1. i decided to teach my slip jig first step to my uni society class on sunday, not because iâm going to let them perform it anywhere (that would be stealing choreo) but because it was a tiny class and i thought teaching it would help me to learn the steps, as i couldnât make them stick in my head. it worked! mostly. sent a video of my practice today to my teacher and she said the steps are right but the timingâs off, so sheâs going to send it to me.Â
2. actually did a proper intense practice session today for the first time in ages, because i wasnât well last week and i have an arrangement with my flatmates only to practise in shoes on wednesday afternoons. i filmed myself and noticed that my right arm is a disaster, as ever. conclusions: i need to practise the light jig just to make sure i donât autopilot to the cuids one on stage; also need to practise the hop jig because i keep randomly forgetting it. slip jig needs work but i think itâs gonna be there? reel is hard to tell... i just donât have space in my room to do it.
3. and then thereâs the heavy jig. this is the hardest one to practise because i only have a tiny piece of practice floor where iâm allowed to use hard shoes so i canât actually do the whole dance in shoes. in sneakers, iâve kind of got it, but need to work on timing. the feis in march is only 32 bars for grades, so theoretically i only do one of my steps; iâm debating doing the last step instead of the first step because i like it better, but my teacher thinks i should do the first one, so i have to practise it. sneakers are also lighter so i can actually do all the moves. in hard shoes, i cannot. i donât know if iâm going to be able to get a room to practise in properly between now and the feis, so that could be... interesting.
4. i now have my costume! i have a navy shirt and trousers to match the blue embroidery on the waistcoat, and a white silk tie that matches the rest of the waistcoat. i just have to figure out what to do about socks. also, in this waistcoat i can probably pass as a 16-year-old boy (since itâs 16&O and mixed for grades), which should delay questions about why iâm wearing trousers and instead result in questions about why iâm doing the slip jig, which are probably easier to answer? maybe? i need to cut my hair. itâs gone all fluffy again
5. anyway itâs happening. there are... five and a half weeks to go? i think? who knows. have to get through swan lake first anywayÂ
