So long!

This summer's been crazy. It started with our first workshop in January and it didn't stop! 

We went to the medieval event: 

It was really fun !! It made us plan our medieval outfit which we designed and will be sewing soon!

We went to a really big celtic event, in a lovely wonderful place :); It was great and ended with a big bonfire where everybody put their wishes for the year; Great!

We also did a small performance with a celtic music band and we really enjoyed it.

Plus: we had 2 mini workshops of a two hand reel (performance) and a scottish dance.

Now we are planning: 

*This years classes for beginners. My teacher wants to make 2 hour a week classes and If I get the chance I might open another beginner class in another town.

*St. Patrick's day: we are going to dance in one of our biggest events ever, our town's festival which is 3 days of bands, dancers, foods and crafts.

*We are going to participate in the "inmigrants" festival which includes us making a stand, dancing and promoting our classes.

Don't forget we need to learn new dances and steps, specially hard shoe.

Our First Workshop - We made it :-)

I am very happy to tell all of you that we finally got our workshop and it was great!!!

Practising hardshoe!!

In the middle Lisandro the teacher that came to give us the workshop.

To finish the workshop we gave a ceili. 

The basics irish dance videos

So someone on DDN mentioned this youtube list wich contains more than 30 videos of Irish dance basics. I loved it!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLALQuK1NDrgE_EyUJoS-QujzBbFb2hGZ

Enjoy :)

Organizing Irish Dance Workshop update no.3

Besides sewing and crafting xmas gifts, I'm still on the road of organizing the Irish Dance workshop we are having in january.

I am almost done!

1) Transportation. The teacher will be buying the connection bus ticket so if the bus is late he doesn't lose the ticket.

2) Accommodation. Ready!  from 4 to 6 he is staying in my house then from 7 to 11 in a cottage (oops. don't know if that is the exact word)

3) Ceili Night. Looking for sponsors to print the flyers, we are going to make a radio advertisement too!

This is the almost finished flyer the sponsors go on the bottom.

4) Last Day. Either gathering together to have dinner, drink some beers and dance, or have one more class or having a nice day together, when we get together we will decide how the last day of the work will be

5)Place to hold the workshop. Still need to buy the big mirror.

Organizing a workshop! Update2

This is what we got so far.

1) Transportation. Almost ready. We need one more bus ticket that isn't for sale yet.

2) Accommodation. Need to talk with a lady who was in charge of this.

3) Ceili Night. All set. We defined the place, we made some fancy flyers. The day of the ceili we need to decorate, buy some food and get some drinks (it's with a late tea before dancing). We need to print the Flyers. And fot printing the flyers we need to find 6 sponsors. (The idea is having a little advertising place in the bottom part of the flyer)

4) Beer Night. That happens when all dancers are adults haha. Didn't find a place where to do that yet. Our idea was hanging out in a pub and then dance. Session way. Once set the place we can make a big flyer with the Ceili one and print them together. 

5)Place to hold the workshop. We got it! It's an Old house from my mother in law that happens to have a nice wooden floor. Need a big mirror! Asked for prices in only one place. Kind of expensive.

I think that sums up much everything we needed and we need. There are some things I have pending


See Organizing a Workshop Part 1

X mas gifts for the Irish Dancer!

I was thinking of making some little gifts for my irish dancing friends.
First thing I thought was sewing a little bag for carrying shoes. I was thinking of doing a machine embroidery like this one to it:

Since we Irish and scottish dance I loved this design!

A little bit more simple though.

I came up with some other ideas that I might use this or other time:

*Nail polish and treatment for feet.
*Cleaning kit for shoes.
*Printed cups,stickers or maybe a calendar
*Make cord knots and use them as key rings, embelishments or wristbands. ( TONS of tutorials for making these http://www.youtube.com/user/TyingItAllTogether )
*Thought this for a smaller irish dancer, how about printing designs and make a little colouring book?

Organizing a workshop!

I'm in charge of organizing a workshop for january 2013; it's mainly for our group but other intermediate dancers are welcome.
So it's a big challenge but I got it on track so far:
We are having this schedule:
Every activity is in the afternoon.

Monday
Hardshoe

Tuesday
Softshoe

Wednesday
Hardshoe

Thursday
Ceili (open to all public)

Friday
Dance night in a pub

So far I've arranged:
transport and contactos with teacher.

What I need to arrange:
Accomodation: Will see it on monday, there is a chance the teacher stays at home
Studio: Will see it on monday afternoon
Pub: on monday morning will aswell at least one of the pubs, I've got 3 options so far.

Our school's new website

So after lots and lots of working I finished our school's website I love it :)
http://www.erindanzacelta.com.ar

Oh it's in spanish

Mom vs Dancer

Mom vs Dancer

This is my everyday struggle. And though motherhood is challenging I've found myself in a very deep hole of frustration trying to combine the things I love most, being a mother AND a dancer.

My baby is 8 months now, she is the most adorable baby ever :-) She is in a very demanding phase though, and last weeks I felt like all my energy was being drained by her.  Seriously I couldn't even go to the bathroom relaxed because if she didn't come with me (on my lap) she would scream and cry as if I was the worst mother in the whole word (and I felt like it lol). So imagine getting time to dance, imposible, the chores I had to do at home yes or yes I did them with her in the mei tai. If not I had her on my lap while watching tv, or playing with her outside, or doing anyhting I could do with her sitted (my back hurts so bad that carrying her is like a torture).

So I got really depressed, when I felt I had no energy for nothing I just took a brake and danced and I got really boosted. But now there is no room for that. I can't find more than 10 minutes to do something... the time is always short.

Last week I've been working with her so she stays playing a little while alone (well not so alone, she can still see me but at least not ON me). I know it's part of her development because every baby has a stage when he discovers he is not part of his mother and just goes crazy. And it's very hard, specially when you have something you love so much and you can't do it. Last week's dancing class I took her with my mom and she spent crying the whole hour. My mother was " I don't want to take care of her anymore", and I was "Can someone kill me please?".

Now things got better, this week class she stayed with her father OK, and I've been using some of the spare time with her playing to do some abs and excersices with my theraband to get in shape. And guess what? I don't want more Mom Vs Dancer, I want to proudly say I'm a dancing mom!!

Some lovely vintage irish themed postcards!

Found one, then came addicted to them; The images are not mine, found them browsing.

A two hand reel!! :P