bad day for dd...just need to vent

[Schmeck]

Irish dancing is HARD, I will challenge anyone out there who thinks that any other form of dance is as difficult. Show me another dance style that has two different types of shoes that vary SO greatly. I think any child who takes on the dance, learns it, and is willing to show it off is a winner, hands down. Besides by the time you dress them up in all their regalia (never was a fan) I'm sometimes surprised they can dance at all!

Pointe vs regular ballet - the shoes are so different, the costumes are very different (those pointe tutus that are straight out stiff!) even the muscles you use in your legs and feet are very different. It took 2+ hours to find the right pointe shoes for my daughter, and when she outgrows these ones, it'll take another 2+ hours as her feet will have developed/changed and so will her skill level (hopefully)!

 

[CheshireSmile]

Pointe vs regular ballet - the shoes are so different, the costumes are very different (those pointe tutus that are straight out stiff!) even the muscles you use in your legs and feet are very different. It took 2+ hours to find the right pointe shoes for my daughter, and when she outgrows these ones, it'll take another 2+ hours as her feet will have developed/changed and so will her skill level (hopefully)!

You make an excellent point. I gave up ballet to begin Irish before I'd gotten to the pointe stage, and I was expecting Irish soft shoes to be similar, but they are again very different. I have the utmost respect for dancers of all varieties, and I do love attending the ballet. My dancers share my jealousy of ballerinas because they have so many more opportunities to perform and see performances. The minute someone finds out you're an Irish dancer, they go 'oh, like Riverdance!?' Yes, like Riverdance, and while I do have a lot of respect and admiration for Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, I would LOVE to see more Irish dance shows. And wow, that many hours to get fitted for shoes, I'm glad the Irish shoes aren't as difficult to fit. The only funky thing about them is the different sizing, so that even though I wear a size 7.5 shoe, I wear size 4 in my Irish shoes!

 

[kimbac3]

My two DDs are Irish dancers too. They don't compete. They dance for the love of it. DD16 had wanted to compete but I just can't do it. It's expensive and it requires more travel then we can do. DD9 enjoys dancing but can take it or leave it. She's good at it too but it's not her passion like DD16. They both do other forms of dance as well but Irish is their first love. DD16 is Irish dancing in the Teen Arts Festival in May and she is doing a little solo at their recital.

We've been to some competitions to watch and it they decided that they didn't want to bother with it. I'm glad...I think I get more stressed then they do at those types of things

for you and your DD. Hopefully this won't be a set back for her. She should be really proud for persevering that day. That makes her a winner in my book
Kimba

 

[bopper]

(apologizing in advance for the rambling)

It's just hard, 'cause the kids don't fit in anywhere. I'm not in that big of a town. When Justin was preschool-aged it wasn't that big of a deal, he blended all right, but as he gets older it gets more obvious, and it gets harder.

Have you looked at your local recreational baseball or soccer leagues? Ours has a "challenger" league where the kids get assistance to play soccer or baseball. If you don't have one, maybe you could start one?

 

[taximomfor4]

I didn't know there was sock glue either - my daughter's group tap costume has long striped socks - they could certainly use some glue for those! We had to sew extra elastic in them, what a pain! Hey, would the glue help with wedgies too? (And the baldie comment - LOL!, poor kids, I'd never laugh at them when/if that kind of thing happens, of course, but still, the drama of it all!)

I know it helps with wedgies too. Found out at our last feis from a dancer/gymnast that the exact same roll-on sock glue is marketed to gymnasts as well. Butt Glue.

 

[taximomfor4]

op here...here's a link to dd dancing, it's a group-choreography for a solo dance she'd JUST finished learning.

She's the dark-blonde in the front row, closest to the camera.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7281046219425836256&hl=en