ASK THE DIVA

Do you have an Irish dancing question? Ask the Diva...

For any Irish Dancing questions please fill in the form below or email keeva@idanceirish.com and Keeva will answer your question as soon as possible.

Keeva's answers to your questions:

Brittany Asks: What does your solo dress look like? Mine is red and white and really sparkly!

Answer: Oh your dress sounds lovely. At the minute mine is pink and white with lots of diamonds on it. I'm hoping to get a new one soon as this one is getting too small. Ohhh I can't wait. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Chelsea Asks: The irish dancing school i go to is doinig a show in front of the school and all my friends are going to be there and none of them like irish dancin and they think its a joke what will i do?

Answer: I'm sorry to hear that your friends are not supportive Chelsea. For me I don't think I'd really care what they thought. Sometimes people think things are a "joke" just because they can't do it. Irish Dancing is very difficult to learn and it takes lots of dedication and talent to be able to get up in front of people and perform. Don't be put off by people who are jealous. Do your performance and be proud that you are talented enough to do it. Good Luck. Great to chat with you. keeva the Dancing Diva

Leona Asks: i haven't got a dress for over 6 years

Answer: Sorry I've taken a while to reply. I was in America at the American Nationals. I had a great time. Do you think you need a new costume for Dancing? Remember you only need a costume if you compete in Irish Dancing and I think you only need one if you are really dedicated to Irish Dancing. Don't waste your money if you are not going to get lots of wear out it. I hope you are still Dancing. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Leona Asks: dont like dancing though i do like it too wat shall i do
 
ive being dancing for 6 years and havent got a dress

Answer: Oh dear Leona you are having to make a difficult decision. Unfortunately no one can make that decision for you. It has to be your choice. Try writing down a list of all the things you enjoy about Irish Dancing. See if that helps. Good Luck Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Leona Asks: hi again i still dont know what to do

Answer: I know it's a tough decision but unfortuately only you can make it. You have to make decisions and then live by the consequences of the choices you make. Be sure and make the right choice. Think of reasons to continue dancing and see how you get on. Let me know what you decide. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Julia Asks: I go to a mostly non-competitive school, and the one feis we do a year isn't enough for me. I really love my school, so I don't want to switch. How can I compete more?

Answer: I think this has to be something that you talk to your teacher about. Tell your current teacher how you feel and discuss the situation with them. I'm sure you can get it sorted by talking to the teacher about. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Brittany Asks: Hello, How many perpetual trophies have you won before? I have won about 25 in the 8 years I have been dancing!

Answer: Wow 25 perpetual trophies, that's brilliant. You must be a fantastic Irish Dancer. I'm not sure how many I have won in total, sometimes I can win and other times I don't, that's the way it goes with dancing. I do practise really hard though because I want to do well in dancing. When you're in Championship the standard is soooo high and the competition is really tough all the time. It is great when you win but it takes a lot of practise. Hope I qualify for World's this year. My practise has started already, how about you? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Annemarie Asks: I have really bad posture and I dont no how to fix it:(
 
Can u help me?xxx

Answer: Lots of people have this problem in Irish Dancing. If your arms, shoulders or back are not good 9 times out of 10 it is because you are trying too hard and pushing with the upper half of your body. How do we fix it? The number one thing is to increase your fittness and stamina. Irish Dancing depends heavily on being very fit. Get out your skipping rope, swim and do sit ups. Get fitter. Practise, practise practise. Practise in front of a full legth mirror so you can see your carriage. Be able to dance your dances through twice without getting tired. If your fittness improves, your carriage will improve. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Keeva Asks: Hi, my name is Keeva and i'm 11, I was searching everywhere for someone with my name and I could never find anyone or anything but I found this and I was wondering if your name was Caoimhe or Keeva I was wondering what age you were? PLEASE GET BACK TO ME THANK YOU

Answer: I spell my name Caoimhe because I live in Ireland and my name is Irish but it is pronounced Keeva. Do you do Irish Dancing? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva
 

Leona Asks: hi i have been danicing over 6 years and going to high school but i dont know should i quit?
 
and i have been to all the feis's but haven't won anything what should i do?

Answer: Lots of people think of giving up Irish Dancing when it comes time to go to High School.If they "Quit" I think they miss their best years of Irish Dancing.Think of the friends you have involved in Irish Dancing and all the good things about it. I know we have a great time going to feis's. Sometimes you get a good result and sometimes you don't. Results aren't everything. Don't give up just because you're going to high school, at your age Irish Dancing should be getting better and better. Let me know what you decide. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Emma Asks: how much would dancing gear cost

Answer: Emma it depends on which class it's for. Ask your Irish Dancing teacher. They will know. Class gear looks great when you're at a feis. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Keeva Asks: Hi, is their any irish dancing programs?...............

Answer: I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean TV programmes? If so I don't think biut wouldn't it be great if there was one. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Keeva Asks: Hi, who is your favourite judge?

Answer: Ohh I don'y who my favourite judge is. I like the one's who give me a medal? Who is your favourite Judge? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Keeva Asks: hi keeva, do you think you will qualify for the worlds this year?x!!!!!!

Answer: Ohhh I don't know if I'll qualify this year. I definitely have been practising really hard and doing lots of the feises so I really hope that I qualify. You never can be sure though because the competition is sooo tough and there are lots of fantastic dancers in all age groups at the Ulsters. Are you doing the Ulsters this year? If so I hope you dance really well and be very happy with your result. Good Luck. Let me know how you get on. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Rachel Asks: did you enter the ulters feis on the 28th 29th or 30th of otober

Answer: I don't actually dance with that organisation. I dance with An Coimisiun and our Ulster's are next week. We have to qualify from the ulsters to dance at our World Irish Dancing Championships. I have been practising soooo hard and fingers crossed I'll qualify but the compatition is sooo tough you never can be sure. Did you dance at the An Comhdhail Ulsters? If you did I hope it went well for you. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: hi, keeva i am so happy i got the recall at the connachts and i was never at them before!

Answer: Congratulations. That is fantastic. All your hard work paid off. Well done. I'm delighted you did soooo well. Keep up thehard work. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: Hi Keeva, are u going to the all ireland irish dance championships next year in Kerry cos i am and i have never danced such a hard compition before any tips??????

Answer: Wow that's brilliant Lauren. I hope to dance the All Ireland's this year. You have to practise sooooo hard to get to this level and the competition is pretty tough. I'm working really hard so fingers crossed. I hope you're working hard too. The best preparation is lots of practise and lots of competitions. The more feis experience you have, the better. It helps to make you more confident when it comes to a big competition. Hope it's all going well. Let me know how it all is going. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: Hi Keeva, i have just won all of mean and now i am in ard. I have a feis at the weekend and i have never danced ard before any tips?!!!!

Answer: Well done Lauren. Winning Mean grad is absolutely Fab!!! Now the hard work begins. You've done a great job getting into Ard grad but it will take time to really start doing well. You have to keep practisng very hard, that's the only way to improve. Good Luck in Ard Grad. Let me know how you get on and keep up the hard work. Keeva the Dancing Diva.

Katie Asks: how did you get your name

Answer: I guess my mum and dad named me. In Ireland we spell it Caoimhe but thats tough to pronounce if you're from overseas so I made it easier and spelt it the way it sounds Keeva. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Kathleen Asks: what is the best form of fitness for an irish dancer??

