The Shiny Buckles

The come back Senior Lady - Open Champs -LOGQ-23rd Southern Region US, 57th North American Nationals

[theshinybuckles]

So another Oireachtas done. To say I’m not disappointed would be a lie. I wish I could say I was happy with both rounds, but crap happens. We learn, we mourn, we move on. I’ve learned a bit about how I need to prepare better for a hard shoe round (I always consider this my worst round) but I thought I had a fantastic second round (best slip jig of my life). And then I was one off from the recall. And while I want to mope, all the ladies I have met this year (and even friends I’ve had for a while) all comforted me, supported me, gave me such warmth and love and friendship - and I truly value that more than any medal or piece of paper. I’m so honored to be in the Senior Ladies. I can’t believe the amount of encouragement and hugs and I received from everyone. They are truly the best, and I am very blessed to have you all in my life. So proud of all your accomplishments Ladies, I look forward to seeing you all in Vancouver! 😘❤️❤️🍀🍀🍀 #irishdance #seniorladies #SRO2018 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq2r8pwgfbM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=k5l5e807oow0

[gingerlujka]

When students ask me what it’s like on a feis, I show them this :P

[pointtoesforwhat]

My favorite part is when the guy in the stripped shirt absolutely DIES. I am he.

[danceuntilyoucan]

Forever reblog.

[theshinybuckles]

Most accurate thing on this site.

[anightvaleintern-blog1]

So my therapist said something awhile back and it’s really stuck with me.

I was talking about the stupid things I had done in high school.  How the stories I wrote were stupid and how all I ever wanted to draw was anime shit (which was stupid) and how immature I could be, etc etc etc.

and she was like “Why are you so determined to beat up on Little Maggie?”

It took me off guard, I was like “what do you mean?”

“Why do you keep saying Little Maggie is stupid?  You say she was stupid and immature but wasn’t she just a teenager?  Do you not like who you were as a teenager?”

I shrugged and was like “I think teenage me was very creative and was probably just having fun and being a teenager…”

“So why beat up on her and call her stupid and embarrassing?”

“I dunno, because I guess now I’ve learned a lot.”

“But she was young.  She didn’t know.  I’m just telling you this because if you keep beating up on Little Maggie, you have to remember that she grows up to be you.  When you put bruises and scars on Little Maggie, you’re leaving all the healing for Big Maggie.  Your insecurity about who you were as a child is going to come through into your adulthood.  Be nice to Little Maggie.”

And I’d never really thought of that before?  It seems status quo to just… hate who you used to be for not knowing enough, but that’s totally illogical.  Of course a younger version of you doesn’t know what you know and can’t act with the wisdom that you act.

And even if Little Maggie was writing silly stories about her friends while ripping off anime and drawing her own “manga” and being immature and goofy, she was having fun, she was being creative, she was enjoying the things she liked and she wasn’t hurting anyone.

She’s part of my past and hating her is hating the foundation of who I eventually became.

Just food for thought.

[trinandtonic-deactivated2022102]

I almost recently have reblogged this before but please friggin read it

[fierceawakening]

This is why I really don’t like the whole “we all were cringy once.”

No. We all were growing up once, and it was terribly confusing.

[theshinybuckles]

I somehow placed today. I felt I did horribly. But looks like my irish blood was hot today. 8th place hard shoe medal round, 6th place soft shoe medal round. 8th place overall in 18&Over, with 19 overall competitors. I’m so ecstatic. This is the best I’ve ever placed at a Feis. #irishdance #seniorladies #rnhacademy https://www.instagram.com/p/BnwqQDTDJ5x/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=nfidvn3au22d

[theshinybuckles]

1.14km👉🏻1.34km👉🏻1.34km I neither lost nor gained speed endurance during my off season. And that makes me super happy/proud, because that means I maintained fitness and I can improve where I left off after the last Phase 2. This week was a tough week for me. Luckily I still feel quite fit (thanks RNH Academy!!) Getting back to dance class after a month off, I can definitely tell I’m closer to 30 than 20. My body didn’t forget how to dance, but it’s almost like I have to teach my muscles how to perform the way I want them to again. I feel heavier, though I didn’t gain weight, and I feel silly struggling with things that I didn’t have a problem with a month ago. But that’s one of the many challenges of being a super senior lady. But I welcome the challenge for I shall #prevail here’s to in season training! #irishdance #seniorladies #rnhacademy @laurenearly_rnh @mcavoyrobert

[posiviibes]

if someone is feeling upset, depressed or suicidal, can they talk to you? if yes, please reblog this so they know they can message you.

[theshinybuckles]

Decided to work on some mobility before class the other day; and this little guy decided to join me of his own volition. #irishdance #seniorladies #logq #logqraleigh @logqraleigh

[theshinybuckles]

Spread the word! Find this dress!!!

