HELLO WORLDS!

 

Live action photo, first round, World Championships, London, 2014

Canandaigua, NY. After many years I realize I’m ‘inspiration dependent’. I need something to inspire me every day to get up and go. Having all the normal adult responsibilities just isn’t enough to move me and I’ve behaved irresponsibly towards myself and others in the past as a result. However, I’ve seen marked improvement since Irish Dance popped into my purview.

Irish Dance is very inspiring, but more to my point, it’s that one girl who dreamed and worked and danced her way into the competitive Irish dancing stratosphere. It’s her grit and determination, not to mention talent, that has me riveted to the cause. She is my inspiration, and forever will be.

I do hope she has all she needs to keep herself inspired. Lord knows it’s a lot of work in the freezing cold with the traipsing back and forth over miles of snowy highway to classes and lessons, and rehabilitating an injury besides, to be as ready as she can be to compete in the World Championships in Montreal in just a few weeks.

We have the picture above framed and hanging in our living room, a shining moment in time that crowns all our efforts as a family to date, not to mention Renee’s showing which propelled her to a world ranking. It never fails to bring back the rush of electricity and excitement that swirls ‘round in such rarefied air as you’ll find at the top of competitive Irish Dance, a place I could never have glimpsed or imagined even five years ago. I’m inspired each time I look at it.

Recently, I was piqued by some fatherly career advice given to actress, Tea Leoni, who recalled it in an interview, and I’m paraphrasing, “Don’t just do something because you’re good at it. Do the thing you’re passionate about and you’ll GET good.” I was thinking when I read it that here’s a thought that fairly sums up Renee’s Irish Dance journey,she being someone who always wants to do it all, was forced to realize that at some point, you have to choose, and she chose, essentially between gymnastics and dance, and it was a hard choice for her. That was some 5 or 6 years ago, but at long last, it seems pretty clear that she chose wisely, and she’s had the benefit of both regimens, with great teaching and coaching throughout.

It’s a great burden off a parent’s shoulders to know that a child of theirs can compete and excel in this world, and on that note, another quote, paraphrased as well, but very telling about all that Renee and the thousands of truly excellent Irish dancers who will come together at the World Championships know all too well. It was the much acclaimed, two-time World Champion, choreographer extraordinaire, Donna Griffin, who was assuring the Young School dancers 6 months ago that it wouldn’t be “baby steps” they’d be getting as the new dances they would learn for the next year’s competitions, and that if they expected to win, place or show they were “going to have to WORK”.

That’s pretty much the champions’ secret in a nutshell: do the work, get the guidance and do the work, every day, every day. And if you do it, then you must love it, so you’ll do it, every day, every day.

Look out Worlds and a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!

Keeping you posted.

 

Jim

Greetings from the Waterford Ambassador

 

St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Rochester, NY 2014

Canandaigua, NY. Rochester’s 37th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was undoubtedly an auspicious beginning to our 2014 tour. Renee has been a marcher in our annual rite of spring since ’04 or ’05, but this year was clearly a very special year. She was so warmly welcomed by the Rochester Irish community and she was so proud to be recognized. She held her own place in the first division. A parade needs a princess, right?

Renee’s parade appearance was as special honoree, the Waterford Ambassador, selected by the Waterford Scholarship committee representing the sister city relationship Rochester, New York shares with Waterford, Ireland. This is a bit poignant as Renee, nor I or her mother has ever been to Waterford. We’d like to remedy that, yet in just a couple of weeks we’ll be skipping over the Emerald Isle once again on the way to London for the Irish Dance World Championships.

Nevertheless, because we have poured our souls and our pocketbooks into continued adventures ever nearer, we could have been no prouder, her mother and I, than to see her waving to the crowd out in the middle of Main Street. The next stop to Ireland couldn’t be that far off, surely. We trust in faith, in God and a bit of destiny to guide us along. Perhaps we’ll meet an Irish dancer from Waterford at the Worlds.