Answer: Irish Dancers need to be very fit as nowadays Irish Dancing is very athletic. The best thing that you can do for Fitness is definitely dance. When you are practising you need to try and build your stamina by dancing your dance full out 2 times without stopping or dance it through once take 8 bars of a rest and then do it again. Running and swmming on a regular basis will also help your fittness as will skipping every day. The fitter you are the easier all your steps will become. Good luck. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ciara Asks: i am getting hullachan pro pumps tommorrow my teacher said to get two sizes smaller but would that not really hurt my feet and give me blisters as i have got a feis wat should i do

Answer: Unfortunately, getting new Hullachan Pro Pumps can be a little bit uncomfortable. Your teacher is right when they say you need to get them really tight. Sometimes they can make your feet a little sore until you get them stretched out. You have to remember though, the whole point of getting Hullachan pro pumps is so that your feet look very neat, pointed and arched so they have to fit like a glove, no spaces anywhere. Get your teacher to check the fit of the pumps when you buy them. Presevere with them and they will stretch. Good luck. Let e know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Alan Asks: if you get 1st in ard grad do you get into the worlds

Answer: If you get a 1st in ard grad you have a good chance of getting to dance at the World Irish Dancing Championships. Every region in the world has a qualifying Oireachtas and it is at this comeptition that you qualify for the World. It is really tough to qualify for the world and it takes lots and lots of practise. Have you qualified for a world yet? If not I hope you qualify soon. Keep working hard and hopefully we'll see you competing at the world soon. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Keeva Asks: hi keeva what age are you where do you live and have you ever won the worlds

Answer: Ah you have the same name as me only in Ireland my name is spelt Caoimhe. I have been dancing for quite a long time and I live in Ireland. I've never won a Worlds but I hope I'm getting closer. It takes a lot of hard work and practise but I am aiming high and one day I hope to win it. How about you? Are you working hard and hoping to win a Worlds. Let me know how you're dancing is going. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva
 

Skye Asks: hi keeva i realy liked playing at keevas corner i made a lovely dress i hope you liked it i can wait to get my

Answer: I love getting a new costume. It's great and there's so many great things to choose from. Keep practising your dancing and you'll soon have a costume too. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Millie Asks: hi,i strained my left arch and its agny to dance on but im in the middle of my workshop so i want to keep dancing could i be doing it damage should i take a break for a while?? HELP!!!!

Answer: I'm so sorry to hear that Millie. I think you need to talk to your teacher or whoever is giving your workshop and see what they think. I know everyone wants to be able to get the most of their workshop and most of the time workshops are really hard work for everyone. However you should never dance on an injury and make it worse. Your body will tell you if it is too much for you. Be sensible, talk to your teacher and take it from there. Attend the workshop no matter what and if you can't dance make sure you listen to all the points that everyone is being given andlearn any new material on your hands so it will make it easier when you are back dancing. Good luck. I hope your arch is on the mend. Let me know how you're doing. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Cleona Asks: Hi Keeva, I dance for An Comhdhail and my 10th birthday was in may. In the rules it says Age as on the 1st of January.  Because I was 9 on Jan 1st does this mean i dance U9 or U10?

Answer: You are under 10 until the end of this year. Lovely to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Katie Asks: how did you get famous

Answer: Am I famous? I don't know if I am. I love chatting to lots of new people and I love the fact that so many of us love Irish Dancing. I guess I'm really dedicated to Irish Dancing and maybe I'm a little bit famous in the Irish Dancing World. How about you. Do you know lots of people who do Irish Dancing too? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Aoife Asks: how much would you practise a day if you were in mean grad

Answer: It's important to practise as much as you possibly can to improve your dancing. Going into Mean grad is a big step up and your aim is to move ahead into championship. A little practise, on the things that you are not good a,t every day will really help you. Be focused and dedicated, don't miss your Irish Dancing class and listen to your teacher. All this will help you to improve. Remember practsie makes perfect. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ciara Asks: is it normal 2 get blisters on your feet from new heavy shoes?

Answer: Unfortunately it is really common for heavy shoes to blister your feet. Breaking in heavy shoes is one of the hardest thing any Irish Dancer has to do. The heavy shoes normally will blister your heels. try and walk around in them and soften up the backs of them. Wear plasters and when your heels are blistered let them heal up before trying to put the shoes back on again to dance in. You will break them in, it just takes time. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: hi Keeva.how are you?i got a knew pair of hullachan pro pumps from the idanceirish shop at feis about two weeks ago. i have had these type of pumps before and i know they have to be tight but my new ones are really sore alot more sore than my last ones. and when i danced in them first i got a blister so i just wear my old ones. shoud i just wear them alot to make them bigger? please help thanks!   

Answer:Ohhh I feel your pain. Hullachan pro can be really sore until you break them in. If they are too sore to dance in, dance in your old ones but wear your new ones to walk around the house in. This will really help to stretch them out. Keep trying to stretch them , wear them when watching TV, when walking in the house, really at every opportunity. They will stretch. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ellie Asks: Im intermediate now and I have a new reel and my teacher says That ive got no lift and im not bouncy, how do i become ouncy and get lift?

Answer: : This all comes down to practise and fittness. The more you practise any of the advanced dances, the easier and better they become. You have to have good, strong legs so you need to be very energetic and be able to get lots of height off the ground. Practise the new lreel itself every day and also you can skip or jump rope every day to help build up your stamina and ability to bounce. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Constant hard work will make your dancing improve every week so come on get up, get your pumps on and start to practise. It will help you become bouncy and you will be able to lift really high. Let me know how it goes. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jem: do you black tights are your tights thick 40 denier or 70 denier

Answer: I don't wear Black tights. I wear poddle socks but the senior girls all wear 70 denier tights. Its easy to get them in any department store. Lovely to talk to you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: Hi Keeva, what age group are you in?

Answer: I have been dancing for quite a long time now and I've made it into Championship. Championship is sooo tough. You have to work much harder than ever before but I love it. What age group are you? I think I'm older than you. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: Hi Keeva, how are u? I was at the Four masters feis on saturday it was very hard! I did mean grad championship and i came 2nd and got my first sash i had never did this well before ever! my best friend did the very same as me in u8, we both came 2nd in the first round 1st in the second round and i cant remember the last round but in everything we got the very same solo and champ. I thought that it was weird what do you think? 

Answer: I think you did brilliant at the four Master's feis. The competition was brilliant in the Mean grad at that feis. Keep working hard and you will soon be in Open Championship. Great job well done. Lovely to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Kaitlin Asks: Do you ever get stage fright?

Answer: Goodness yes, I think every dancer is really nervous when they dance on stage. It doesn't matter how good or experienced you are, every dancer has to cope with nerves at a feis. The morefesi experience you get the easier it will be to dance on stage. Make sure that you are well prepared and that you have done all the practise to make sure that you are doing the best that you can and then just do your best. Noone can ask any more from you than that. Enjoy the experience, work hard and the results will come after that. Remember you won't dance your best if you are too nervous. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Holly Asks: hi i am stuck on my single jig.any tips?also whos ur teacher?

Answer: Keep practsing Holly and your Single Jig will improve. Thsi happens sometimes. Many dancers will find one dance a little difficult. Just keep up your hard work, listen in class and keep practsing and it will all come together for. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Keeva Asks: comments: hi my name is keeva
i am 10 years old i have red hair just like you and i do irish dancing but i love irish dancing, but i never bother to practice and i want to grow up and be really good and maybe even join the river dance what should i do?

