The Feis (pronounced “fesh”), the Irish word for festival, provides a chance for dancers to showcase their dancing skills in a competitive and fun environment. The Keenan Irish Dance School competes annually in the following feissana (plural for feis):
John Kennelly Memorial Feis, January – Sacramento
Feis San Francisco, February – San Francisco
Golden State Feis, April – San Francisco
Silicon Valley Feis, July – Santa Clara
East Bay Feis, October – Oakland
Oireachtas (Regional Championship) – This is a qualifying event for both the North American Championships in July and the World Championships at Easter. The Oireachtas will be held in Sacramento in 2013. This event is held the weekend before Thanksgiving.
There are nominal fees to attend each feis and a costume is required. The teacher will determine when a dancer is ready for a Feis, yet competing in feissana is not a requirement to be a dancer in the school. You can learn more about feisanna in our handbook.
As dancers progress, there is an opportunity to dance with others in group or what is known as “figure” dancing. This teaches children cooperation and teamwork through dance.
When a dancer advances in competition, he or she may have the opportunity to move on to more advanced competitions at the regional, national and world level.
Local Feis Registrations on www.feisworx.com OR www.feisinfo.com
