Weekly Email 10/30
Good Afternoon. I hope that everyone had a great weekend!! Happy Halloween to everyone!! A little Halloween fact- November 1st is Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), which is the first day of the Celtic New Year. Samhain celebrates the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the winter or “darker half” of the year.
Class This Week
Monday- We have regular classes this evening. Please feel free to wear your Halloween costumes!!
Tuesday- There will be no classes on October 31st
Wednesday- Regular classes
Thursday- Regular classes
Sunday- Regular classes.
Dillon Gavin Feis
We have five teams competing at the Dillon Gavin Feis this coming Saturday and many soloists. Best of luck to those dancers.
Halloween Feis Results
Vincent Mangan 3rd Place in Open Championships
Maryn Nguyen 4th Place in Open Championships
PBO Corner
Good morning Cashel. Just a few reminders this week:
1. What to Expect at Oireachtas Meeting will be held Sunday November 5th at 11AM in the Parent Lounge. This is a great opportunity to learn and become more comfortable with what it will feel like at Oireachtas. First timer or brush up for experienced families, this is for you. The PBO Board is going to attempt to briefly explain some of the logistics, timing issues, and past experiences that can help families navigate the Oireachtas experience, and there will be plenty of time for Q&A.
2. Winter Get Together is December 17th from 2 till 6 at Roric’s office in the Mayfair Racks area across the parking lot from Whole Foods. Come have some fun and fellowship with other Cashel families. The address again is 11220 W. Burleigh Ave., Wauwatosa, WI
3. Keep your eyes on the emails from the Oireachtas leadership with the details and times for the Pep Rally on Tuesday, November 21, at the ICHC (2133 W. Wisconsin Ave).
Oireachtas Workshop
This is a reminder to all Oireachtas soloists that there will be a workshop on Saturday, November 11th. Here is the planned schedule below. Please bring tennis shoes, soft shoes, hard shoes, water bottle, yoga mat and a bag lunch.
10:30-11:00 Warm up, stretch and strengthen
11:00- 11:30- Soft Shoe drills
11:30-12:30- Soft shoes steps and all three
Lunch- 12:30-1:00
1:00-1:30 hard shoe drills
1:30-2:30 hard shoe steps and all threes
2:30 3:30 sets
5.5 hours- Cost $55
Change in Sunday Schedule for Sunday 11/19
Sunday Classes will be moved up an hour on 11/19. Teams will begin at 10:00 AM and Soloist Class will be from 11:00-1:30.
Fall Feis Season
We are nearing the end of the fall feis season. Mark your calendars for January 13, 2024, for our very own Wisconsin WinterFeis!
** Please remember that ceili team members can not miss team practice because of a feis. It is necessary for those dancers to be at team practice on Sundays.
11/4 Dillon Gavin Championship Feis (Ceili teams will compete at this feis)
Registration closed
11/11 Minnesota State Championships
11/12 St. Paul Autumn Feis
Registration on Feisworx closes November 3
Cashel Calendar
10/31/23 No classes- Halloween
11/04 Dillon Gavin Championship Feis
11/11 Oireachtas Soloists Workshop
11/19 Sunday Schedule moved up 1 hour.
11/20 No Regular Class- Final Soloists Class
11.21 No Regular Class- Final Team Practice and Oireachtas Pep Rally
11/22 No Regular Class
11/23 No Regular Class- Thanksgiving Day
11/24 Mid American Championships Day 1
11/25 Mid American Championships Day 2
11/26 No Regular Class- Mid American Championships Day 3
11/27 No Regular Class- Travel Day for Instructors
12/17 Cashel Academy Winter Party
Weekly Email 10/23/23
I hope everyone had a good week. There is a lot to cover today so I am just going to get right to it.
This Week- Halloween Week- Costumes are welcome 10/24-10/30
I would like to invite all the dancers to wear Halloween costumes to class this week starting on Tuesday 10/24. We will have a Halloween treat for dancers after each class on those days as well. Costumes are not mandatory but it is always fun to see the dancers dress up. If your dancers would like to dress in costume just make sure that it is one that they can dance in.
We will not have class on Tuesday, October 31st- I am not sure about everyone else but my city does Trick or Treating on Halloween. This means there will be no class for Beginners, Level 2, Prizewinner on 10/31. Any Oireachtas soloists at the prizewinner level are welcome to come to class on Monday or Wednesday from 6-8 to continue their Oireachtas preparation.
Beglan Feis
Several Cashel Academy Dancers competed at the Beglan Feis this weekend. Here are the results that affect the level a dancer competes at. This does not mean that the dancers must move up at the very next feis. For most cases, a dancer can remain at the same competitive level until the end of the year even if they earn the placement to move up. I just don’t want people to believe they need to move up in levels immediately.