Answer: Wow, you're called Keeva too...cool! I'm glad you love Irish Dancing but if you want to be good at it and improve then you have to get motivated to practise. My teacher was in "Lord of the Dance" for a long time and she loved it but she always says to us if we want to be good enough to do something like this then hard work and practise is the only way. Come on get your dancing shoes on and practise, I bet you could be great. Lovely to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

did you do irish dancing when you were young

Answer: I've danced all my life and I love it. I couldn't imagine life without dancing. How about you? How long have you been dancing for? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ellie Asks: I have a pair of hullicans and they are about 2-3 weeks old, they make my feet hurt quite abit, this weekend I have a Feis and I dont know wether to wear my new light shoes or my old battered ones. Any Advice

Answer: I wear Hullachan Pro pumps too and when I get a new pair they make my feet sooooo sore. My teacher says they have to be really tight on your feet so you can get a nice arch and point. Wear them as much as you can before your competition and then see how you feel. I like to dance in really tight pumps because I think it helps me get up high on my toes. If you can tolerate the new ones to dance in I think you should use them because your old ones are probably stretched out and this is never good. I hope the feis went well for you. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

MeganAsk: HOW DO YOU GET SO HIGH UP IN YOUR LIFTS AND HOW DO YOU GET SHARP.I AM 7 YEARS OLD

Answer: Elevation and sharpness is all about your fittness. You have to be very fit to be able to lift off the floor. Fittness comes from strength and practise. The fitter you are the sharper your dancing will become. Practise hard at least 5 times a week and try skipping as well. This really helps your fitness and helps with your bounce and elevation. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Sophie Asks: how do i get my childs shooulders back more because she is bending forward???????:)

Answer: Normally when a child is stooping forward they are straining which would indicate that they are over trying. You need to try and encourage your child to improve their fitness level so they can cope with their steps without bending over. Core stretch is so important in Irish Dancing. Depending on her age, if she is old enough, sit ups will help with core strength. If she is too young for this exercise, try swimming and skipping. They both improve core strength and children don't even realise. The other thing is to let the child see what she is doing. Put her in front of a full length mirror when she is dancing or video her. If she sees the fault its easier to correct it. I hope this helps. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Niamh Asks: Are u real???????

Answer: Yes I'm real Niamh, otherwise I wouldn't be answering your question. Do you dance Niamh? If so I hope you really enjoy it. I think Irish Dancing is brilliant. I love it. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Megan Asks: : I have asked my teacher to give me a new lead a round and he told me i had to do really well in my feis but i a goo in class but not in the feises

Answer: If you dance well in class and not so well at a feis normally that comes down to nerves. You need to try and relax at a feis and just dance the best that you can. Forget about the result, work on improving your dancing. When you relax you will dance better. Do all the hard work, practise and preparation and then when you go to a feis know that you can't do any more than your best. Get as much feis experience as possible. The more competitions you dance in the easier it will become. Great to caht with you. Let me know how it goes. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Erin Asks: ho long have you been irish dancing?

Answer: I've been dancing for ages. I can't remember my life without Irish Dancing. I started to do Irish Dancing when I was only 3 so it's been a long time. How long have you been dancing for? I love irish Dancing and when I get older, I hope I can be an Irish Dancing teacher. My teacher was in "Lord of the Dance" for a long time. I think that would be sooooo cool. I'd love to do that too. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Kyra Asks: do u do irish dancing and dico dancing because ur dresses and outfits are beautifulx

Answer: Thank you Kyra. Actually I only have time to do Irish Dancing but if I ever had the chance I'd love to have a go at Disco Dancing too. Irish Dancing's great because we do get to wear really cool dresses which really sparkle. I love Irish Dancing. I go to class 3 or 4 times a week so I don't have a lot of time for anything else because of my school work but Irish Dancing is so much fun. Do you dance? Do you do Irish Dancing and Disco dancing? Let me know. It was great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Megan Asks: Hi Keeva I just wanted to know if you knew how I can get better at my dancing?

Answer: The only way to get better at Irish Dancing is to practise, practise, practise. There is no easy way to improve. You have to be prepared to work hard, go to as many Irish Dancing classes as possible and most importantly, listen to what your teacher is saying. Your Irish Dancing teacher is the most important person to you if want to get better at Irish Dancing. Practise hard, be dedicated. It will take time but your hard work will pay off eventually. Great to chat with you. Let me know how it goes. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jessica Asks: Hey,I'm just wondering is horse riding bad or irish dancing? I'm a champion dancer and have been dancing for years but recently i've started horse riding and really love it. But my mom tells me that horse riding is bad for my dancing, is this true?

Answer: Well I'm not an expert on this but Horse Riding will ask you to do the very opposite of what Irish Dancing demands. In Horse Riding you bend your kness and turn your feet in to squeeze the horse, in Irish Dancing we want you to have straight knees and turned out feet. I guess horse riding is good for your fitness which will help your Irish Dancing. You would definitely need to be careful with the feet and knees as turn out and straight knees are essential in dancing. I hope you can manage both but listen to your mum and teacher sometimes we have to make difficult decisions. Let me know how it goes. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jade Asks: when i am older i would like to be in a dance troupe like lord of the dance or riverdance. what would i have to do?

Answer: My teacher was in Lord of the Dance for 6 years and she said it was a great time. I'd like to do that too when I get older. She says becoming the best dancer you possibly can be is what you need to do to have a chance of getting into a professional show. She also says that you have to be really fit and flexible so that you will be able to keep up with all the shows they do every week and all the traveling they have to do. I hope you do get into a dance troupe. Great chatting with you. Keep working hard at your Irish Dancing. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Fodhla Asks: how long do you practice ?

Answer: I try to practise for at least 30 minutes every day that I'm not at class. I go to class 3 or 4 times a week and then my mum will help me practise when I'm at home. Sometimes it's hard work having to practise because I don't always feel like doing it but I know that the standard is so high and every one else is working really hard at thier Irish Dancing so I push myself to do it. The more I practise, the fitter I ger and the easier all the tricky movements are. How long do you practise for? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Caoimhe Asks: Thank you for your advice but what site sells sencond hand dresses?

Answer: Check in the idanceirish online shop for second hand costumes. Click here and it will take you straight to the costumes. Good Luck. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Caoimhe Asks: Do you know anywhere were i can buy a white pink and blue sparkely dancing dress?
Thank you

Answer: When you are looking for an Irish Dancing Costume you need to take your time and have a good look. Check out the websites that have 2nd hand costumes, including www.idanceirish.com and see what you like and see what your price range is. If you are not getting a new costume sometimes it is difficult to get the exact colour you are looking for so be prepared to try some thing else. Also check at all the feiseanna that you go too. There are always lots of costumes to try on at a feis. Good Luck. Let me know how you get on. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Amy Asks: hi.. im amy i live in dublin and i just need you to give me some advice i keep on getting 2nd in my nch beacuse someone keeps on coming in and winning and i dont know what to do

Answer: Well Amy you should be thrilled that you are coming in 2nd at the minute, that is a fantastic result. Competition is good and it should make you work harder to try and get first. Nothing short of really hard work and practise will help you to get 1st place. If you keep working really hard and perfecting your steps you will eventually make it to first. Be really happy with where you are and work like crazy to improve. Listen to what your teacher is telling you and work really hard to fix any little faults you have. Be determined and hard working and eventually that 1st place will come. It may take a little time so don't give up just keep working hard. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ciara Asks: How can i get fit really fast after the easter my fitness levels have gone down how can i get fit and fast??
Thanks xox

Answwr: oh it's tough to get fit fast. Fitness takes time and hard work. They say it takes 6 weeks to get fit and 6 days to lose that fitness. Do what you can to get your stamina back up, lots of practise, skipping and running. There is no easy way to build fitness and stamina, just hard work and then do not let it go especially over the summer. You must keep up your practise routine or you will be really behind when the feis season starts again in September. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Niamh Asks: Hi,thank you for the advise. I can do a double jump now. How do you do a tip tip out?

Answer: I'm delighted that you can do your double jumps now. Thats fab. With a tip tip out just keep repeating this movement until it gets easier for you. There is no substitute for practise. Do it over and over again and it will improve. Get a mirror that you can watch your feet in and make sure that when you are doing this movement that your feet are turned out and crossed over. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you again. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Aoife Asks: how do you dance for keeva? i dance for julie and joane.

