Carroll ASAP at newfangle@yahoo.ca
Since the 18-20 LADIES group has been split up, each (new) age group will follow the same qualification formula as the younger age groups (5 for the first 20, then 1 for each ten or part of ten after than to a max of 15 not including WMHs who will be skipped). Only the MEN 18-20 and the LADIES 20+ categories will remain at 7 for 20 and 1 for 5 or part thereof.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
2010 ECRO Musicians
This year, we are pleased to have:
Pat King and Brian Grant
Tony Nother and Louis LeMesurier
Connor McGuirk and Brian Glynn
Pat King and Brian Grant
Tony Nother and Louis LeMesurier
Connor McGuirk and Brian Glynn
Thursday, April 15, 2010
2010 ECRO Senior Age Groups & 2011 Worlds Senior Age Groups
Confirmation from the Oireachtas Chairperson of An Coimisiun allows me to publish that the dances for Senior ladies will be SJ/TJ. Senior men will do R/HP.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Adjudicator Update
Please note that Philip Owens has withdrawn for the 2010 event and that Myra Watters (of Florida but originally of Ireland) will take his place.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Dates/Location/Days of Competitions
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR: November 12-13-14, 2010
AT: The Westin Hotel, Ottawa
11 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON
K1N 9H4
Room Rates $139 + taxes and 3% destination fee
Please support YOUR event by staying in the host hotel. The IDTAC-E must guarantee a certain number of paid hotel room nights in order to get our facility space discounted.
Thank you to everyone who showed their support in 2009 with this difficult situation.
2010 hotel reservation information is being prepared for distribution later this month (February).
Tentative Schedule
Friday the 12th
U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15 boys and girls
Saturday the 13th
U8, U9, U16, U17, 18, 18-20, 20&O, Adult teams followed by our Gala Dinner Dance
Sunday the 14th
Mini-feis (traditional set dances) and remaining team events
We anticipate finishing on Friday by dinner time, Saturday by about 4pm and Sunday by about 2pm. These are estimates based on previous years IF we use the same timetable. There are no guarantees about end times, so plan to be there for the day.
Results for all of a days' competitions will be at the end of that day.
AT: The Westin Hotel, Ottawa
11 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON
K1N 9H4
Room Rates $139 + taxes and 3% destination fee
Please support YOUR event by staying in the host hotel. The IDTAC-E must guarantee a certain number of paid hotel room nights in order to get our facility space discounted.
Thank you to everyone who showed their support in 2009 with this difficult situation.
2010 hotel reservation information is being prepared for distribution later this month (February).
Tentative Schedule
Friday the 12th
U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15 boys and girls
Saturday the 13th
U8, U9, U16, U17, 18, 18-20, 20&O, Adult teams followed by our Gala Dinner Dance
Sunday the 14th
Mini-feis (traditional set dances) and remaining team events
We anticipate finishing on Friday by dinner time, Saturday by about 4pm and Sunday by about 2pm. These are estimates based on previous years IF we use the same timetable. There are no guarantees about end times, so plan to be there for the day.
Results for all of a days' competitions will be at the end of that day.
List of 2010 Adjudicators
I am excited to announce the confirmed list of judges for this year.
Ann Boland-Kelly - IRL
Charles Moore - IRL
Nathalie Devlin - IRL
Gerry Verdon - IRL
John Carey - ENG
Mandy Hennigan - ENG
Philip Owens - USA (formerly of IRL)
Ann Lavin-Cassidy - USA (formerly of IRL)
Christina Ryan - USA (formerly of IRL)
Ann Boland-Kelly - IRL
Charles Moore - IRL
Nathalie Devlin - IRL
Gerry Verdon - IRL
John Carey - ENG
Mandy Hennigan - ENG
Philip Owens - USA (formerly of IRL)
Ann Lavin-Cassidy - USA (formerly of IRL)
Christina Ryan - USA (formerly of IRL)
Welcome to the 2010 ECRO Blog
The IDTACE website will only be used to store results - all other information to you and queries from you shall run through this blog.
I run this in my spare time which is increasingly sparse these days. Anything you need to know will be added ASAP - the rest; when I have a moment to add it.
For those starting the 2010 feis season later this month at the Mary Woodgate feis - best of luck!
I run this in my spare time which is increasingly sparse these days. Anything you need to know will be added ASAP - the rest; when I have a moment to add it.
For those starting the 2010 feis season later this month at the Mary Woodgate feis - best of luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)