Syllabus

Festival Dance Teachers Association

Festival Irish Dancing in Northern Ireland

SYLLABUS RULES 2008 - 2009

1. Entries accepted only from Teachers registered with the FDTA

2. Age to be reckoned at 1 January of that year.

3. All School entries must be received by the Secretary on official forms, together with a post-dated cheque for total fees made payable to the FDTA, by the closing date. Two day’s grace will be allowed after this date, thereafter entries will be returned to sender and competitors will not be eligible to dance. Late entries will only be accepted on the day at an FDTA Festival if the School already has an entry with the Secretary by the closing date.

4. At all Festivals organised by the FDTA, competitors may dance “local” at only one Festival. Each Festival will decide whether or not to have confined classes.

5. The Reels, Any Light Jig and Treble Jig / Hornpipe classes are to be split into three sections as follows:

A NPW - Reel, Any Light Jig and Treble Jig / Hornpipe.

B INTERMEDIATE - Reel, Any Light Jig and Treble Jig / Hornpipe

For those competitors who have been placed 1st or 2nd in the respective NPW class.

C. UPPER - Reel, Any Light Jig and Treble Jig / Hornpipe.

For those placed 1st or 2nd in the respective Intermediate class. Only the competitors in the Upper Treble Jig / Hornpipe class will be eligible to dance the Championship class.

D. Under 6 Years - In Non FDTA festivals a child who wins 1st or 2nd in an Under 6 Years open class moves to intermediate.

1st, 2nd and 3rd places may be awarded in the NPW and Intermediate Treble Jig / Hornpipe classes. (Adjudicators will be informed that these classes cannot be split). Adjudicators may use their own discretion on whether or not to split the upper Treble Jig / Hornpipe classes.

6. The following rules regarding Championship dancing are as follows:-

A. Competitors for the Ulster Championship may only qualify at an FDTA Festival. A minimum of 6 places, up to a maximum of 10 places in a Championship may be awarded and these competitors will qualify for the Ulster Championships. Ties will be allowed.

B. There will be no Championship Under 7 Years at any FDTA Festival. A set Dance class in this age group will be open to competitors who are 1st or 2nd PW’s in Light Dancing only.

C. A Competitor in the Under 7 age group wishing to qualify for the Ulster Championships must move up and compete in the Under 8 Championship at an FDTA Festival. To be eligible an Under 7 dancer must be a 1st or 2nd PW in Light dancing and must also have attained a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in an Open Heavy Jig class in their own age group. These competitors can dance in the Set Dance class and the U8 Championship class at the same Festival.

D. At any FDTA Festival a dancer must have competed in two solo classes to be eligible for the Championship.

E. Placings in Championships at Festivals outside the FDTA will not be counted. Under 7 Years will remain as an Open Heavy Jig class.

7. NPW classes are confined to non 1st and 2nd PW’s in solo dancing, except boys and novice classes at any Festival, prior to entry for this Festival. A dancer being a PW in Heavy Dancing does not eliminate them from the NPW Light Dancing.

8. If a Dancer who is NPW competes in a Championship at any non-FDTA Festival, then they must forfeit NPW status and dance PW at all future Festivals.

9. If there are less than 10 competitors entered for a Championship at a Festival, then the age group can be amalgamated.

Example: 13 - 14 Years and 14 - 15 Years can become 13 - 15 Years for Championship.

10. Solo dancers may dance only in their own age group.

11. A. Couples and Three Hand Dances. From Under 7 Years up to 10 - 11 Years there will be a couples and Three Hand Class in each age group. Pupils are restricted to dance only one or other of these classes and at least one person must be in the age group. From 11 - 12 Years pupils may compete in both a Couples and Three Hand class.

B. Children can dance a couples in one age group and then dance up in an age group to accommodate an older child. A child can dance a maximum of two couples dances.

12. In Team Dancing a competitor may only dance twice in the age group (either twice in Standard teams or twice in Original teams or once in each class). In Senior classes competitors may dance twice in each. A competitor may not repeat the same dance within the age group.

13. A dancer must only compete in teams for their own school, except on the day of a Festival when they may fill in for another school, but must wear their own School Costume. Pupils who have already danced twice for their own School may not be used. This Rule will not apply at the Ulster Championships, where no substitutes from other Schools will be allowed.

14. No dancer may compete in a lower age group in team dancing.

15. A Novice Dancer is someone who has not competed Solo in any other competition other than their own Class Festival.

16. Dance Drama. Ulster Championships only. Open age. 15 minutes maximum stage time allowed. Only one team per School.

17. Adult Classes: Competitors may only dance twice and must be over the age of 18 years.

18. Props may not be used in original team dancing. (A prop is considered to be anything over and above the dancers clothing). NB: Hats will be considered as a prop.

19. Adjudicators decision at any FDTA Festival is final.

20. Musicians may not be approached by dancers or their parents during the Festival. Teachers only please.

We have included our Syllabus Rules which all members must adhere to.

Scroll down for our current syllabus.