Note about terms – In the Irish dance world, a competition is known as “feis”, plural “feiseanna”. “Oireachtas” refers to an annual championship.
Every Irish dancer in the Southern Region knows that one of the biggest feiseanna is coming up this weekend.
Dancers from across the South of England are competing against each other for the first-place trophy, the glory, and a qualifying place for the World Championships.
With every dancer dreaming of lifting that globe at Worlds, the Regional Championships can get very competitive.
But with the competition only a few hours away, I got in contact with dancers and parents, to see just what they thought about this massive competition.
Callum Hammond, World Qualifier 2024, and winner of the Southern England Oireachtas Under 12 competition last year, said “My teachers have put me through thick and thin to be ready for this competition, and I just need to have one more step to go for it.”
Aiming for a world medal, I spoke to Callum’s mum about how this dedication to such an all-consuming sport has impacted their daily lives - “There is a lot of time spent at class day to day, especially during the run-up [to a Major].”
In exchange for such disruptions to daily life, however, is a burning passion and love for a sport that provides not only fitness but life-long friendships for the dancers.
Jackie, Callum’s mum, believes that “he is in peak physical condition as lots of work has been put in since summer.”
It is certainly a representation of the love these dancers have for their sport, putting themselves through intense training to come out on top, but in the end, it is certainly worth it to stand on the podium and lift that first-place trophy.
