Louisville Feis

WHAT WENT RIGHT

• Preregistration. All feisanna should have preregistration. You save fifteen minutes or more at the beginning of the competition day, and you can also scout the feis site in advance for stages, parking, food, etc.
• The committee cleared up a misconception on which age group Rebekah should be registered under
• The committee had no problems with our (late) registration.

WHAT WENT WRONG

• It took three months for our results to be mailed to us

GRADE

WHAT WENT RIGHT

• The feis committee made a supreme effort to schedule all competitions at a particular skill level (Beginner, Advanced Beginner, etc.) on the same stage. They succeeded magnificently.
• Adult competitions were scheduled by skill level, and were kept with the equivalent youth skill level. We never had to move from Stage One all day regardless of who was dancing.
• After each type of dance (reel, soft jig, etc) was completed for all year groups on a particular stage, there were programmed breaks in the schedule to allow all stages to start the next type of dance at the same time.
• One musician played for two stages simultaneously. This also helped to keep the feis synchronized, and allowed for more rotation of musicians.
• Adjudicators were rotated at each break -- and allowed to go to the potty
• The entire feis was halted shortly after noon for a lunch break. Live entertainment was provided by a local Louisville Pipe and Drum Corps (which we had seen the previous weekend at the Glasgow Highland Games :-)). A nice, Celtic touch.

WHAT WENT WRONG

GRADE

WHAT WENT RIGHT

• The Feis was held in the lower level of the Louisville Convention Center. The committee had lots of signs to direct people to the correct area of the Center, for starters.
• Two stages, audience chairs, and a blanket area were set up in each of at least four exhibition halls, and the main lobby connecting them all contained the vendors area and results posting. Food, awards, and music competition were in side rooms off the other side of the lobby. Normally, this would have induced some nasty choke points for foot traffic. However, since people rarely had to move from hall to hall to get dancers to competitions, this actually worked out rather well.
• There was plenty of parking within a few minutes enclosed walk of the feis site.
• LOTS of bathrooms and changing areas
• Good variety of food, including a breakfast sitting. Not a big selection, but definitely not feis fare

WHAT WENT WRONG

GRADE

WHAT WENT RIGHT

• Stage monitors were very good at the beginner level in giving musically-challenged dancers (adult and youth) a starting count
• Stage monitors were very good about keeping the stage clean of stray pieces of costume in mid-dance, such as a Clan Keith brooch that popped off of Rebekah's cape in the middle of her slip jig
• Stage monitors were very good about holding stages so that everyone could compete without being in two places at the same time
• The committee immediately stepped in to enforce the no flash photography and no videography regulations at the start of the feis. This is the most vigorous and rapid enforcement of these NAFC-mandated regulations I saw all season.

WHAT WENT WRONG

• Devonna took a nasty fall midway through her reel dance. The committee was totally unprepared for a medical emergency on stage. Fortunately, other dancers and feis moms chipped in with cold packs, ankle braces, and Tylenol, and she was able to continue with the Feis.

GRADE