If you want to get the most out of your core strength while dancing, then you must understand how to train and to use the core muscles properly. Many dancers spend hours strengthening their core muscles, but then do not understand how to engage them during dance. First, let’s define which muscles make up the core. The abdominal muscles, of … Read More

Let’s talk about judging and subjectivity. Now I have done my fair share of whining and complaining about feis results and judges’ opinions. However, if you stop to think about it, Irish dance is a performance art. Sure, there are certain basic techniques and performance qualities that every judge would like to see, but each dancer is different beyond the … Read More

Guess what?  You don’t have to spend hours training outside of dance class in order to improve.  Really.  You don’t.  In fact, you could do more harm than good if you are overdoing it.  If you are getting sick often, having recurring injuries, feeling excessively tired and/or lacking in motivation, chances are that you are overtraining.  In training to improve … Read More

We all have two general types of muscle fibers, fast twitch and slow twitch. Fast twitch muscle fibers are engaged in explosive powerful movements, such as jumping and sprinting. Slow twitch muscle fibers are involved in endurance exercises, such as marathon running and lifting lighter weights for a longer period of time. Since Irish dancers are on stage for only … Read More