Week two of Irish dancing went pretty well. I arrived slightly earlier than the previous week (last time I barely had enough time to put my shoes on before we started the warm-up and I wanted to get some extra ankle exercises in before class this week) and the waiting area was packed with young dancers practicing steps, doing each other's hair and generally mucking about. The majority of the dancers were high-school age (I overheard much discussion about prom) and it gave me a twinge of nostalgia for when I was in my senior year and really taking off in dance.
Initially I thought all the kids hanging around were from the previous class, but then I discovered they were there for a special camp as they gear up for Nationals. I saw two guys running around with the kids, making them do laps around the building and ushering them in herds from the waiting area into the second studio. So McDade has male teachers! I thought. Cool.
My teacher (Sheila) got my hopes up for the lesson right away: After reviewing the work from last week we would learn a second jig step and then she would teach us a treble reel step. True confession time: I've never learned a treble reel. I was too busy struggling with my treble jig (which, maddingly, I never placed in competition). Treble reel is a hard shoe dance that you'll see a lot of times in dancing shows like Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, and I was surprised that she was going to teach us a step – it's pretty advanced. I don't know if she just humoring adults who want to be clacky or if she was trying to keep those of us who've previously danced engaged or what. Either way, I was stoked. Just knowing how to properly count out a treble reel would be a big help to me.
Already I can see marked differences in my body: The warm-up no longer did me in the way it did last week (the McDade warm-up is heavy on the cardio and lighter on the stretching), and I had much more stamina throughout the class.
The second jig step threw me a bit. You know what they teach you about muscle memory? It's all true. Last week's jig step* was different enough from Coyle jig steps that I could pick it up quickly and just add it in my jig repertoire. This second step, however, shares some common elements from my old steps so my body gets confused. Instead of hop-one, hop-two, hop-one-two-three-four it's now hop-one, hop-two, hop-three and UP!-two-three-four-five, and yet, my legs forget this at the last second and suddenly I'm doing a McDade/Coyle hybrid jig step.
We completed learning the body of the High Caul Cap, which was interesting because we had a couple people in the class who were not there for the previous lesson. It consisted a lot of "No, no, go here now" and lots of dragging of partners about. When Sheila announced that we would learn the first figure next week I had to chuckle when one of the ladies in my group whispered, "You mean there's more?!?" Yes. There's at least three figures, and between each one is the body we just learned. So, yeah. Stamina. I forgot how exhausting ceili's can be.
By the time we were done with the High Caul Cap, I knew we didn't have enough time to begin the treble reel. Boo-urns. Hopefully next week. I'm finding myself anxious to begin my lessons with Timoney so I can learn more proper steps and work on other dances: reel, hornpipe, and my beloved slip jig.
Since we still had time before class was over, the teacher invited the kids who were going to Nationals to come put on a bit of a show for us. And that's when I learned the guys who were there teaching them weren't McDade instructors. Not at all. Nope. They were two former principle dancers from Lord of the Dance. Both had played the Main Evil Bad Dude in the show for a number of years. They were there for a special workshop with the camp. I was both thrilled and embarrassed. Thrilled because whatever my feelings about Michael Flatley (bit of a ponce), that's just damn cool. Embarrassed because my spudly body and clunky knees currently make me a wreck of a dancer. Both of them however (and here's where I also feel bad because I didn't quite catch either of their names) were lovely and brilliant dancers. I don't know how long they've been working with the kids, but they were great with them and as the students began to show us their steps, they would hoot and holler for them. Can you imagine? Having a professional dancer not only teach you and help you prep for Nationals, but then cheer you on as you performed! Lucky kids. The two professionals were very humble as well and when Sheila tried to get them to dance for us, they got all red in the face and demurred. But with enough encouragement they both did a step for us. Like I said, brilliant dancers, the both of them.
Last night when I talked to the Scotsman, I teased him. "They wanted me to run away with them and be their dancing colleen," I told him. "They wanted me to go back to Belfast and live in their flat. But I said 'No. Gentlemen, I thank you for your kind offer but alas, my heart belongs to a handsome New Jersey man in a kilt. Also, my jump-two-threes are pitifully low. I could never be the colleen you want me to be.'"
"Oh, is that how it happened?" he asked.
In truth, I skittered out of class too embarrassed to talk to either of them. But we'll keep that just between us.
