< BACK Competition Faqs Competition is not the sole focus of the Boyle School and it is certainly not for everyone. However, if your dancer is interested in competing, their desire should be expressed to their teacher. Any Boyle School dancer who is interested in competing may do so and would be strongly encouraged to join Competition Class, a class focused on preparing dancers for competition. What is a feis? A feis (fesh) is the name for an Irish dance competition. The Boyle School of Irish Dance is registered with An Coimisiun le Rince Gaelacha (CLRG) and therefore our dancers may only compete in feiseanna that are registered with the North American Feis Commission (NAFC) or CLRG. How do I sign up for a Feis? Feiseanna are held throughout the world. Most feiseanna use different websites to register dancers. The most common Feis sites used are: www.quickfeis.com www.feisweb.com www.feisworx.com www.efeis.com www.ifeis.net www.feisentry.com You will have to create a permanent account with these sites. Once you've created your accounts the sites keep track of your dancer's age group for you. These sites guide you in paying for participation as well. You can choose to pay with a credit card or PayPal. Some feiseanna will let you mail a check. You can also visit these sites to view the different feiseanna that are scheduled. When you register your dancer, you register them as of January 1 of this year. For example: If your dancer is age 10 as of January 1, then your dancer will compete in Under 11 all year long, regardless of when they turn 11. When Should I sign up? Most competitions have their syllabus out about 3 months before the feis date. This is just an estimate. Many times feiseanna reach their cap before the closing date of entries. Many feiseanna close very quickly. To receive notification about a feis opening up, create an account on the feis sites and follow the instructions for receiving notifications. Following the social media accounts of the Feiseanna you wish to attend is also the best way to know when the entries are opening. BEFORE ARRIVING TO THE FEIS We suggest you print out the Feis schedule. About 5 days before the feis, plan on visiting the feis website to print out a Stage Schedule. The Stage Schedule tells you what stage your dances are on and what order all of the dances are in. You should highlight your competition numbers and the stage numbers. Make sure you bring this to the feis. Also, about 5 days before the feis, MOST (but not all) feiseanna will email you your COMPETITOR NUMBER. Print this out on white cardstock and make sure you have a way to attach it to your dancer's outfit (ribbon or safety pin). Your competitor number will also have your competitions listed on the back. If you forget your competitor number or stage schedule you can usually get one at the check-in table when you get to the feis. Another great idea before arriving to the feis is to follow the social media pages, typically this is where information is released first! WHAT TO WEAR/BRING TO A FEIS In Beginner through Prizewinner levels you may wear our beginner costume (the black leotard and skort) or our green school dress and poodle socks with the proper dance shoes. Hair should be pulled up or back off face. Boys may wear black slacks, a dress shirt and tie or our Boyle School cummerbund and black socks with their proper dance shoes. Dancers in more advanced levels may wear a solo outfit that is approved by the teachers. Make sure you don't wear anything that has our Boyle School logo or name on it. Remember to bring your costume, the syllabus, the list of steps from your teacher, duct tape, safety pins, a folding chair (if allowed-always read the syllabus for each feis as it will tell you what they do not allow), highlighted stage schedule, competitor number, bottled water and snacks. Feiseanna can be a very long day so you might want to pack books and portable toys for dancers' siblings. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT A FEIS When you arrive, familiarize yourself with the layout and locate the stages on which you will be dancing. Occasionally, a feis may announce that they are moving a specific competition to another stage so plan on listening to all announcements. Watch your stage and follow your Stage Schedule. Each stage will have an "On Stage" sign and a "Next Up" sign. When you see that the "Next Up" sign is showing the competition just before yours you should check-in at the stage with the stage manager. This person is usually standing by the signs and has a clipboard where they will mark off your name. The stage manager will then direct you to the chairs where you will wait for your competition. When it's your group’s turn to compete, another helper will tell you it's time to proceed onto the stage. CLICK HERE for a very informative video taken at a Feis to provide helpful tips for the day of! results The results for grade competitions are usually posted on a wall listing the dancers who have placed. If your number appears on the results chart you can obtain your medal or trophy from the awards table. The results also might be listed online, if so, this will be on the website you used for registration. How are the Competition Levels Divided? There are 6 competition levels or grades in North America that the dancer progresses through. They are:
How does the 100 points system work? In the grade levels, dancers have one adjudicator judging their competition. In Preliminary and Open, there are three adjudicators who utilize the 100 points system. Click here for a very good article written by Jim Montague, of Feis Web, explaining the 100 point system. How does the schedule work at a feis? Here is a calculator that helps figure out timing at feis: Stage Calculator |