Rules

ENTRIES: Entries will be accepted from teachers who are members in good standing of An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha, the IDTANA, and the IDTANA Southern Region. All Oireachtas entries must be submitted, by teachers only, for both solo championships and team competitions. All entries must be complete and contain all requested information. Incomplete entries will be returned. Entries will be accepted on-line at eFeis.com. No faxes, emails, phone or other unapproved form of communication may be used to submit entries.

Entries must be submitted by the entry deadline of October 27, 2004. Any entries received after the deadline will be refused and returned. There will be no exceptions.

See the separate mailing from Paraic Sweeney, entries chairperson, (found at the back of this syllabus) for further details about entering the using eFeis.com and specific procedures to be followed by all teachers in submitting entries. No paper entry forms for the Oireachtas or Feis will be sent out. If you are unable to access the internet or efeis.com please contact Paraic Sweeney. A processing fee of $60 will be charged to any school that opts to submit Oireachtas entries in paper format.

IMPORTANT:

· Send checks by regular mail or delivery service.

· Do NOT send checks or any other items by registered mail or any other postal service option that requires a signature.

· It is not possible to receive these items during the regular work day, and it also not possible to get to the post office during their business hours to pick up items requiring a signature.

· Items sent this way will NOT be picked up and will be returned to sender.

AGE: A competitor’s age will be determined as of January 1, 2004. All solo competitors must compete in their own age group.

A team in a competition for ceili or figure choreography may include dancers who are

under the minimum age limit stipulated for the competition subject to the following conditions, which must be strictly adhered to:

(1) A teacher may include a number of dancers not exceeding 25% of the team (i.e. 2 in an eight-hand, 3 in a twelve-hand, etc.), without seeking prior permission. But, the teacher must inform the Oireachtas committee in writing as party of the entry and furnish the names of the under age dancers (see TEAMS below). These dancers may ALSO compete in a team in their own age group in either a competition for mixed teams or a competition for unmixed teams, but NOT in both these categories in the lower age group. They can, however, compete in both mixed and unmixed teams in the higher age group (where there are separate competitions for such), but subject to item # 3 below.

(2) A teacher may include in a team more than the 25% under age dancers stated above provided that:

(a) the permission of the IDTANA Southern Region regional director is requested IN WRITING and the names and dates of birth of under age dancers are furnished with the entry;

(b) the number of dancers does not exceed 75% of the team (i.e., 6 in an eight-hand, 9 in a twelve-hand, etc.);

(c) the under age dancers (up to 75% maximum) may compete in both mixed and unmixed teams in the higher age group (where there are separate competitions for such), but subject to item #3 below;

(d) where the number of under aged dancers allowed to dance in the higher age groups exceeds 25%, only 25% may also compete in teams in the lower age group(s).

(e) if permission is granted the teacher will receive this permission IN WRITING and should have this written permission available for reference during the actual competition(s) in question; no other forms of permission (phone call, word of mouth, etc.) will occur.

(3) None of the above conditions will operate to permit a dancer to compete in a total of more than two ceili championships at any Oireachtas. That is, the maximum number of ceili championships in which a dancer can take part is two, whether in one age group or in mixed age groups.

(4) Girls MAY compete in both Girls Ceili and Mixed Ceili competitions in the same age group. (5) Mixed Ceili eight-hand teams must consist of at least two (2) boys or 25% of the team. Mixed Ceili four-hand teams must consist of at least one (1) boy or 25% of the team.

CHECK-IN: Dancers must report to the stage manager thirty (30) minutes prior to the scheduled start time for their competition. Once the first two dancers have commenced dancing, late arrivals will not be permitted to compete. Numbers of the starting competitors for each round of the competition will be drawn at the beginning of the competition. Dancers must follow the rotation as listed in the official program book.

MUSIC: For the reel and jig, dancers must perform 48 bars of music; for the slip jig and hornpipe, dancers must perform 40 bars of music. Official musicians will play for all solo and ceili events. Teachers of teams in the Figure Choreography and Dance Drama competitions have the option of using their own live or recorded music. Teachers planning to use their own recorded music must provide their own playback equipment.

METRONOME: Speeds for all dances in solo events will be in accordance with officially recognized speeds as published by An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha. Metronomes will be in use at each stage. Only in the set dance round will competitors be able to use their own metronomes.

DANCES: All solo championship competitors will dance the first two rounds as stipulated in this syllabus for each solo championship competition. In age groups up to and including under 13 years of age, dancers will perform the first two dances three at a time; in all other age groups, dancers will perform two at a time. Competitors who are recalled to the third round will dance a set dance of their own choice.

