To the what?

Every Thanksgiving weekend for about 10 years we packed up the car and headed to a different city for the Oireachtas. In the Irish language it means “assembly” but for Irish Dancers it is the championships of Irish Dance. This gathering is an honor for a dancer and the competition is fierce. Boys and girls represent their dance schools as well as themselves individually. Our daughters were Trinity Irish Dancers and this sport/art form was now woven into our family life.

The Oireachtas was a special gathering of families from around the mid-west and we had a big Thanksgiving dinner together in whatever hotel we were all staying at. One year the dance teacher came dressed as a giant turkey. At night in our hotel room each dancer had a little tiny packet of glitter to sprinkle on their shoes. I’m sure these hotels are still vacuuming.

Each girl had a solo routine as well as a set dance, which was a traditional set of steps put to well known tune, “Hurry the Jug, Planxty Drury, Miss Brown’s Fancy and the Blackthorn Stick” to name a few.

Dance Dramas done with large teams of dancers were amazing spectacles of Irish history that are danced to traditional music. There are celli’s, that are similar to a square dance, with intricate hand and footwork. There are dances called a 16 hand, with 16 dancers weaving in and out telling a story of the Galway Races or the High Cauled Cap.

The night before the competition hair was curled, shoes were shined and last minute rehearsals were held. Corrections were made, and feedback was direct. Irish dancing was not for the faint of heart. Dances were run until every move was perfect.

It was a family life style, just like soccer or hockey. It was so much fun to follow our girls through all the activities and sports they took on and we learned that each had it’s own culture and traditions. What I saw my girls learn, besides dancing, was that working hard was a good thing –it was about the doing, the friends and the accomplishment.