New to it All!

2016 was a year of firsts, ups, downs, skepticism, self doubting, and dance miracles. The year started off flustered as I tried to quickly learn a brand new set in less then 2 weeks, and proceeded to make a disaster of it lol! Feb. consisted of my having to dance with the current (at the time) National and regional champ. I knew right then that this feis would be pointless and I wouldn't even get looked at, so I was syked out and defeated before I stepped on stage. I proceeded to be involved in a collision with said champion where my leg was up for a whip and she came across in front of me as I came down and I clipped her ankle. It was this big super dramatic situation that was even more awkward because her teachers were once mine (when I was a beginner) and well lets just say they did not like me very much after that incident lol! This incident was then used in a negative light by a teammate who wasn't even there and proceeded to make me feel terrible about myself. 

She basically came to class and said infant of everyone that I must have danced really bad because our schools world qualifier didn't place. It became a major sore spot when my teacher jokingly told the whole class exactly what happened and then this same classmate took it upon herself to “teach” me how to dance when someone is in my way and lets just say that did not sit well with my explosive and grudge holding personality lol! Things got blown way out of proportion the week I left for worlds and I was basically blamed for the entire incident that occurred in class. The ramifications for the incident are still being put out to this day (almost a year later) and the other “senior lady” in our class now thinks she is better then everyone else and deserves special treatment. 

With that said I am absolutely sick of the attitudes that everyone in our school has. We are such a small school that the moms think that every bad score their children get are because of bad judges and that they always deserve better. They all mean well, but the attitude that they deserve things that they don't really got to me this year and they expect our teachers to bend over backwards and give them absolutely everything they want, when they want it. Its draining listening and being complained to by these families who are so new to the Irish dance world and think they know better than everyone else. 

2016 was an exhausting year for me dance wise. Everything going on at the studio made me put so much pressure on myself that I got into my head at basically every feis this year. There were only 2 exceptions. Worlds was an amazing experience and I danced the best I absolutely could. The experience was tainted by what happened leading up to it, but my goal going in was not placing last and I achieved it! I had qualified for the 2016 worlds at my very FIRST Oireachtas and just qualifying was a big deal. I have only been dancing for 3.5 years to date and at the time of worlds I hadn't even been in open for a year yet, and before getting into open I was only in Prelims for 3 months. 

The second feis that went well this whole year was the WRO. I felt amazing, something that I had not experienced in a very long time, and it showed. My 1st round went AMAZING and my teachers were so proud of me, and I myself. My scores in that round were actually a little low (as 2 were the same from last year,and I have gotten so much better,  and one judge gave me 31st which was way low lol!!!), but it was my 2nd round that surprised us all. I have a curse where I have always either danced alone due to odd numbers, or with a top dancer. This year I was dead last for slip jig and for the first time ever it worked to my advantage. I managed to receive a top 10 mark in my soft shoe which is a bit of a miracle. My 3rd round was by far my worst round, where it normally my best. for what ever reason I got nervous for this round and well it worked against me. 

After everything I managed to move up 2 places from last year in a much stronger field, and qualify for the 2017 World Championships! Awards tainted my experience this year as people who were supposed to be my teammates were too bitter to cheer me on, where I know I would be the first to hug them for the good or the bad! The teammate that competed against me argued that she didn't recall because she danced her first round with the girl who happened to win. This attitude made me so mad, as she made fun of me all the time for not placing at basically every feis this year. In reality in the last 6 months I had been on stage with each girl in the top 10. To me that is a petty excuses and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. 

All I can say is that I have learned that I can't rely on the support from the people who are supposed to support you. I can't say how happy I am that I managed to hold on to my WQ spot and I say BRING IT ON 2017! It can't be any worse then 2016. Last year was rough, but I am determined to make 2017 the best year yet!!!