Shannon Artrip- 2nd Beginner 2 Light Jig Qualified for Novice
Finn Dodgion- 2nd Beginner 2 Reel Qualified for Novice
Millie Dodgion- 3rd Beginner 2 Light Jig Qualified for Novice
Eliana Miksch 7th Preliminary Championship Qualified for Oireachtas 24
Maryn Nguyen 3rd Open Championship
Addie Thel 7th Open Championship
Mallory Thomae 6th Preliminary Championship Qualified for Oireachtas 24
3rd Prelim Champ (2nd Chance)
Grace Vepraskas 1st Beginner 2 Light Jig Qualified for Novice
Under 18 Ladies 8-Hand- 2nd Place
Over 15 Mixed 4-Hand- 2nd Place
PBO Corner
Happy Monday Cashel Family! Just a few quick items for your eyes and calendar.
1. Call for track jackets! Amber needs them by Friday, October 27th in order to get them back for the Oireachtas Please leave them in the parent lounge with masking tape on the back of the years you are adding. I do not know how much per year but I believe it was $7 last year. She will clarify with Clay on Monday!
2. One more week closer to Oireachtas. Keep in touch with your team(s) as we are now entering the time period with the Oireachtas chairs will be sending out blurbs on makeup (U12 teams and older), team events and such.
3. What to Expect at Oireachtas Meeting – Sunday, November 5, 11:00 a.m. – Cashel Parent Lounge. If this is your first time traveling to Oireachtas, or if you want to brush up on your knowledge, please join members of the PBO Board for an informal meeting during teams practice about all the practical, tactical aspects of attending Oireachtas. We’ll be there to answer questions about anything and everything!
4. The response to the Mentor/Mentee family suggestion has been amazing. I’m extremely proud to see how many of our “older” families are so willing to help out. If you are a family new or newer to Cashel, if your dancer is in the Novice level, watch for more information soon. If you have questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to Emily Farrell who is coordinating this new facet of the Cashel PBO. Her email is: Emily.farrell82@gmail.com
This is a great chance to have a resource to use as often or as little as you want. Feising questions, how to move up levels, Oireachtas questions, etc…. These are families who have been there, done that, and want to make your life easier.
5. The annual Winter Get Together is scheduled for December 17th from 2-6 at Roric’s office (Mayfair Collection). Please bring a dish to pass/share with others. The address again is 11220 W. Burleigh Ave. in Wauwatosa.
Beginner Corner-
I will start to pass out certificates in class this evening. The certificate means that your dancer is ready to compete the jig at a feis (local competition). To be able to compete at a feis a dancer must be able perform 2 steps of the jig on their own.
A great opportunity for a first feis will be our very own Wisconsin WinterFeis at the Baird Center downtown on Saturday, January 13, 2024. Watch for details in my emails about registration for the feis.
I am including a file that has the words to the beginner jig on it. That should help you encourage your dancer to practice at home. If you could encourage your dancers to practice 15-20 minutes each day that would be a great help.
Caitlin O’Connor- Is off to Tanzania
Caitlin will not be around for six weeks, she will be missed. Caitlin is in Tanzania, Africa where she has her first clinical. We wish her the best on this amazing adventure!! Stay safe and have a wonderful time Caitlin!!!
Oireachtas Soloists
I know that Oireachtas prep is more of a marathon than a sprint and it is hard to stay motivated. Laura and I want to remind the dancers to hang in there and keep your eyes on the prize. The Oireachtas is close and I am sure you all have a goal in mind, lets keep working toward that goal!! Laura and I would like to see more people attending classes. We are just weeks away and there has been a decrease in class attendance. and there are still people with mistakes in their rounds.
Beyond practice, please do your best to get your dancers in front of judges at a local feis. If you can do solos at the Dillon Gavin feis, Halloween Feis or Black out feis next two weekends please sign up. Performing your steps on stage is an integral part in Oireachtas prep. The comments the judges give you can be very helpful in your training. We are here to support you to the best of our abilities but it is also important that you reach down and kindle that fire in you. Let’s stay motivated!!
Oireachtas Workshop
This is a reminder to all Oireachtas soloists that there will be a workshop on Saturday, November 11th. Here is the planned schedule below. Please bring tennis shoes, soft shoes, hard shoes, water bottle, yoga mat and a bag lunch.
