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2013Anybody who know me knows how much I love almost all forms of dance. And so, when the opportunity came up to photograph a Feis, I jumped at it. Feis (pronounced Fesh) is the Irish word for festival. The first Feis was held in Ireland in 1897 and was a celebration of the Irish culture including language, song, dance and creative writing. The Feis arrived in America in 1964. Though many Feisanna (plural for Feis) include language, writing and soda bread competitions, the focus is on Irish dancing. Dance teachers from each school make up their own dance steps to teach to their students. When the student feels confident with their steps, they may enter the competitions. Students will compete in one (sometimes two) of five levels in the appropriate age bracket. First, second, and third places are usually awarded for each dance.
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