[maidmarians]

“It’s not about adding diversity for the sake of diversity, it’s about subtracting homogeneity for the sake of realism.” ― Mary Robinette Kowal

[theshinybuckles]

Seriously just wanted to watch this movie yesterday! I love this version!!! I watched it as a kid, and I just loved the singers and the colors and just literally everything.

[theshinybuckles]

I’m due for my pre-major break down at any second

The stress is getting reel; especially when a TC decides to tell you “I don’t like that lead, you should do something easier” or “I don’t like that piece doesn’t seem slip jig” or how that same piece was just changed on another dancer by the choreographer.

But at this point I haven’t practiced the easier lead in over 3 months, and I didn’t receive the change in the slip jig sooooo I’m just going to keep on keeping on.

But that deep cry cry needs to come because it releases so much emotion/tension lol.

[darcysreeler]

I hate changing steps once I’ve gotten used to them. I end up overthinking the step and end up splicing the steps together…never a pleasant experience.

You can do it, though! If it’s really worrying you in a couple days, and you really prefer the old lead, you should talk to your TC. 

[theshinybuckles]

@darcysreeler oh I’ve already decided to keep my harder lead. I think it’s just not her style (it’s our choreographers style).

And I do the same thing. It’s hard enough for me to concentrate on a lot of things much less change the muscle memory right now. So I’m just keeping what I have. I’m not expecting to recall anyways. So I don’t see where the harm is.

[theshinybuckles]

I’m due for my pre-major break down at any second

The stress is getting reel; especially when a TC decides to tell you “I don’t like that lead, you should do something easier” or “I don’t like that piece doesn’t seem slip jig” or how that same piece was just changed on another dancer by the choreographer.

But at this point I haven’t practiced the easier lead in over 3 months, and I didn’t receive the change in the slip jig sooooo I’m just going to keep on keeping on.

But that deep cry cry needs to come because it releases so much emotion/tension lol.

[theforce]

i was 14 and i was walking through a mall by myself at 12am after my shift at coldstone creamery lol and a bunch of men started whistling and meowing and getting really close to me and they kept asking me questions and i kept not answering until i didn’t know what else to do so i said “i’m only 14” and almost in unison they said “we don’t care” i was so fucking scared i didn’t know what to do and they kept talking about how i looked and how my body looked and what they would do i was on the verge of tears i was all alone in a huge mall i knew i couldn’t outrun them all i felt totally hopeless until a maintenance worker came up to all of us with a huge industrial broom in her hand, i thought she was going to yell at all of us for being in the mall after hours bc she probably thought we were all friends but instead she cursed all of them out in spanish, threatened to press a panic button on her belt and then proceeded to walk me to the basement garage and waited with me until my mom got there to pick me up she had a death grip on her cart the whole time and a face of steel she looked so strong and i just kept saying thank you and she kept saying not to thank her because she had to stop them.

that was the moment i realized women were the most important beings on this planet and we have to protect each other bc nobody else is going to, she didn’t even know me, we couldn’t even communicate that well because of the language barrier, she could have lost her job for waiting with me in the parking lot but she looked out for me when she didn’t have to, she had nothing to gain from it, i’m 21 now and i tell everyone this story even though it happened 7 years ago, what she did that night helped me form and shape lot of my beliefs early on. 

[actuallunalovegood]

i was at a grocery store really late one night and some old guy kind of eyed me as i walked out of the store next to this other lady. She and I made eye contact and i knew she was scared too. we loaded up our groceries into our cars as fast as possible and I had way more bags than her so she got done faster than me. I panicked because i was sure she was going to leave so i just hurried faster, shaking a little, and then i noticed she sat in her car, watching me and making sure nobody came near. She waited not until all my groceries were loaded, or until my cart was put away, or until I got into my car. No, she didn’t drive away until I drove away. 

And that was the moment that I realized how much women need other women. That we can’t win this war without each other and we have to be looking out for each other, every second. 

[ofgeography]

my last year in new york city, i got off the subway around 9 or 10p.m. i only lived about 5 blocks from the f train, but i hadn’t gotten more than two before a woman’s hand suddenly touched my arm. 

“that guy behind us is following you,” she said. “he was watching you leave the train car and followed you up.”

i hadn’t noticed him, or at least not noticed him following me. when we stopped outside a grocery store, he stopped half a block back and loitered. the woman linked her arm with mine and walked me several blocks out of her way to my front door and made sure i got inside safely.

another time, nocigar and i were walking home and at a stoplight a stranger grabbed my arm when i wouldn’t respond to him and tried to physically drag me over to him. she—who is, by the way, not a very physically imposing girl—ripped his hand off my arm and snarled, “don’t fucking touch her.”

protect your friends. protect strangers. there are good men in the world, but don’t wait for them to do something if you can do it yourself.

[edmundo-noches-buckley]

I was at a club once and my friend left with her boyfriend so I finished my drink and was heading out to the parking lot when three girls came up to me and basically surrounded me. 

“Those guys behind us were talking about following you. We can walk with you.” 