Yes, it’s all about the World Championships now and it’s hard to believe we’re nearly there. With a couple of competitions on tap this next two weeks, Renee will take the stage to get a reading on her readiness to quest for a world ranking. Not too many are called, and fewer are chosen at the World Championships. It’s estimated that less than 1% of competitive Irish dancers of all ages qualify to compete on the World stage.

Regardless the outcome, Renee will always be a beautiful Irish dancer and a true standard bearer for the Irish here in America, and wherever she may fly. She has immersed herself in the music, the literature and the history in a big way. Growing up, I had little exposure to the Irish save for the few sisters with that funny Gaelic lilt in their voices at Our Lady of Lourdes School.
Years from now,

I hope Renee will be able to look back upon a rich Irish heritage. She’s contributed more to ours than anyone I know save for my mother’s brother, my uncle Bill, who could sing a fine Irish ditty. It seems we’ve condensed an extreme amount of Irish into a single generation, but that’s really thanks to Renee herself.

I see Michael Flatley is a special guest speaker at this year’s World Championship opening ceremonies. Sadly, we won’t arrive in time to see him then, but I’d like to thank him in advance for setting a stage for a little girl to dance and work and grow to be a champion. Special props to Jean Butler.

Jim

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year from the Tudor Studio

Canandaigua, NY.  A hearty hello to all and a wish for your success and happiness in 2014, with the hope that wherever you are today, you’re safe and warm.  Brrrr!!

Not much happening at the Tudor Studio currently. Winter came early and has driven the dancers into the basement. This, of course, has meant the conversion of my man cave into a dance studio.

Actually, my rather dingy basement was devoted primarily to my drumming, and I guess it still is, sans drums, until it’s warm enough to get the dancing back out to the garage, out of which I was driven back in September. I’ve had the stand of tall pines just outside to shelter what couldn’t be kept in the garage any longer.

Thanks to all this shifting about, we’re eying a total move, probably sooner than we realize, just so everyone can have a home. What began as simple ceiling plaster preservation seems to have generated a new 5 year plan, Irish dancing, more or less, leading the way.

If you’ve got a kid with talents and abilities and dedication, there’s nothing to do but support them the best you can. And so my hat’s off to all of those I have met and have come to know who go all out so their kids can be all in on the opportunities that are out there for them.

We’re currently counting the days to the Irish Dancing World Championships in London this April. That should speed the winter days by like nothing else we currently have available. We could be sitting on beaches soaking up the equatorial sun or enjoying the hot tub in some mountain resort where they have a roaring fire in every room. Instead, we’re going Irish dancing, and really, I couldn’t be more excited.

We know this phase will end, and soon. With Winter Olympics just ahead, it brings home with emphasis the amateur’s sojourn and the hopes and dreams that accrue through years of training and competing. It sure shows how if you want to be the best, you’ve really got to want it.,,a lot. And, you have to have a bunch of people who want it with you. None of those good things ever happen by themselves.

We’ll share our ups and downs and parlay the pluses into a life we have chosen along a path we’ll travel together with welcome wonder at where it all could lead.

As the great showman, Jackie Gleason, put it, “And away we go!”

Stay inspired in 20-14!

 

Jim

 

 

 

 

Perpetual Bling

 The Trish Hardner Memorial Trophy awarded by Rince Na Tiarna Association of Erie, PA.

 Canandaigua, NY —  “Perpetual-ity”. The PGA has it. Irish Dance has it.

As I watched Jason Dufner hoist the gigantic Wanamaker Trophy at the 95^th PGA Championship, golf’s final major tournament of the season, in nearby Rochester on Sunday, I thought about how surreal it must be for him right at this moment. He certainly looked as if he’d awakened in a dream world.

Only a champion gets to experience that moment.

At every Irish Dance competition (feis)(fesh), a whole bevy of new champions are recognized and awarded their trophies and sashes and medals. I always wondered if Renee would ever win a perpetual trophy, and have her name engraved on it for posterity. It’s been a rarity for Renee to actually be in a competition where a perpetual trophy is awarded.  The major competitions like World Championships, North American, British, Australian, Irish and Scottish Nationals, etc., all have them, and there are quite a few throughout the Irish Dance world that are awarded each year at local feisiana.