Answer: Oh I think I know your teachers. Are you from Derry? I dance for a class in the Belfast area. It's great. I love it but sometimes my teacher is a bit cross especially if I don't practise at home. She's dead strict about practise. What are your teachers like. Mine's really nice and she can be really funny but if the work isn't done she's not a bit nice. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Sinead Asks: i always get sick before a feis and dont like it and dont no how to help it please help me

Answer: You poor girl that used to happen to me a lot too and it's horrible for everyone. If you feel sick before you dance it's because you are allowing yourself to get really nervous. If you get all worked up then there is no way that you can dance your best. I know it is really hard to control this feeling but it is all in your head and only you can make this better. You have to put dancing into perspective. Its not the end of the world if you don't recall or get a medal. You will be able to dance the next day and do better. You need to make sure that you are really well prepared and then you have to believe that you can only do your best. You can not control the results nor can you control how any one else dances. The only person you can control is yourself. Try deep breathing and relaxation before you start. Come on Sinead you can fix this. Do your best, stop stressing and let the results look after themselves. Dance because you love to dance and don't worry about the judges. Let me know how you get on. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Casey Asks: how old mere you when you started to dance

Answer: I have been dancing for a long time now. I started dancing when I was only 3 years old and it's hard to remember life without Irish Dancing. How old were you when you started? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva.

Casey Asks: what pombs do you recommend

Answer: it all depends on what level of dancer you are. If you are just starting out then the beginner Innisfree pumps are great. If you have been dancing for longer and want a good spilt sole pump which looks really well and is very comfortable try the Aoife pump and if you are Open Championship or an Advanced Dancer then I think Hullachan Pro is great. Check out the range of pumps at www.idanceirish.com. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Mairead Asks:How long should I practice for if I want to qualify for the 2010 worlds? I got to class 3 times a week which adds up to a total of 5 and a half hours dance class each week but how long should I practice out of class? Also do you have any ideas of how to keep myself motivated to practice?

Answer:Mairead I really hope that you qualify for the World's in 2010. You need to be prepared to work really hard both in class and at home. Going to class 3 times a week is great. Try to practise for an hour a day on the days when you are not at class. Practise either with friends or have someone to watch you or practise in front of a mirror so you can see your feet. Try to build up your stamina and energy. You need to be as fit as a fiddle. Go to as many feises as you can. This will help to motivate you and working with friends will too. Hope it all goes well. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Soarise Asks :hi keeva, i have a big feis coming up soon its my absouloute dream to win the championship and i would love you tell me how i can prepare for it like how often should i do my dances etc. id really aprciate it thanks!!!

Answer: To win a Championship you need to be prepared to work very hard. The girls and boys who are winning Irish Dancing Championships are very dedicated and work super hard. You need to be going to class 3/4 times a week and practising an hour at least every day. It is a lot of hard work, determination and deication but it is worth it. If you really want to be a champion then get your dancing shoes on and let the real hard work begin. Good luck, let me know how it goes. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Niamh Asks:hello im 11 years old. i dance for mary ormsby. i was at the connaught championships 2009. how can i do a double jump?

Answer: A double jump is easy if you can get the height off the ground. The higher you can bounce off the ground the easier it is to swap your feet in mid air. Try to do the movement holding on to two chairs or a wall bar if you dance in a studio. This will help you get the height that you need. Try skipping every day to improve your bounce from your toes and practise, practise, practise. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Fionnula Asks: how do you do bicycles so fast?

Answer: This all comes down to practise and fittness. The more you practise any of these advanced moves the easier and better they become. You have to have good, strong legs so you need to be very energetic and be able to get lots of height off the ground. Practise the move itself every day and also you can skip or jump rope every day to help build up your stamina and ability to bounce. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jolene Asks: hi where do you get your pomps?do you know the price of them?do you where hullachan pros or aoife ones????????

Answer: I wear aoife pumps when I'm in class but I wear my Hullachan pro pumps when I am at a feis. Hullachan Pro pumps are quite expensive so I try to keep these ones nice and tight for competition. My teacher doesn't mind me wearing my Aoife pumps in class and they seem to last me longer. I do love my Hullachan Pro though for a feis. I get my pumps from the idanceirish website, Check out www.idanceirish.com and look in shoes and pumps. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jolene Asks: : what is a classical costume used for?can you wear them in bun and tus grad?oh one last thing do you have to wear a full wig to dance with or can you use a bun wig???????

Answer: Different regions have different rules regarding costumes for dancers. Some regions do not allow dancers to have a costume until they reach a certain age while with others it depends on the level you are at. It is also a personal choice whether you wear a full wig or a bun wig. Most people start in a bun wig and then make the choice of going into a full wig. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Saoirise Asks: hi keeva,i was wondering what is the secret of winning the jig its my only dance left in bun/tus so i really want to win out of it but i cant....so please tell me if there is a sectet to it?

Answer: There's no secret, it's the same as winning any other dance, you need to practise it really hard. There's always one dance that takes longer to get than the others. Make sure your timing is good in the jig. That's always important and really work hard on it. You will win it eventually I promise just keep up the hard work. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: how did u get on at the world championships

Answer: America was great and my teacher said I danced really well. I got a recall and a recall medal. Now I have to start all over again to see if I can qualify for Glasgow and improve on this year. Oh the hard work begins again. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Mark Asks: what is the purpose of a hair donought? how do you use them?

Answer: A hair donought is used to give height underneath the wig. Some people use them to lift the wig and stop it from sitting flat on the dancer's head. If you want to use one, put the dancer's hair in a bun up on top of the head and place the donought on top of it and clip it in. Then put the wig on over the top of it all. It will really add height to the wig. Hope this helps. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Rebecca Asks: I'm 9 dancing for 2 years i'm in man grad and said to be gifted on my feet i'm an irish girl went to ulsters2009,all irelands2009 each once i've been picked to go to world's 2009 what should I expect?

Answer: That's brilliant that you are going to World's. You must be really excited. The World Championships are a really tough competition so just try to be very happy that you are there, lots of dancers didn't make it to the World's so you're a step ahead already. Relax and enjoy the experience. Be confident with the amount of work that you have done coming up to this competition and then just do your best. No one can ask anymore than that. Good Luck. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Rachel Asks: How do you improve your double ups

Answer: The only way to improve anything in Irish Dancing is by consistent practise. Some movements take time to perfect so you have to be dedicated and practice every day. Try to practise in front of a mirror so you can see what you're doing or better still get someone to watch you and give you feedback. Good luck. Practise hard and the Double ups will improve. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Celine Asks: Why do other contry do Irish dancing?

Answer: I think it's great that so many people from around the world want to learn how to do Irish Dancing. I suppose its like all other forms of dance, Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop for example, everyone wants to be able to do this kind of dancing too. Irish Dancing is very popular and when " Lord of the Dance" and "Riverdance" toured the world, these shows showed everyone what Irish Dancing was like and so eveyone from all countries wanted to learn it too. It's great. We get to travel to great places now because we have feises in America and in Europe and In England and Scotland. I love it. Are you from Ireland? Great to chatt with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva.

Katie Asks: Hi Caoimhe will you be at an comhdail All Irelands this year? I am! I am dancing under 14! So I have to dance a set dance is there anyway I get can get fit in time and there in 3 weeeks ar somthing... Do you have any Inportant tips for posture(so I wont lean back) because I tried with a mirror but that made me look down...and amything to get high up on my toes apart from using the skipping rope because I am doing that to I really want to do well cause its kind of my last year dancing the All Irelands Jr cert next year!... Do you have any tips like good streaches or anything you find good.. How are you? Is your dancing going well? What age do you dance under? bye! xxx

Answer: Hi Katie, It's great that you're dancing at the All Irelands. Not long to go now. I hope that your practise has been going well. At this stage all the hard work should already be done. You can't try to work like crazy now, you have to relax and just do your best now. Don't panic about dancing an All Ireland. It's just another feis at the end of the day. Do your best, keep up your practise routine and make sure you are as fit as possible. When you are at the All Ireland's, I'll be at the An Coimisiun World's. We go to Philadelphia this year so we are all really excited. Good luck at the All Ireland. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Demi Kate Asks: what is the meaning of my name ?

