This is the beginning of my second year of dance. To view last year's diary, follow this link.

**Last updated 01/05/00**

Here I was, starting out all over again. This is my second year of dance, but this year I live in Columbus, not Cincinnati, and so I go to a different school now. Bye, bye McGing...hello Richens-Timm Academy! I didn't have a choice this year - I was going to be in the adult class. It meets on Monday nights, as a few friends who dance there told me. Well, I missed the first two practices of the year due to an illness, so I showed up this night hoping to be let into the class. The dance classes are taught in a few rooms on the second floor of a little building owned by St. Patrick's church. I sat and waited in a little hallway for the other class to let out. Finally it was time to go in.

I discovered the class was taught by Ann Richens herself! You know, the one who has been in the American Irish Dancer magazine in the "Adjudicator's Corner" column? I was really excited then. This was the Adult Beginner class, and I was nervous about where I'd fit in with everyone else. After all, I have had a year of dance - what experience did anyone else have? Ann told me to join in with the group for warm-ups - we did skip-2-3's around the room for about 5 minutes. Then she separated the group in half - people with no experience in dance went to one side of the room, and those with experience went to the other side. Ann told me to join the Advanced Beginners group. That was a relief! I didn't want to waste time learning 3's and 7's again!

Ann went to work with the beginners for awhile while her assistants went over what the class had learned so far in their reel. I got really nervous watching them practice the first step, which I had no idea how to do! I tried to keep up, but continued to mess up about half-way through the step. After about 10 minutes of practice, Ann switched with her assistants, so she could see how my group was doing. I started to wish I was with the beginners - at least I can look good doing routine 3's and 7's! Ann started the music and expected us to go full speed. I couldn't get through the entire step even once!! I felt really embarassed that I had begged to be put in with the advanced beginners and couldn't even master one step! But the assistants assured me I was doing fine, and that all I needed was to practice some at home.

About halfway thru class, the entire group came together to learn a ceili dance. Apparently this adult class is half step and half ceili instruction. So, we started to learn a morris ceili. This is where I proved to be a moron. I have never danced ceili in my life, and it really showed! Many of the people in the class were very experienced with ceili, and could easily do anything Ann told us. I didn't know how to hold my partner's hand, or how high to keep it, etc. So, for the first half I was just kinda pulled around the dance by my partner! I left that evening feeling kinda deflated, and really sore. The next morning I was VERY sore - guess it shows that I haven't danced for a few months!!

I practiced quite a bit this past week, because I didn't want to look bad in front of everyone for a second week! And it really showed. We started by reviewing our first step, which I was able to complete almost every time. Then Ann decided to show us the second step of the reel. Since I was learning it at the same time everyone else was, I was able to keep up easily. In fact, I was learning it much better than some. This boosted my ego quite a bit to realize I wasn't just stupid and hadn't lost all ability to dance over the summer. I didn't even mind being out of breath as I gladly hopped and skipped the step over and over again.

The ceili practice, however, knocked me down out of the sky and back to reality! Again, I was just running all over the place to remember my steps and keep up with my group. I don't think I'm going to like ceili as much. If I fall behind, my entire group looks bad - at least I'm only responsible for making myself look bad in step!! My partner this week was very understanding (she knew a lot more about ceili than me), and often called the upcoming moves out to me so I wouldn't forget. Thank you!! On a positive note, I wasn't sore the next morning after practice. Looks like my body kicked back into dance mode! :)

Well, after this week's practice, I now am quite certain I shall never be a good ceili dancer. Ann switched the order of the night, beginning with ceili again. We went over what we had learned so far, and then she taught us the remainder of the dance. I spent the entire time being dragged into place by my partner. I felt really bad that I was messing her up and stepping on her feet!! I just couldn't get my feet to move where they were supposed to. I think the problem is I'm not used to having to move my hands as well - too much to think about! As much as I tried, I simply couldn't get it. I understand that ceili is supposed to be fun and relaxing, but I was simply frustrated and stressed.

After suffering through that, we finally moved on to our reel. Ann watched us go through our first step of the reel, then left us alone to practice our second one for awhile. I'm beginning to feel very confident about my two reel steps. A friend and I practiced together for a little bit, and had both steps going up to speed, with only minor problems. At the end of the evening, Ann told us we would have a test on our reel steps next week, and if we did well then she would teach us another reel step - yea! I'm going to be sure to practice this week!

I talked to Ann before class tonight, and she told me I could try joining the hardshoe class! My first class of the evening started again with the Morris Reel. I was put in a gents. place at the top of the set (I had learned so far in a ladies place on the side of the set), and so I was lost when we first ran through it! I had tried so hard to learn my steps in the place I had been in, that I didn't know anyone else's steps! After fumbling my way through it for a while, Ann thankfully switched us to our solo practice. Ann had us run through our first reel step a few times, and then taught us how to do the step with turns put in it. Before we were just moving forward the entire time - now we make a little V with our step. It's really neat!