*This would be a good time to explain, in case I never have, that a "step" in Irish dancing is 8 bars of music, leading once with each foot. So if you look at those videos I've linked, when each girl steps forward she performs one complete step, leading first with the right foot and then doing it again leading with the left. So there's lots of components that can go into making a steps.
Initially I thought all the kids hanging around were from the previous class, but then I discovered they were there for a special camp as they gear up for Nationals. I saw two guys running around with the kids, making them do laps around the building and ushering them in herds from the waiting area into the second studio. So McDade has male teachers! I thought. Cool.
My teacher (Sheila) got my hopes up for the lesson right away: After reviewing the work from last week we would learn a second jig step and then she would teach us a treble reel step. True confession time: I've never learned a treble reel. I was too busy struggling with my treble jig (which, maddingly, I never placed in competition). Treble reel is a hard shoe dance that you'll see a lot of times in dancing shows like Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, and I was surprised that she was going to teach us a step – it's pretty advanced. I don't know if she just humoring adults who want to be clacky or if she was trying to keep those of us who've previously danced engaged or what. Either way, I was stoked. Just knowing how to properly count out a treble reel would be a big help to me.
Already I can see marked differences in my body: The warm-up no longer did me in the way it did last week (the McDade warm-up is heavy on the cardio and lighter on the stretching), and I had much more stamina throughout the class.
The second jig step threw me a bit. You know what they teach you about muscle memory? It's all true. Last week's jig step* was different enough from Coyle jig steps that I could pick it up quickly and just add it in my jig repertoire. This second step, however, shares some common elements from my old steps so my body gets confused. Instead of hop-one, hop-two, hop-one-two-three-four it's now hop-one, hop-two, hop-three and UP!-two-three-four-five, and yet, my legs forget this at the last second and suddenly I'm doing a McDade/Coyle hybrid jig step.
We completed learning the body of the High Caul Cap, which was interesting because we had a couple people in the class who were not there for the previous lesson. It consisted a lot of "No, no, go here now" and lots of dragging of partners about. When Sheila announced that we would learn the first figure next week I had to chuckle when one of the ladies in my group whispered, "You mean there's more?!?" Yes. There's at least three figures, and between each one is the body we just learned. So, yeah. Stamina. I forgot how exhausting ceili's can be.
By the time we were done with the High Caul Cap, I knew we didn't have enough time to begin the treble reel. Boo-urns. Hopefully next week. I'm finding myself anxious to begin my lessons with Timoney so I can learn more proper steps and work on other dances: reel, hornpipe, and my beloved slip jig.
Since we still had time before class was over, the teacher invited the kids who were going to Nationals to come put on a bit of a show for us. And that's when I learned the guys who were there teaching them weren't McDade instructors. Not at all. Nope. They were two former principle dancers from Lord of the Dance. Both had played the Main Evil Bad Dude in the show for a number of years. They were there for a special workshop with the camp. I was both thrilled and embarrassed. Thrilled because whatever my feelings about Michael Flatley (bit of a ponce), that's just damn cool. Embarrassed because my spudly body and clunky knees currently make me a wreck of a dancer. Both of them however (and here's where I also feel bad because I didn't quite catch either of their names) were lovely and brilliant dancers. I don't know how long they've been working with the kids, but they were great with them and as the students began to show us their steps, they would hoot and holler for them. Can you imagine? Having a professional dancer not only teach you and help you prep for Nationals, but then cheer you on as you performed! Lucky kids. The two professionals were very humble as well and when Sheila tried to get them to dance for us, they got all red in the face and demurred. But with enough encouragement they both did a step for us. Like I said, brilliant dancers, the both of them.
Last night when I talked to the Scotsman, I teased him. "They wanted me to run away with them and be their dancing colleen," I told him. "They wanted me to go back to Belfast and live in their flat. But I said 'No. Gentlemen, I thank you for your kind offer but alas, my heart belongs to a handsome New Jersey man in a kilt. Also, my jump-two-threes are pitifully low. I could never be the colleen you want me to be.'"
"Oh, is that how it happened?" he asked.
In truth, I skittered out of class too embarrassed to talk to either of them. But we'll keep that just between us.
*This would be a good time to explain, in case I never have, that a "step" in Irish dancing is 8 bars of music, leading once with each foot. So if you look at those videos I've linked, when each girl steps forward she performs one complete step, leading first with the right foot and then doing it again leading with the left. So there's lots of components that can go into making a steps.
Labels: Irish Dancing
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