NAFC Rules
- In the case of all solo and team competitions in
all grades, the age of a competitor on 1st January
of the year in which the competition is held will
determine the right of entry. For the purposes of
this Rule, a competitor whose birthday occurs on
1st January shall be deemed to be under the age
attained on that date.
- Competitions are open to all but those holding
a TMRF, TCRG, or ADCRG designation. All dancers
must be pupils of a person currently registered with
An Coimisiún as a Dancing Teacher of any
category.
- A competitor may be disqualified
for any of the following reasons:
- Conduct unbecoming a lady or gentleman.
- Failure to report on time to compete.
(Penalty: disqualification from
said event)
- Falsification of age or any important facts
-- i.e., teaching, award winning,
competing under another competitor's name
or number, etc.
Penalty for a) or c): Competitor will be disqualified
from the Feis at which the occurrence happened and
from all NAFC-registered Feiseanna for a period of one
year beginning at the date of the occurrence.
- Competitions may be closed if there are no
competitors at the assigned stage ready to compete
when the competition is scheduled or announced.
This does not pertain to situations where competitors
are involved in stage conflicts; stage conflicts will
be handled by the stage monitor
- Solo competitors in First Feis,
Beginner (Beginner 1), Advanced Beginner (Beginner 2),
Novice or Open (Prizewinner) competitions:
- Must compete in their own age group.
- Must be prepared to perform two steps in
each event.
- Cannot change competitions on the day of the
Feis.
With the exception of First Feis and Beginner 1, a
dancer's level is determined in each dance (Reel,
Light Jig, Single Jig, Slip Jig, Hornpipe, Treble
Jig and Traditional Set). Traditional Set Dances
are limited to those dances determined by An
Coimisiún as traditional set dances.
- Steel taps or "bubble" heels on dancing
shoes, display of awards, wearing of shorts or other
unconventional dress is prohibited. Authentic Gaelic
dress is desired. First Feis (if offered), Beginner
and Advanced Beginner, aka Beginner I and II, must
wear a class costume, or a skirt and blouse. All other
categories are excluded from this rule. Modest attire
is encouraged when a competitor is not dancing.
- Competitor's number must be worn and visible
to adjudicators when performing in all competitions,
except in Championships. Use of reflective plastic
number covers is discouraged.
- Awards will be determined in proportion to the
number of entries in each competition and to the
degree of proficiency shown.
- Complaints must be in writing stating names and
other factual information and signed by the
complainant. A $25 fee must be
enclosed and presented to the Feis Chairman within
one hour of the occurrence. The fee will be returned
if the complaint is upheld.
- The Feis Committee and any organization affiliated
with same will not be held responsible for personal
injury, property loss or damage. Destruction of Feis
property or rental property will be punishable by
law.
- The Feis reserves the right to reject any entry
for cause, to cancel all or part of the Feis and to
limit competitor's performing time. The decision
of the Feis committee is final in all matters connected
with the Feis.
- Competitors must answer all questions as required
by the Feis Entry committee, including teacher's
name, and enclose the entry fee when mailing. Failure
to do so may result in a rejected entry. Entries must
be postmarked on or before the closing date or they
will be subject to a late fee as determined by the Feis.
- Entrants in any Championship event may not enter
in any other (Grade) events, but may enter in Figure
Dances. Entrants in Championships should specify, on
the entry form, their choice of soft shoe, hard shoe,
and set dance. Entrants cannot change competition or
category on the day of
the competition.
- Dancers must qualify for open
championship via the method now in place
for prelimiary champonship (i.e., two
first place wins)
- Dancers must compete in the
preliminary championship competition in
order to qualify for open championship.
- The regional syllabus where the feis is being
held may have different qualifications for entry.
- Combining male and female dancers in any age
category is left to the discretion of each region of
the IDTANA. Competitions may be combined with the next
higher age group if there are less than five
competitors entered. Competitions can only be
combined up (or down) one age group.
- Boys and girls CANNOT be combined EXCEPT according
to the following:
- All Boys competitions below
Preliminary Championships shall be initially entered
in single year age groups;
- If there are less than five entries in any
one age group, combination of the competitions
shall be done according to the following rules,
in order of preferential application:
- Into double age groups, all boy or all
girl; and
- If a double age group does not create
five or more entries, the boys shall instead
be combined into the corresponding single
year girls’ age group; and
- Any competitions so combined shall be run
as a single competition.
- Preliminary Championships are open to those
who, at any NAFC recognized Feis:
- Have won 1st place in both an
open/prizewinner light and heavy shoe
competition, and
- Have never won 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Open
Championship. A dancer who wins two first
place awards will move on to Open Championship
at the next Feis they enter,
or as soon as the second win is achieved, in
any age category, in the following years. Only
in the case of back-to-back Feiseanna
(successive days), in which case the first win
in the first Feis will not change the dancer's
status for the second Feis. A dancer is
required to perform a light shoe dance (reel
or slip jig for ladies and reel only for men),
and a hard shoe dance. A Feis can opt to
offer either a) a set dance or b) a jig/hornpipe.