Answer: I don't know the meaning of your name. My name means beauty and grace and in Ireland we spell it Caoimhe. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: did u get the re-call at the all ireland?

Answer: Yes I did but I think only just. Wow the standard was amazing!!! Everyone was fantastic. I was really pleased to get the recall but now I have to work even harder to improve if I want a medal. It's tough to compete at this level. My teacher says hard work and dedication will win through in the end. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Aoibheann Asks:
comments: Hi Keeva I just thought I wud tell u that I went 2 the Leinsters this weekend and I got 3rd in my set dance and in my jig!! under 14 an comhdhail! out of 61! next up the all Irelands!

Answer: Wow that's fantastic Aoibheann. What a brilliant result. You must be over the moon. Keep up the hard work and I hope you do really well at the All Ireland's. Congratulations again. Now no slacking get practising because the All Ireland will be here in no time at all. Great to hear from you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Megan Asks: hi keeva,
i was wondering if there is a secret to winning theese dances:bun single jig and st patricks day because i cant win out of them!

Answer: It just takes time and a little preseverence Megan. You will win them if you keep practising hard enough. Make sure your feet and toes are turned out and crossed and pointed in the Single Jig and practise your timing and rhythm in St. Patrick's day. In heavies timing and rhythm are soooo important. Keep up the good work and your results will improve. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lucy Asks: hi!!
do the judges give you less marks if you dont have a costume or a wig!! why arent you aloud wear a skirt once you get to pre-open???

Answer: Actually you are allowed to wear a skirt when you are in preopen. It's your own choice. A judge will not give you less marks if you are not wearing a costume or wig. They will mark your dancing. It's up to you and your teacher to decide what is approriate for you to wear at this level of competition. I think the costumes are really fun though and I love my wig. I'd hate to have to sit for hours to get rollers in. My mum says that's what she had to do when she danced. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Aoife Asks: what age were you when you started feises!!
im 12 and im onli going to start next year!!
is it to late??

Answer: I started when I was really young but no one is ever too old to learn to do Irish Dancing. Michael Flatley started to learn when he was 12 and he won the World Irish Dancing Championships when he was 17 and then went on to create Riverdance and Lord of the dance. Not bad for a late starter!!!!! Practise really hard because it's never too late. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Miss X asks: i dont have a wig or a costume because my mam doesnt like them!! but my irish dancing teacher thinks im really good and about a year or two ago i did the dublin championship and won!! what do i do if i want to do feises???

Answer: The most important thing in rish Dancing is to be a good dancer. The costume and wig comes after this. If you really want to compete you need to talk to your mum and your teacher and see what is the best solution. Be honest about how important dancing in competition is to you. Let me know how it goes. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Tiara Asks: hay i practice so much like every nite but i never seem to get anywhere and its getting really frustrating HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer: I think every Irish Dancer goes through times like this. You keep practising and then you feel as if the results aren't coming. Don't focus on the results. Listen to what your teacher tells you and be happy when they say that you are improving. Don't give up. Your hard work will pay off eventually so keep it up. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva.

Sinead asks: are you An Coimisiun or an Comhdhail? please write back SineadXx

Answer: I dance for a school in An Coimisiun but I've lots of friends who dance An Comhdhail. I love An Coimisiun though because we have a world Irish Dancing Championships and this year it's in Philadelphia. How cool is that? Which one do you dance with? Great to chat with Keeva the Dancing Diva

Niamh Asks: Did you evry sweat?

Answer: I think that all Irish dancers sweat. If you're working hard of course you will be hot and sweaty. I wear a top under my costume to protect my dress and I change straight after each round so I can cool down. It's great to take your costume off and have a tee shirt and shorts on until the next round. www.idanceirish.com has some great tee shirt and shorts set that you can check out. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: Hi, i was not at the all-ireland irishdancing championships and a girl at my dancing school was and she done very well. How did you get on?

Answer: I had a great time at the All Irelands and was really pleased with the way everything went. I didn't win it lol but i did well in my competition. The standard was sooo high. My teacher says I have to work even harder now to keep up my level of dancing. I hope you keep working really hard and next year you get to dance at the All Ireland Irish Dancing Championships. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Niamh Asks: Do you have firends at dancing?

Answer: Yes lots of my friends dance. It's great when we all get to go away together to a feis. I love that. Do you have friends that do Irish Dancing. I like meeting friends in my age group too, some of them live in England and the States so we have a great time when we all meet up. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: WHAT GREAD ARE YOU IN?

Answer: Im in Open Championship now but it's been a hard struggle to get there. I had to practise soooo hard to make it to Championship and now the standard is even higher so my teacher says I've got to do even more practise. I love Irish Dancing though so I don't mind working hard. How about you? What grad are you in? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: WHAT IS YOUR SIR NAME

Answer: Everyone just calls me Keeva or in Ireland it's spelt Caoimhe. I'm always called Keeva the Dancing Diva. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Sarah Asks: Will you be attending the All Ireland in Ennis

Answer: I'm hoping to be at the All ireland's in Ennis for a few days but the World Irish Dancing Championships are on in Philadelphia at the same time so I will be there too. Will you be at the All ireland's in Ennis? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Fodhla asks: how long do you warm up every day ? :-p 8-)

Answer: My teacher says that a warm up is really important. At class we do a warm up that lasts for about 10 minutes. It's constant dancing and stretching mixed up. It does work really well but I'm exhausted after it although it definitely warms up my legs and muscles. I try to do this warm up even when I'm dancing at home. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Eva Asks: Hi i'm EVA the dancing diva too,What is the cheepest pair of dance sneackers in black and pink for small size eleven in uk size. I have to get my wee cousin a pair for her birthday!! I can pick them up in crosgar asap if you reply to me. Or you could bring them to your dance class in castlewellan, my wee cousin goes their, Beth is her name, she has a wee sister Caleigh but she doesn't always go. Beth is five and caleigh is coming four. Thanks, Lots of love from EVA. can you get back to me as soon as you can with the prices.

Answer:Tthe black and pink trainers are £35.00 and they're great for dancing. I have a pair and I love them. Hope this helps. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Calimhe Asks: do the judges give you more points if you are a boy?

Answer: Oh you have the same name as me. How cool!!! Absolutely no way do boys get more marks than girls. A judge will judge both girls and boys and the result will go to the best dancer regardless of whether it's a girl or a boy. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ruby Asks: hi keeva i was wondereing is there any special tips on winning st patricks day?

Answer: The way to win any dance in Irish Dancing is to Practise, practise, practise. When dancing St. Patrick's Day, like all heavy shoe dances, rhythm is really important. Make sure the Judge can hear your beats, that you are on time and that your feet are turned out and crossed. Good Luck. Let me know how you get on. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Katie Asks: Hi Keeva My dance teachers said I lean back & this is stopping me from getting up on my toes..How can I stay up straight??

Answer: This is a common problem with Irish Dancers. Try to always practise in front of a full length mirror so you can see your posture. This will help you see what you are doing and then it will make it easier for you to correct. Build up your stamina and fittness. Leaning back can be a result of over trying. Skipping on your toes is a good way to build stamina and learn to push up on your toes. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Leona Asks: When do you get the sparkly dresses because i have been dancing for 5 years.

Answer: as soon as you get into Mean grad if your a An Coimisiun dancer and over 10 if you are an Comhdhail dancer. Check with your teacher. They'll know and keep up your practise. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Sarah Asks: if i buy a wig from your shop and my dancing teacher dosent like it or its not the right colour can I bring it back? sarah

Answer: As long as the wig has not been worn there is no problem in sending it back. If it's the first time that you are buying this style of wig it is probably a better idea to try it on when your teachers are there. idanceirish are at lots of feis's maybe you could try on the wig at a feis before buying it online. we are at the All Irelands all this week if that any help. keeva the Dancing Diva

Katie Asks: Hi Keeva Its Katie ...again. I told my Dancing techers what you said and they said I should try it out so I will work on it! I can work on it till the leinsters and its my last year Im UNDER 14 THIS YEAR!!
Thanks so much for your help.. and I will visit the i-dance-irish stand at the leinsters. thanks Katie

Answer: Good Luck with all the practise. I'm sure it will pay off. Keep me up to date with how its going. Great to hear from you again. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Rebecca asks: i was just wondering how to keep your hands by your side???