So it was on Saturday, and anticipating the prestigious award adds a little zing to the competition, I’ll say that. We spent a long day in the Niagara Falls Convention Center, and it was a good day for the Young School with two perpetual trophies won, and a new champion welcomed to the growing ranks of the Young Champions.

The Trish Hardner Memorial was established this year, 2013, to commemorate her efforts to successfully establish a branch of the Rince Na Tiarna dance school in Erie, PA. She was recognized at the awards ceremony for the Champion Girls Under 17 competition and was represented by her daughter and grandchildren.

I’m reminded that it’s in the Irish dance tradition for the teacher to bring the dance to the students rather than having the students come to them. It must be a lot like missionary work, because it reaches into some very small communities throughout the world. And wherever you are, you could be sufficiently inspired by Irish dance to be a conduit for its learning.

We were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time here in little old Canandaigua for Renee to have begun her formal dance career when she did — when the Young School came to town. Really, it would probably not have happened otherwise, so we feel honored that she could become the first to commemorate Mrs. Hardner’s pioneering and giving spirit. It’ll be fun shifting that big cup all about the house for the next year until we return it for next year’s Feis at the Falls.

Harkening back to the previous post, “The Bling Thing”, of course, awards are great, when you win them. However, they can be a bitter reminder when you lose out. We’ve been together on both sides of the equation, experiencing the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat (thank you ABC Sports).

The recognition Renee receives because her winning talent and personality has been a vicarious thrill through the years. She rarely disappoints. I personally have no trophy to hoist, save for Renee. She’s grown far too big to toss in the air any more. Instead, she lifts us all up with her latest accomplishment.

Stay inspired.

Jim

Irish Dance is #1

Canandaigua, NY  Irish dance is #1 around here. We brush our teeth and eat breakfast, go to work, go to school and it’s one of those things we do and think about all the time, I mean religiously. Which is to say, the girl dances and her mother and I think about all that that entails that isn’t the actual dancing.

However, the one thing that makes all the rest worth it is the dancing. It’s the most inspiring. It’s joyous. So, you like something that truly  captures those most inspiring moments for some of those other moments when you’re wondering what happened and how did I get here?

We’ve got cabinets full of trophies, and podium pictures dotting our house, but alas, one’s prizes collect dust while the future looms.

One day though another dedicated dance mom and her camera captured one of those moments. A camera, and a nice one, a Nikon I believe, in good hands caught a young Irish dancer in flight.

Hail the digital age! You can see your pictures right away. She showed it to me and I thought, “Wow, it looks like Sports Illustrated.” Irish dancers will recognize this step, an over, and it’s a favorite, if not one of the more difficult steps for the dancers to do perfectly. The form is as lovely as it is impressive when done well.

Our excellent photographer remarked that it was too bad she couldn’t have caught more of her face, but immediately I responded that it’s so much the better that she had not because even against the rather mundane background of a church parking lot, the shot looked iconic: this is Irish dancing, this is the essence. She sent it along to me and I kept looking at it. I was firm on my first impression.

Readers of earlier blog posts will likely recognize the dancer in the image above. And it didn’t hurt that she had designed and commissioned the dress with the colors of the Irish flag, but then enter Photoshop wizard and good family friend who lovingly put in the hours to peel every little curl off of the raw photo so that Renee could be emblazoned on the Irish flag.

Iconic, spectacular, I thought. For all these Champion years (competitive level – 4 years including pre-lim) this image has been a constant source of inspiration, and has actually appeared on a couple of occasions in local magazines.

I use it for wallpaper. It sparks memories of when the weekend highlights were dancing for folks at sunny Saturday afternoon strawberry socials. One of them yielded this small testament to the fascinating beauty of the art of the dance, whatever form you may favor.

These days we’re looking at World Championships in the rear view and ahead to North American Championships in July in Anaheim. I think we’re going to be right across the street from Disneyland.

It takes a lot of focus and dedication to carry on with competitive Irish dancing, as it does with any competitive activity you’re religious about. It helps having a little inspiration. It helps a lot, in fact.

Stay inspired.

Jim