After that class was over, I had an hour to wait around for the hardshoe class. A friend tried to teach me the three steps they had learned so far in class while we were waiting. Only problem was she taught me all three, but I remembered none! Guess I just need to learn one at a time and drill it 'til I know it! When class began I discovered that there were only 3 other beginner hardshoe dancers in the class. The rest had been taking hardshoe for years! I began to feel very nervous, as the class warmed up by drilling their steps one after another at full speed. I couldn't even remember one step, much less take it at full speed! Then Ann split we four beginners off from the rest of the group and worked with us while the others practiced. Ann asked to see what I had learned so far - I still couldn't even do one step! And to make it worse, I couldn't do a hornpipe step - I kept doing a treble jig shuffle ( which is all I had learned last year in hardshoe)! Ann stopped me each time and tried to explain the difference and what I was doing wrong. I felt so dumb. But I promised to practice it over and over until I got it. By the end of the night, I could do one step, although not up to speed. I'm going to learn the other two steps from my friend this week - hopefully I can impress Ann next week! On a side note, my feet are KILLING me! I woke up the next day and wondered if I'd ever walk again! Guess I'd better get used to sore feet for awhile! :)

This week's class was great! We started off with a few exercises to train our feet to dance without using the brain so much (in other words, drill it into our feet). Then we moved on to practicing our reel steps. I did pretty well, remembering the step and managing to dance it at full speed. I even managed to get through the ceili dance, although I will be the first to admit that I still don't look very good doing the dance! I now can remember what to do for each part of the ceili dance, but I have trouble getting my feet to do what the brain is telling them to!

My hardshoe class went well also. I was kinda proud of myself for all the hard work I had put in this past week trying to learn the first three steps of our hornpipe! I think Ann was happy with the results. I can do the first two steps fairly well, and I almost have the third step memorized. I still can't even come close to some of the other dancers in the class, but then again, they've been dancing hardshoe a lot longer than me. I'll just have to keep practicing hard I guess!

I didn't make it to class this week due to a painful left ankle. I think I hurt it when I was practicing one night, so I decided it would be best to take a week off and rest.

Well, that pesky ankle was bothering me all throughout practice tonight. We got to watch the two-hand jig tonight, and we'll probably be learning it next week - it doesn't look too hard! More practice on our morris reel. Bleah! Just kidding - I'm actually starting to like it a little. Hardshoe class was really tough with a sore ankle. We began learning the treble jig (I think) tonight. I did pretty well learning the first step, but had to excuse myself the last 10 minutes of class because my ankle was hurting too much to dance any longer. Hopefully I'll rest up next week and it'll feel much better!

I was late for class tonight, due to starting a new job. I made for the last 10 minutes of my softshoe class. I was immediatly thrown into dancing the two-hand jig, although I didn't know it at all (that's what they had been learning!). I did manage to trip my way through it - it really isn't hard, I just didn't know the dance. I had a lot of fun, and my partner was very understanding, and kept whispering what the next part of the dance would be!!

In my second class, we worked on our treble jig step some more. Ann taught us the second step as well, after she noticed how well we had remembered the first step. The second step is a little harder than the first - but there's a lot of neat toe-hits in it! I like this dance much more than the hornpipe! I watched the advanced dancers perform the third step, and it looked much harder than the second - should be lots of fun!!

Tonight we learned another ceili dance. I have no idea what it is called, but it involves one guy and two girls. It's a very pretty three-hand!! We spent almost our entire class time on that dance and the two-hand jig. I think I'm starting to like ceili dances (I know, I swore I'd never like them...). The last five minutes of class were spent learning the lead-around from Ann. She didn't mention what the lead-around goes with, but I'm sure she'll mention it when it is important!!

In hardshoe, it was more of the treble jig and hornpipe. We mostly worked on the treble jig, practicing our second step. I did a little better tonight, but I was still angry with myself for not practicing more. Then Ann switched to hornpipe (which I didn't practice at all last week!!!). Hopefully I'll have the second step down by next class, so we can learn the third step!

We didn't have class this week, because Ann would be worn out from the Oierachtas. Hope everyone did well!!

When I came to class, I discovered that Ann wasn't there! Her assistants were teaching that night. I was excited to have a different view on the dances we had been learning. We started with a bunch of simple drills over and over and over again. Then we worked on our two-hand reel - I'm finally starting to get it! The worst part is that I know each of the little parts of it, but when I try to put it together, I can't remember which part comes next! Maybe I should write it down...

After that we moved on to our three-hand. I really like this dance - it's so much fun, and very pretty! Watching others in my class do it was great - it's just so pretty when one person ducks under the other two's arms while they circle in the opposite direction! However, doing this dance many times wore me out! I wasn't feeling well after that (exhaustion, I think), so I didn't stay for hardshoe class.

I didn't go to class this week, because I was on vacation in New York and Boston! It was a blast! However, I did have one little accident while in NY - I tripped and fell down a very slight drop in the pavement, and twisted my ankle badly. You guessed it - the same ankle I'm always having problems with. I must be the most unlucky person in the world (or at least the most clumsy!). So I spent most of the vacation with my ankle in a wrap, and had to take lots of advil just to walk around. Hope it gets better!

Well, I didn't make it to this, either. My stupid ankle was bothering me too much! Looks like I did some serious injury to it when I fell. Grrr...I'll do my physical therapy exercises everyday if I can just dance again!