Answer: Try holding something under your arms when you dance. This will make you concentrate harder on your arms. Also try to improve your fitness, skipping is great for this. The fitter you are the less inclined you are to use your arms to help you jump. Get practising and it will get better. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Tiarna Asks: if your improving and your teacher tells you that why can`t you get a week of dancing

Answer: That's simple. If you take a week off dancing, you will be back to square one. Now no slacking, if you are improving, then keep working really hard. You will just get better and better. Don't undo all your hard work by missing class for a whole week. That's not a good idea. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Rebecca Asks: i was just wondering what's the best way to get your feet turned out?

Answer: Getting your feet turned out is so important in Irish Dancing and lots of Irish Dancers have to work really hard at this. Try sticking little stickers on the inside of your ankles and then watch yourself dance in front of a mirror and make sure that you can see the stickers at all times. Also try to always walk and stand with your feet out and then this will become natural for you. Give it a go. It takes time to fix this fault so keep working hard. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: who is your danceing teacher

Answer: I dance for a teacher in the North of Ireland. She's great but a bit cross sometimes. Who do you dance for? Great to caht with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Laura asks: why do i always get stitches

Answer: The answer to this is simple, you are not fit enough. You need to improve your stamina and fitness to ensure you will not suffer from a stitch any more. Practise hard and dance every day if you can. Also try skipping and maybe even running to improve your stamina. The fitter you are the easier everything feels in Irish Dancing. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Anna Asks: I can't get my heavies to make a loud sound. Any tips?

Answer: Heavies are all about the sound that you make. Practise on a wooden surface that you can hear your beats and really hit the floor. The stronger your legs the easier it will be to hit the floor. Practise really hard and the rhythm will improve. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Alex Asks: heyya im alex,l anyway my question is is it fun to be a dancer?
so please email me back and answer my question lots and lots of love from keevas bvest friend alex luv ya babe xoxoxxoxo

Answer: Yes it's great fun to be an Irish Dancer. You get to travel lots especially overseas sometimes and I have loads of friends who dance. Do you dance. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Christina Asks: what age r u and who do u dance 4

Answer: I've been dancing for a long time. How about you. How long have you been dancing. I live in the Nort of Ireland and dance with a class in the North of Ireland. Where do you you dance? I hope you love Irish Dancing, I do. Great to chat with you Keeva the Dancing Diva

Katie Asks: hi,ive really been looking foward to a massive compotition but ive recently been getting a very sharp pain where my leg joins on to my body! any tips on how to get better before the feis?

Answer: Katie you have to be very careful if you are injured. It's more important to take care of your body than it is to dance even if its an All Ireland Championships. There will always be next year. Check that it is nothing serious and take the advice of a doctor. If they say you must rest then do that. Remember your body is the most important thing. Let me know how it goes. I hope you're ok. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: hi, just wanted to say i can now do really good bicycles and my posture is perfect now. I am going to the mini conaughts this weekend i am just doing mean i will keep your tips in mind thanks Lauren

Answer: Good Job Lauren. Keep up the good work. Good Luck at the Mini Connaughts. I hope it goes weell. Lovely to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Claire Asks: why do we have to ware wigs?

Answer: It is actually not compulsory to wear wigs but it is definitely more convenient than curling your hair. It's not great to have to sleep with hundrerds of rollers in your hair the night before a feis. It's up to you and your teacher whether you wear a wig or not and rememeber it's only when you get good at Irish Dancing that the option of a wig becomes avaialable. Lots of Irish Dancers never reach the standard of needing a wig. Ultimately it's your choice whether to wear a wig or not although most serious Irish Dancers do opt for a wig. Do you wear a wig at the minute? Lovely to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Sarah Asks: My friends are not nice to me when i win dances how can i make them like me?

Answer: I'm sorry to hear that Sarah. Unfortuanately there can only be one winner. If you've danced really well and deserve it then it's your so called friends who have the problem and not you. Sometimes in Irish Dancing dancers can be very jealous of the winner and therefore they are not nice to that person. Be gracious when you win but enjoy it and keep working hard and striving to improve. If these people are genuine friends they wil lbe delighted for you when you win not mean to you. Remember, it can be tough at the top but that's where every Irish Dancer wants to be. Great to chat. Let me know how things go. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Katie Asks: Hi Keeva! I have Been Dancing for 7-8 years now and I am in Open.. I am Extreamly Good at my Heavy dances but my Light dances always let me down.. My teachers said Im Not up high enough on my toes..I would Like 2 get up extreamly high on my toes and I have Tried LOADZ of things 2 help me...can u please give me tips.... and lots of them! Katie

Answer: Hi Katie. I'm delighted you are competing at Open Championship level. That's fantastic. It's also great that you are a strong heavy dancer as this is so important especially in your Set round. Being up high on your toes in Light dancing is also very important. Try skipping, (jumping rope) bouncing on the tips of your toes. This will help strenghten your calf muscles which is important for high toes. Also watch yourself when you are dancing in amirror so you can see if your heels are on the ground. Just keep pushing up, try the skipping and keep working hard. It will improve with practise. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Aoife asks: keeva do you like dancing

Answer: I Love Irish Danci ng and couldn't imagine my life without it. Do you love Irish Dancing too? Graet to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: How do you get a perfect bicycle most of my friends can do them and i can't. also how do you get perfect posture because my mum and my dancing teacher say i am lacking

Answer: All Irish Dancers have faults with their dancing and everyone finds some movements difficult to perfect but I believe evereything can be ipmroved with practise and lots of it. Practise the bicycle jumps by holding on to the backs of 2 chairs so you know what your legs are meant to do, then you have to work at getting enough height in the air to allow you to have the time to get your legs moving. Practise it every day and you will be able to do it. If you don't work at, it it will not come. Thesame goes for your posture. You need to improve your fitness so that you are not trying to push with your arms and shoulders. More hard work Lauren will help all of this. let me know how you get on. Practise every day. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Maeve Asks: What is the best soft shoe for a beginner dancer?

Answer: For a beginner I would have to say get a pump that is inexpensive to start with. When I started Irish Dancing I got the Innisfree Loop Pump. It was great when I was just learning. The more I practised, the better I got and now I wear Hullachan Pro but these are for Irish Dancers who are really serious about Irish Dancing because they are quite expensive. Check with your teacher and see what they suggest.. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: I go to a lot of feises is this good

Answer: Lauren this is brilliant. The only way to get better and get experience is by dancing at as many feises as possible. Well done. The more you dance at a feis the easier it becomes. You will feel more confident and perfrom better every time. Keep up the good work and let me know how you are doing. Good Job Lauren. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Megan Asks: i have the best mom in the world! do you ?

Answer: What a lovely thing to say. Yes I have a great mum too. Tell your mom you think she is the best mom in the world. I'll bet she'll think you're the best daughter and Irish dancer in the world too. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Megan Asks: when i am older i would like to be a author or a irish dancer dress designer, but i'm not very got at art but i can do in on the computer. my mom says because i am going to secondary school soon art lessons will help but i can't sow or good at art what shell i do?

Answer: I think if you are good at the computer that may help with designing Irish Dancing Costumes. Most Irish Dancing costume designers are graphic designers or have graphic designers working for them. I think if you work hard enough you can be anything you want to be. So work hard at school and then you can choose what you want to do when you're older. I think an Irish Dancing costume designer would be so exciting. You'd have to be creative to come up with new styles. Irish Dancers love wearing their fantastic costumes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Megan Asks: what dance school to u go and when did u start irish dancing?