TEAMS: As soon as entries have been submitted and BEFORE THE ENTRY DEADLINE (October 27, 2004), teachers must submit a listing of the exact composition of each team in each team event. Submit team composition lists by email online (to charlotteteams@idtana-southernregion.com), delineating the FULL names of those dancers who make up each team in each team event (A, B, C, etc).

Failure to provide these listings, on time, may result in a team not being entered in a competition.

8 Hand Competitions: Teams may perform any 8-Hand dance from the official list published by An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha. All teams must dance with the top couple’s backs to the adjudicators.

All dances must be performed through the completion of the first figure by the top couple. In The Three Tunes, teams must complete through the hook and chain. In the Sweets of May, teams must complete through the second figure. In the Gates of Derry, teams must complete the swing around.

4 Hand Competitions: Teams may perform either The Four Hand Reel or the Humors of Bandon, as published by An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha. All teams must dance with the top couple standing to the left of the adjudicators. All dances must be performed through the completion of the first figure by the top couple.

ADULT CEILI CHAMPIONSHIPS: Dancers must be 17 years of age or older. They must not have competed in any competitions (solo or team) at any feiseanna or Oireachtasi, except competitions specifically designated for adults, within the past five years. They may have competed in the Dance Drama competitions at feiseanna or Oireachtasi. All rules listed above (CEILI CHAMPIONSHIPS, Eight Hand Competitions, Four Hand Competitions) apply to all adult ceili championships.

Teams may consist of 8-16 dancers and must portray an Irish theme. Only basic traditional movements are to be used. A dance should not exceed four (4) minutes duration from the beginning to the end of the dance. Five copies of the story (narrative) must be submitted one hour prior to the start of the competition. Teams may use their own narrator to read the story, or they may have the stage manager read the story. Dances must be performed in 2/4, 4/4, or 6/8 time, or a combination of these. However, any change in music timing must last a minimum of 16 bars. Each team member must be on stage and dance from the commencement to the finish of the dance. Pauses are permitted but limited to no more than 4 bars per pause.

A team may consist of 8-20 dancers and must portray a specifically Irish historical or traditional story or event. Irish music or music of related ethnic origin only will be permitted. This may consist of reels, jigs, slip jigs, single jigs, hornpipes, Irish marches or Irish slow airs or a combination of any of these dance tunes, march s, or slow airs. Where drumming is used it must also be in the stipulated tempos. NO SPOKEN WORDS OR SONGS (live or on tape or any other electronic medium) are permitted during the performance of the dance. A team will have a six (6) minute time limitation in which to perform its dance drama from beginning to finish. Where stage props are required, they must be provided by the teams themselves. They must be portable and of a kind that can be placed and removed easily and quickly. Teams will be given five minutes in which to set up lighting, sound, or other audio or special effects prior to the commencement of the performance of their dance. All props must be removed from the stage and surrounding areas immediately after the end of the performance and are the responsibility of the school.

STAGES: All stages will be examined at the commencement of each event by the Organizing Committee, Stage Management Team or Adjudicators.

MISCHIEF: Any person caught damaging property (whether private property or that of the hotel and/or organization) will be requested to leave the premises immediately and will not be permitted at any remaining events during the championships. All parties involved will be billed for damages. Parents/guardians are responsible for the actions or their children.

REFUSALS: The IDTANA Southern Region reserves the right to refuse any entry.

SCHEDULE: The IDTANA Southern Region reserves the right to limit or postpone any event. It also reserves the right to make changes or adjustments to previously announced schedules or timetables as necessary.

DECISIONS: All decisions made in accordance with the rules for this event and all IDTANA rules are final. All decisions made by adjudicators in accordance with the rules for this event and with all IDTANA rules are final.

APPEALS: Legitimate complaints must be submitted to the IDTANA Southern Region Oireachtas Chairperson or regional director IN WRITING by the dance teacher involved. All such appeals must be submitted no later than one hour after the completion of the competition and must be accompanied by a $25 fee (US funds only; cash only).

VIDEO: No video recorders/cameras, movie cameras, or camcorders will be allowed in the competition halls, except for news media as approved by the committee. No flash photography is permitted during competitions.

AWARDS: All dancers (solo and team) must be in full costume and correct shoes for the award ceremonies. Estimated award ceremony times will be listed in the program book, but they are subject to change or adjustment. The number of awards for each event will be determined by the number of dancers/teams who actually compete in that event. NOTE: Dancers are responsible for their awards after the awards presentation(s). The committee will not replace any damaged or lost awards.

In the event that a situation or circumstance is not governed by an existing IDTANA rule or a rule outlined in this syllabus, then the rules found in the syllabus for Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne (the World Irish Dance Championships) will apply.

Rules Governing all Entries and Competitors