10:30-11:00 Warm up, stretch and strengthen
11:00- 11:30- Soft Shoe drills
11:30-12:30- Soft shoes steps and all three
Lunch- 12:30-1:00
1:00-1:30 hard shoe drills
1:30-2:30 hard shoe steps and all threes
2:30 3:30 sets
5.5 hours- Cost $55
Class Schedule for this week
Monday 5-6 Novice Level
6-8 PC/OC
8-9 Adults
Tuesday 5-6 Beginners
6-7 Advanced Beginners
7-9 Prizewinner (open to PC for a third class or paid extra class)
Wednesday 5-6 Novice Level
6-8 PC/OC
8-9 Over 15 Oireachtas Teams 8-Hand and 4-Hand
Thursday 5-6 Oireachtas Ceili Teams U8 Mixed 4-Hand, U10 Mixed 8-Hand
6-7 Oireacchtas Teams U10 Girls 4-Hand, Under 15 Mixed and Girls 4-Hand
7-9 Prizewinner (open to PC for a third class or a paid extra class)
Sunday 11-12 All Oireachtas Ceili Teams
12-2:30 All Oireachtas Soloists and PC/OC
Fall Feis Season
Here is the list of the Mid American Feissana for the fall. If you see one that interests you please google the feis and find out if you need to enter on Quickfeis, Feisworx, or E-Feis.
** Please remember that ceili team members can not miss team practice because of a feis. It is necessary for those dancers to be at team practice on Sundays.
10/28 Mullane Godley Halloween Feis (wear halloween costumes)
10/29 Mullane Godley Fall Feis (Blackout feis)
Registration is closed online, but available at the feis each day.
11/4 Dillon Gavin Championship Feis (Ceili teams will compete at this feis)
Registration closes Tuesday, October 24
11/11 Minnesota State Championships
11/12 St. Paul Autumn Feis
Weekly Email 10/17/23
This week is pretty straight forward. Regular class schedule for the rest of week.
The Beglan Feis is this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Best of luck to all of the dancers representing Cashel Academy at the Beglan Feis. We have two ceili teams competing on Sunday, good luck to the O15 Mixed 4-Hand and the Under 18 Ladies Ceili team.
Class Schedule for this week
Monday 5-6 Novice Level
6-8 PC/OC
8-9 Adults
Tuesday 5-6 Beginners
6-7 Advanced Beginners
7-9 Prizewinner (open to PC for a third class or paid extra class)
Wednesday 5-6 Novice Level
6-8 PC/OC
8-9 Over 15 Oireachtas Teams 8-Hand and 4-Hand
Thursday 5-6 Oireachtas Ceili Teams U8 Mixed 4-Hand, U10 Mixed 8-Hand
6-7 Oireacchtas Teams U10 Girls 4-Hand, Under 15 Mixed and Girls 4-Hand
7-9 Prizewinner (open to PC for a third class or a paid extra class)
Sunday 11-12 All Oireachtas Ceili Teams
12-2:30 All Oireachtas Soloists and PC/OC
Fall Feis Season-
Here is the list of the Mid American Feissana for the fall. If you see one that interests you please google the feis and find out if you need to enter on Quickfeis, Feisworx, or E-Feis.
** Please remember that ceili team members can not miss team practice because of a feis. It is necessary for those dancers to be at team practice on Sundays.
10/21 Beglan Feis – OC, PC, and Future Champs – Registration Closes October 9
10/22 Beglan Feis – Teams and Grades – Registration Closes October 9
10/28 Mullane Godley Halloween Feis (wear halloween costumes)
10/29 Mullane Godley Fall Feis (Blackout feis)
11/4 Dillon Gavin Championship Feis (Ceili teams will compete at this feis)
11/11 Minnesota State Championships
11/12 St. Paul Autumn Feis
PBO Corner
Some quick thoughts from the PBO for you this week:
1. Please remember to get those PBO and school dues paid this week
2. Oireachtas practices are in full swing. Please keep checking your emails from the Oireachtas Team and the Team Mom’s to stay on top of the happenings and dates etc…
3. Hopefully the PBO board gets the date for the Holiday Get Together / PotLuck out to the families in a week or 2 but for those who are new to the school it is generally on a Sunday in December after the dancers are done with practices. We will also have ‘stations’ set up for everyone to learn about the all the options for helping our WinterFeis committee make the 2024 WinterFeis a greater success than last year at this Potluck.
Have a great week!
Weekly Email 10/9/23
Good Morning. Hope everyone is doing well.
Cashel Academy is Moving!!
Laura and I are excited to let you know that Cashel Academy is moving. We are staying in the same building, just moving down two stories. The move is for several reasons.
- First, we wanted a space where we can be who we are. There shouldn’t be any more noise complaints for kids walking in the halls or door opening and closing.
- Second, there will no longer be people below us so our hard shoes will not bother other tenants.
- Third, we are moving to a level where the space is our own. We will have our own bathrooms, and the PBO and Studio will be combined creating a more cohesive feeling.
- Fourth, the rent will be less which will help with the business as a whole.
We just signed the lease and we are hoping to move in around December. The landlords are starting construction any day. There will not be an elevator to the bottom floor, but we hope this will not be an issue for anyone in the dance school. The entrance will be the door directly to the right of the usual front entrance.