Answer: I go to an Irish Dance Class in Ireland and I love it. I started dancing when I was only 3 and I can't imagine life without Irish Dancing now. Where do you go to class and how long have you been doing Irish Dancing. I hope you practice. My teacher says practice is sooooo important. She goes mad if we come to class and haven't practiced. Is you teacher like that? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Alex Asks: hi im keevas best friend i go to glenlola collegaite and i have lots of fun with her and all our other m8s well hi keeva and have fun bubi xoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxo c u in school 2morrow

Answer: Hi Alex lovely to hear from you. Glad you have a friend called Keeva. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: hi, Our dancing school took a break for the Christmas as every other dancing school does but now we are back and i am not as good as i was before even that i done alot of dancing why.

Answer: Sometimes that happens but don't stress too much about it. You probably push yourself more at a Dancing Class when your teacher is there is keep you going. Get your shoes and pumps on now, make sure you get to as many Irish Dance classes as possible and get working really hard. You'll be even better than you were before if you get the practice in now. Good Luck. Let me know how you get on. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ashley Asks: should you get worried about a feis

Answer: No no no!! All you can do is your best. Practice lots before the feis, make sure you are as prepared as you can possibly be and then enjoy the feis. Think of it more as a performance then a competition and if you do well that's brilliant if you don't do well you can practice harder and do better at the next one. Irish Dancing is all about loving what you do. If you don't enjoy it what's the point? It's not all about the results. Enjoy putting on your wig, costume, makeup and looking fantastic and be proud that you can dance at all. Lots of people in life will never get on a stage and dance so the fact that you're up on stage dancing is fantastic. Enjoy it. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: Why can you wear wigs for bun and tus in Ulster and not in Connaught.

Answer: Every region has their own rules and the ruling about wigs in Ulster is just different than the one in Conaught. Do you have a wig? Good Luck. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Barbie Asks: heya i go irish dancing and its my best hobbie!i just wanted to ask you do you ever forget your steps??and how do you keep fit?x

Answer: I'm so glad that Irish Dancing is your best hobby. I love it too. Sometimes I do forget my steps and then I have to work extra hard to get them in my head correctly. It can be tough we you get lots of new steps and your teacher wants you to know them extra quickly. It takes lots of practice to get them right. I keep fit by doing as much practice as I possibly can. My teacher says dancing your dances twice through without stopping really helps to build stamina. I also skip every day, that's jump rope, and I go out running. It's so important to keep fit for Irish Dancing but I love doing all those things. I hope you keep fit too. What sort of things do you do? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Megan Asks: My dance school is planning on holding a Feis for the first time. What sort of things do we need to look into at the planning stage to make our Feis a success?

Answer: Planning a feis is an big undertaking and there are lots of things you need to plan for. I would advise getting a feis organising company to help like www.instepfm.com as these people know all the things to look for. I hope it goes well, let me know. Make it a big success. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Katrina Asks: how did you become a dancing diva?

Answer: Every girl who dances can be a Dancing Diva. Just have confidence and love your Irish Dancing, then you'll be a dancing Diva too. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jiordan Asks: Heyya keeva x my name is jiordan and i dance for the kelalou academy of irish dancing we dance in an comdhail. my dress is royal blue and white and it has a tutu. i am gettin a new dress soon and it will have a red velvet bodice and a rara skirt. i dance in open. now i was at a competition the other day and an adjudicator told me i was a fantastic dancer but i was too dainty and had to fight. what does this mean ? thanks jiordan x

Answer: Your new dress sounds fab. It's fantastic that an adjudicator thought that you were a fabulous dancer. When they say you are too dainty they mean you are not strong enough in your dancing. When you dance at Championship level you need to be assertive, that is you need to dance strong and confident not timid and dainty. This adjudicator will like a sharp and athletic dancer and would like you to dance powerful, confident and commanding. The more competitions you go to, the more confident you will become. Good Luck and have a lovely Christmas. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jessie Asks: im not irish and i want to irish dance

Answer: That's great that you would like to do Irish Dancing. It doesn't matter where you live in the world, Irish Dancing is almost everywhere now. See if you can find an Irish Dancing class close to you and speak with the teacher about beginner Irish Dance classes. If you have trouble finding a class where you live, let me know where abouts you're from and I'll see can I help you find a class. Good Luck. I hope you enjoy Irish Dancing as much as I do. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Oriana Asks: WHAT is the judge looking for in the bebinners reel?

Answer: I think that the judge is looking for good basics at this level. That is nice feet which are turned out and legs which are crossed. They want to see good pointed toes and nice carriage and posture. They will also look for good timing so practise to proper Irish Dancing music when you are practising at home. Good Luck, let me know how it's going for you. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Oriana Asks: what irish dancing school do you go to? and how did you become a dancing diva?

Answer: I go to a dancing school in Ireland and I love it. Where do you go to class? Everyone thinks I'm a Dancing Diva but I think anyone who does Irish Dancing can be a Dancing Diva too. I bet you're a Dancing Diva just like me. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Oriana Asks: How do you win the all Irland?

Answer: Practise, Practise, Practise. Hard work and dedication is the only way to improve in anything and Irish Dancing is no different. You really need to be working very, very hard to win a major competition like the All Ireland Championships. Listen to YOUR Irish Dancing teacher, they know what it takes to be a champion and then work really hard to improve your dancing. Don't miss your Irish Dancing class and practise at home. Good Luck, let me know how it goes, Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Shannon Asks: Do you have to get in to prelim before you can compete in magors e.g the worlds,all irelands?thankz

Answer: Yes Shannon, your dancing has to be a really high level to compete at competitions like the All ireland and The World's. You must qualify to dance at the World Irish Dancing Championships from your regional Oireachtas and your teacher will tell you when you are ready to compete at the All Irelands. Most Irish Dancing teachers would like you to be competing in the Open Championship before you would go to an All Ireland Irish Dancing Championships. So get out your dancing shoes and practice, practice, practice. That's the way to improve your level of Irish Dancing. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lisa Asks: Hi Keeva I am just learning the blackbird and finding it really hard. could you give me any tips on what is important in it

Answer: The Blackbird can be really tough when you are just learning it for the first time. It has a hornpipe rhythm so it takes time to get this correct. The most important thing about the Blackbird is the timing and getting the rhythm properly. Keep practicing it. Always practice it somewhere where you can hear your beats as this is the most important thing. Good Luck. Keep up your hard work. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ella Asks: Are you a real irishdancer from Ella

Answer: Oh Yes absolutely. I love Irish Dancing. How about you? How long have you been dancing? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jade Asks: How do u do bicycles I have to do them in my reel???any tips

Answer: To do bicycles you need lots of height and good spring off the floor. Get two chairs and practice the actual movement so you know what your legs need to do and then try it when you're moving. Keep prating it and it will continue to improve. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Jade Asks: What colour is your irish dancing dress???

Answer: My current dress is red velvet with lots of crystals on it so it's really sparkly. I love it. Do you have a costume? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Ellen Asks: when did u start irish dncing??? and when did u make this site????

Answer: I have been dancing for quite a while now and I love it. I couldn't imagine life without it! The web site is 3 years old and it's growing really fast. We have lots of ideas for it so keep tuned to it for all the latest in Irish Dancing. How about you. How long have you been dancing? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lola Asks: how do you get very skinny nvery quick?

Answer: No one wants you to get Skinny quickly. We like healthy, happy Irish Dancers. Get fit and eat healthily and that's all anyone wants from you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Helen Asks: My daughter has just taken part in her first qualifiers. She was not recalled and now feels that she has let everyone down. She is a primary dancer and did very well against higher level dancers. We are all proud of her but she is very worried about not being recalled. How can we lift her confidence back up to where it was?

