Congratulations to all of our competitors at the CRN North American Championships! Belisama dancers placed 2nd in the under-19 championship, 3rd in the under-15 championship, and 4th and 5th in the under-17 championship!!! And all 11 dancers who went to Chicago came home with several medals, many winning or placing in multiple hard shoe and soft shoe dances. Our ceili and freestyle dances also placed well, including a 1st-place finish for one of our 3-hand teams.

Many dancers enjoy the challenge of competing. Belisama dancers can compete in local, regional, and national feiseanna (dance competitions) sponsored by the CRN (Cumann Rince Náisiúnta) Irish dance organization, one of the three major international Irish dance organizations. CRN also sponsors the annual CRN Irish Open in Dublin, Ireland, and the annual North American National Open Championships in the U.S.

Dancers compete by skill level and by age group, so that dancers of all ages and skill levels can compete successfully. Judging in the CRN organization is based solely on the musical and technical elements of the dance, not on the dancer’s appearance; while advanced dancers may choose to wear a wig and solo dress, it is optional and is not part of the competition. The atmosphere among the competing schools is friendly and supportive, and our dancers enjoy their friendships with young people from other schools and even other countries.

Students often find that competition and performance go hand in hand; the rigorous preparation for competition leads to improved technique and precision in performance, while the poise and stage presence learned through performing make our dancers exceptionally successful competitors.