PBO Corner
- Don’t forget to pay your Annual PBO Membership Fee
- The Cashel Academy Parent Booster Organization (PBO) is a non-profit organization run by and for Cashel parents and their dancers. We put on many fun activities like the Irish Fest pavilion gathering and St Pat’s day activities. We also host our own feis, and the proceeds host our parent lounge and support dancers by offsetting travel.
- Who should join? All families with a Cashel dancer…use this link (need to be logged in to Cashel Academy site) – PBO Information – Cashel Academy of Irish Dance – scroll to bottom and click Join
- We had a great idea brought up at the annual meeting about pairing up experienced dancer families with younger/beginner families in order to create a line of contact for families to ask questions about/to…..what is feis’ing, how does Cashel work, what is next for my dancer, etc…. If you are either a beginner family and would like to be matched up with an experienced family or you are an experienced family and would like to be a helper to a younger family, please let either myself, Roric Griffith, or Emily Farrell know and we will get this working for you
- While we are all still thinking about Oireachtas and Thanksgiving, Christmas is around the corner and we wanted to make you aware of WHY this year’s Christmas party will be special. We are going to have stations at the party for people to learn about what all the options to help at WinterFeis are so that we can ALL help make WinterFeis a great success. If you have any questions about the Feis prior to December, reach out to Kelly Mangan and she will help you out.
Feis Results
This weekend was the Pat Roche Feis and the Windy City Feis
We had a few dancers attend the Pat Roche Feis and here are the results.
Caoilainn Brennan- 4th Place in Open Championships
Catherine Delaney- 1st Place in Preliminary Championships
Evelyn Griffith- 1st Place Prizewinner Hornpipe
Ella Pace- 9th in Open Championships
Addie Thiel- 11th in Open Championships
Congratulations to Catherine Delaney on qualifying for Open Championships! We are so proud of your accomplishment, Catherine.
Congratulations to Caitlin O’Connor
Caitlin O’Connor earned her white coat this weekend in her Physical Therapy program at Carroll University. We are so excited for you as you embark on your first clinical in Tanzania. Please have a wonderful time and stay safe.
Class Schedule for this week
Monday 5-6 Novice Level
6-8 PC/OC
8-9 Adults
Tuesday 5-6 Beginners
6-7 Advanced Beginners
7-9 Prizewinner (open to PC for a third class or paid extra class)
Wednesday 5-6 Novice Level
6-8 PC/OC
8-9 Over 15 Oireachtas Teams 8-Hand and 4-Hand
Thursday 5-6 Oireachtas Ceili Teams U8 Mixed 4-Hand, U10 Mixed 8-Hand
6-7 Oireacchtas Teams U10 Girls 4-Hand, Under 15 Mixed and Girls 4-Hand
7-9 Prizewinner (open to PC for a third class or a paid extra class)
Sunday 11-12 All Oireachtas Ceili Teams
12-2:30 All Oireachtas Soloists and PC/OC
Fall Feis Season-
Here is the list of the Mid American Feissana for the fall. If you see one that interests you please google the feis and find out if you need to enter on Quickfeis, Feisworx, or E-Feis.
** Please remember that ceili team members can not miss team practice because of a feis. It is necessary for those dancers to be at team practice on Sundays.
10/21 Beglan Feis – OC, PC, and Future Champs – Registration Closes October 9
10/22 Beglan Feis – Teams and Grades – Registration Closes October 9
10/28 Mullane Godley Halloween Feis (wear halloween costumes)
10/29 Mullane Godley Fall Feis (Blackout feis)
11/4 Dillon Gavin Championship Feis (Ceili teams will compete at this feis)
11/11 Minnesota State Championships
11/12 St. Paul Autumn Feis
What we accomplished last week
Beginners- We continued to work on the 1st and 2nd step of the jig. Some of our beginners tried to dance the two steps together at full speed. Two of them were able to dance those two steps and that means they will be ready to compete in the jig at the Wisconsin WinterFeis in January. I will be handing out certificates once your dancer is ready to compete at their first competition.
Advanced Beginners- We are really focusing on paying attention to detail and getting the steps correct. We have spent our second week working on the advanced jig second step. We will learn the third step this week. We are continuing to work on the beginner reel steps and getting all of the mistakes out of those steps. We continued to work on the slip jig as well for the girls.
Novice- We tried performing the new reel step to full speed. I hope to start the second step soon. We reviewed the slip jig. In hard shoes- I finished teaching the St. Patrick’s day set, and we continue to work on the advanced hornpipe. I will be starting the second step treble jig this week.
Prizewinner, PC/OC- All of the material has been taught at this point. Now it is just a matter of perfecting the steps as well as improving stamina.
Looking Ahead
October 31st No Classes this Evening- Halloween