Answer: This is always difficult for Irish Dancers and it is really important that both teacher and parent reinforce the fact that she danced extremely well and you are really pleased with her. It is natural for the dancer to be a little deflated themselves. Every one wants a recall and a medal but you need to get her back out to a feis and let her dance in her own grade and her confidence will improve again as she starts to win. Children are generally very resilient and they will believe you if you tell them they did a good job. Disappointment is part of Irish Dancing unfortunately and it's the job of the teacher and the parent to keep the child happy and content. Be honest, tell her it will take a little more time and some more practice but that the results will come. I hope this helps. Make sure she knows it happens to every Irish Dancer at some stage or other. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Alina Asks: Hi Keeva,i was wondering once you get to the very top like in the preliminaries and open chapionship what is it like? Do you need one of those big wigs and what happens if you get 1st, 2nd or 3rd? What do you do when you get 1st, 2nd or 3rd in open how does it work???Thx p.s I have trouble with my hornpipe by the time i get to the seconde step im out of breath and i start to slow down?any tips thx again

Answer: In Open it is a very tough level of competition. Everyone dancing at this level is working and practicing super hard. They attend lots of feiseanna and go to class 3 or 4 times a week. They are all very committed to Irish Dancing. Most people at this level will wear wigs as part of their costume. If you get 1st 2nd or 3rd, it means you are really a top Irish Dancer. Fitness and stamina is very important at this level so make sure yo you are fit and are practicing every single day that you can. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Aimee Asks: what is the secret to the jig?

Answer: The jig is all about timing. The secret to the light jig is the 1234. Make sure you get this rhythm. It will really help when you start your heavy dancing. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Keeva Asks: did u know u could allso spell our name keeva like this Caoimhe?

Answer: I did know that. In Ireland we spell it Caoimhe and it means Beauty and Grace. It's a cool name, don't you think? lol!!! Great to chat with you. Keep up your Irish Dancing. It's sooo much fun. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Maddie Asks: I just got off of suspension from switching dance schools, and I only did a couple of feises so far. Our oireachtas is coming up in 3 and a half weeks, and I need to improve on my left arm. It flies out to the side, and my left hand makes a hook shape when I dance. Any tips on how to fix that?

Answer: Maddie, sometimes if we try too hard, our arms tighten up or fly out at the sides. Try to relax a little when you are dancing and always watch yourself in a mirror so you can see exactly what your arms are doing when you dance. Also you could try holding something in each hand when you dance or hold a ruler behind your back and see if this helps. Good luck at your Oireachtais. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Marita Asks: Do you have to wear a full wig to get more marks? and also what does a feis mean by grades only i dont understand it.
do you know where you can get all the irish dancing rules like if you win a dance before the connachts you can still dance it at the connachts and mini connnachts? it would be a good help thanks very much.

Answer: Every region is a little bit different and I don't dance in Connacht. My teacher says that wigs are for convenience. An adjudicator will not give marks for anything other than good dancing. As far as grades go, this is the different levels that people dance at. Bun Grad is the first grad, like beginners, then there is tus grade, then Mean Grad which is just before Open. Open or ard grad is the top level and this is for Championship dancers. It takes lots of work and practice to get through all the grades. Check with your teacher for all the rules. They will keep you up to date with the rules of your particular region. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Marita Asks: Hi keeva i was at the connachts last week. I came 5th in the prelims i have never been on a box before i also got a recall i came 14 th 10 girls went to the world i was 4 away!.
I was also on starsearch on rte2 doing irish dancing we got through to the next round!
I would love to get in the top three on the podium any tips?

Answer: Congratulations, that's fantastic. You did absolutely brilliant. To continue imrpoving all you need to do is continue to practice, practice, practice Listen to what you irish Dancing teacher is telling you, attend class as often as you can and get to as many feiseanna as you can. The more experience you can get, the better you will become. Well done. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Deirdre Asks: How long did it take you 2 win your first dance and what assotiation are you in?

Answer: Hi Deirdre, it can take a long time to win your first dance and you have to work really hard and practice lots. The best thing you can do is attend Irish Dancing Class as often as you can. Do not miss practice as this is where your Irish Dance teacher can help you the most. It took me a few years to get into Championship and now I have to work even harder at this standard. There are lots of different organisations in Irish Dancing but I am part of An Coimisiun. How about you? How long have you been dancing for? Great to chat with you. Keeva the dancing Diva

Clodagh Asks: Hi Keeva. I was wondering if you could give me any tips on how to be very light on my feet when doing my reel and light jig. Thanks xx

Answer: Hi Clodagh. Good to hear from you again. Elevation and lift is really important when you are doing lights in Irish Dancing. As before, skipping is brilliant for improving this aspect of your Irish Dancing. Also try bouncing on your toes and keeping your knees straight, pushing up off the floor as high as possible. Do this for 3 minutes, then rest for 1 minute and repeat. This should really help. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Clodagh Asks: Hi Keeva. I really need some tips on how to be lighter on my feet and be able to just like i floating. Thanks xx

Answer: Hi Clodagh. The fitter you are, the easier it is to be light on your feet. Try skipping with a rope to get more bounce into your dancing. When you skip. make sure you bounce on your toes, keep your heels off the floor and push up as much as you can. Get your skipping rope out and skip for 15 minutes every day. It will definitely help you light dancing. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Keeva Says: ha ha o.m.g my name is keeva and o dancin 2!!!!lol!!!

Answer: Do you know in Ireland we spell Keeva, Caoimhe and it means Beauty and Grace. It's a cool name, don't you think? lol!!! Great to chat with you. Keep up your Irish Dancing. It's sooo much fun. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Emmie Asks: Some adjudicators hate the lady who runs my dance school, so I get bad marks. One comment even said "I don't like your school" Why do they do that?

Answer: I'm sorry to hear that Emmie. I think all you can do is to practice really hard and keep improving your dancing. Every adjudicator is different, so if one doesn't like you, don't worry too much about it. If you keep working hard, you'll improve your dancing and your results will improve. Remember why you dance. It isn't always about results. Irish Dancing gives us so much more than just a medal, so don't let it get you down. Keep dancing because you love it. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Emma Asks: how do you get your toes to turn out?

Answer: Turn out is really important for all Irish Dancers and remember to get your feet turned out you have to turn out
from the hip. Try to watch yourself when you are practicing in a full length mirror so you can see the placement of your feet. Also try to walk with your feet turned out all the time so that turning out becomes natural for you. If you are still struggling, try dancing with your shoes on the wrong feet and you will see how turning out feels. This may help but it's for practice only, you certainly can't do this at a feis. Let me know how it goes. Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Eimear asks: R u a real person?

Answer: Yes I am a real person who loves Irish Dancing. Do you do Irish Dancing? Great to chat with you. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Lauren Asks: How Can You Stay Fit And Not Get Shouted AT

Answer. Staying fit is so important for Irish Dancing. Practice, practice practice will help your fitness and stamina. Try dancing your dance the whole way through then take a 30 seconds break and do it all again. This will help your fitness. You need to practice every day for at least 30 minutes. Try skipping and running. Running will help your stamina and skipping will help with your bounce. Great to chat with you. Let me know how it goes. Keeva the Dancing Diva

Frances Asks: do u know any excersises to try to turn ur feet out more?

Answer: All Irish dancers have to turn their feet out. It is one of the basics of Irish Dancers and lots of dancers have to work really hard at this. Remember, to turn out your feet you have to turn out your legs from the hips. Practice walking like a duck. If it becomes natural for you to turn out your feet even when you are walking, it will be much easier when you are dancing. Also, practice in front of a full length mirror so you can see your feet and make sure they are always turned out when dancing your steps. You also can wear you shoes on the wrong feet for a little while to get the feel of turning out your feet. I hope this helps. Let me know how you get on. Great to chat. Keeva the Dancing Diva

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