- The regional syllabus where the Feis is being
held may have different qualifications for entry.
- Championships and Preliminary Championships
require at least three adjudicators.
- First place winners in the Open Championship
category cannot return to a Preliminary or Open
(Prizewinner) competition. Placing in a Regional
or National Oireachtas does not change the status
of a competitor. A dancer who moves into Open
Championship must stay a minimum of two years.
If, after two years they have not
placed they are allowed to return to Preliminary.
An Open Championship dancer who places is not
allowed to return to Preliminary until two years
after their last placement. The regional syllabus
where the feis is being held may have different
qualifications for entry.
- The status of the dancer does not change unless
there are five or more dancers in a competition.
- Each region may determine the system for moving
dancers from one grade to another, as they see
appropriate for their region. The syllabus is to
contain all grade categories. A Feis Committee may
combine two consecutive age categories into the higher
of the two categories within that grade when less than
five (5) competitors are entered. (See Rule 14, above).
Competitors have the option to remain in the same
category for the remainder of the Feis year. A dancer,
at the discretion of the teacher, may move into the
next Grade (not Open Championships) without satisfying
the requirements. However, once a dancer competes in
the higher level, they can never move back to a lower
category (except as outlined in Rule 18, above).
- Grade Levels:
- Beginner Grade: A beginner is a
competitor
who has not yet taken a full year of Irish
Dance lessons, thereby giving beginners a full
year with such status. A Beginner must move
into the Advanced Beginner category the
next year.
- Advanced Beginner Grade: An advanced
beginner
who wins 1st, 2nd or 3rd place will advance to the
Novice category in that particular dance.
Competition dances are reel, light jig, slip jig,
traditional treble jig and traditional hornpipe,
as a minimum requirement.
- Novice Grade: A novice who wins a
1st place
will advance to the Open (Prizewinner) category in
that particular dance.
- Open Grade (Prizewinner): A competitor
who does not qualify as a beginner, advanced
beginner or as a novice.
- Adult Beginner: An adult beginner is a
competitor who never took Irish dancing lessons as
a juvenile and is over 18 years of age.
- Musicians and adjudicators cannot be approached
during a competition by anyone except the Feis
Committee. No one can approach them while a
competitor is performing.
- Musicians employed by the Feis Committee will be
solely under the direction and management of the Feis
Committee on Feis Day.
- Teachers or team captains are responsible that
their teams are complete and in position when the
competition is announced. Competitors may compete in
the next higher age group; however, a competitor may
compete in only one age group, with the exception of
8 hands, which are allowed to repeat dancers at all
Mid-West feisanna in accordance with the world and
regional Oireachtas rules.
- In matters pertaining to adjudication, the
decision of the adjudicators is final.
- Adjudicators are to monitor the quality of music
at the stage(s) to which they are assigned.
- First Feis (if offered), Beginner, Advanced
Beginner and Adult dancers are required to dance at
traditional speeds. Novice, Open/Prizewinner dancers
may choose between traditional and Oireachtas
speeds.
- The length of 2-hand and 3-hand dances in
competition are to be 48 bars of music plus and
8-bar introduction.
- In consideration of safety and in fairness to
dancers performing at a Feis, photography of any kind
which has the capability of capturing a dancer's
image while in motion is strictly forbidden.
A Feis may elect to allow in-motion photography for
publicity purposes, but the pictures are considered
the sole property of the Feis and solely for Feis
use only; these are not to be used for personal gain
through commercial use or sale, and under no
circumstances can they be published on any website
or other areas without the express written permission
of the persons involved.
Additionally, a professional photographer may be
formally contracted by a Feis to capture non-motion
photographs, such as portrait photography, award
ceremonies, etc. and/or in-motion photography
provided it is taken at a vendor station or suitable
location: (a) away from the dancing stages and
(b) requested by a consenting parent, guardian, or
dancer (over the age of 18).
- No block, en Pointe, toe walking movements,
stationary or moving is allowed to be performed for
all ages up to and including the under 12 age group.
However, after September 1 of each year an exception
is made for those dancers who are 11 dancing in the
under 12-age group.
- Make up is prohibited on a dancer in the first
three grades (First Feis (if offered), Beginner 1 and
Beginner 2 or their equivalent) up to and
including the under 12 age group.
- Any competitor found to be using artificial
carriage aids and subsequently refuses to remove same,
will be subject to disqualification from that
particular competition. Medically prescribed aids
(proof of which may be required) will be exempt
from this rule.
- Each feis is required to list their adjudicators
on their syllabus and/or website at least three weeks
before the close of entries, one-third of which are
to be from outside the region where the Feis is being
held.
- Competitors in girl's competitions at the
First Feis (if offered), Beginner 1 and
Beginner 2 Grade will wear only the competitor's
dancing School costume or a skirt and blouse.
- No substance that can become airborne should be
used on any dance floor in an attempt to improve
traction.