I have MMA training but have never in my life had been offered the protection and sanction of my own gender. This is so important. 

[stele3]

GIRL CODE. FUCKIN’ GIRL CODE. LEAVE NO GIRL BEHIND. EVER.

[rookiemag]

protect each other!!!

-naomi

[overraetedd]

This post is so important to me, this is something I would do and knowing that maybe one day someone would do this for me makes me truly feel loved. We as women have to love and watch out for each other. Please don’t tear each other down, lift one another up.

[theshinybuckles]

How I feel when I’m in the A split, and all my friends are in the B split for NANs. #irishdance #seniorladies #allbymyself

[funnydressesweirdhairanddance]

Don’t know if this is a thing elsewhere

but around here whenever there’s a male of the species participating in an Irish dance class (a new student) everyone’s like “have you heard, there’s a man in our class. OOOOH. I thought they were extinct. A dancing man. Everyone be careful, no sudden movements, we don’t want to scare him away.”

[historylvr77]

OPEN CHAMPION!!!!!!!! Hey everyone!! I finally did it! I achieved my last first and I am now on my way to Open! I’ve been waiting for this moment for ten years and it was a moment I thought I would never see. Last August, I said to myself that if I wanted to get into Open, I would need to get my act together and start working my bum off if I wanted to reach that goal. I’ve had many ups and downs and even when there were times when I wanted to punch a hole in the wall, I kept going. At 27, I made my dream of becoming an Open dancer a reality. It is possible! It all comes down to how badly you want it and how much are you willing to work for it. And most importantly, keep a positive attitude! Be proud of every small win and don’t get discourage if you fail. Failing is good because it only makes you better! Keep moving forward because a dream is a dream no matter how big or small. I believe in all of my Senior ladies on here and that I believe you are able to achieve what you dream for. Please don’t stop. The only person that can hold you back is yourself and let me tell you, there were many times that I would beat the crap out of myself and put myself down. But I never gave up. This chapter of my life is finally at an end and I am so happy for that because I get to begin a new chapter of my life and I can’t wait for this new adventure! Don’t stop believing. Don’t stop dreaming. Don’t stop fighting. Just don’t ever stop. Keep going. Peace and love everyone!  :)

[queenofthieves-blog]

              Very little has been written about the history of Irish dance costumes.  I was googling around last night and finally found the only good theses written on the topic.  If you are familiar at all with Irish dancing in the 21st  century, you may ask yourself why the costumes look so wack. Essentially nothing about the modern day solo costumes have anything to do with any irish design, production, nor handicrafts.  The newer looks not only reflect a vastly different mode of production than in the past (chinese production vs. cottage industry), but also a change of identity. Those who appreciate the newer designs, do so because they view the traditional velvet costumes, colors, and designs as a static and overly rigid interpretation of the irish tradition.         The Scottish highland dancing costume (pictured last, for comparison) (Yes, scottish dancing is a thing.) has been more preserved from the past, as has the kilt. Those dancers don’t wear wigs or fake tan. But anyways, what does that tiny dress you see Irish dancers today have in common with the past?  Irish dress & culture were actually banned in the 1500s. During the cultural revival of the late 19th century, the Gaelic League  and other cultural leaders wanted to revive & preserve what they saw as a disappearing indigenous Irish culture.  The “celtic costume” is the top image.  This was in vogue with Gaelic League members in the first two decades of the 20th century. Gaelic League leaders rejected an idealized peasant costume, but looked back to the pre-16th c. ancient past.  The “celtic costume” has fallen out of favor, but some aspects of the “celtic costume” + the scottish kilt were used to create the dress shape we see as institutionalized in the irish dance world since the 1950s.  Irish dance schools would have all their dancers dress in matching costumes.  Eventually production has moved offshore, materials and modes of production and styles have changed.  It’s a universal story you all know.   I understand that people can be sick of the past and want to change, or have room to express themselves.  But personally, all those garish designs and colors mortify me.  Today the Irish dancers get made up like pageant girls.  They even all have spray tans.  Which seems crazy, because if you are representing irish culture…shouldn’t you be okay with your pale skin? 

[petitebeast]

OK, I just really cannot stand the “Irish dancers shouldn’t tan because Irish people are pale” argument, and it’s not because I’m pro-spray tan.  TBH I think a lot of dancers go way overboard with it, but that’s just my aesthetic taste.  Anyway, the “but Irish people are pale” argument is problematic:

-You’re saying that paleness is directly related with Irishness.  Many Irish people are pale, but not all.

-You’re implying that dancers must have a certain amount of “irishness,” and this is a global sport where all ethnicities SHOULD feel welcome. 

-I’m not meaning to imply by any stretch of the imagination that tan is anhything like the skin color one is born with, but it’s not to big of a logical jump for a reader to see “pale = good” as “dark = bad” as “pale dancers look better even if one’s skin is naturally dark”

-You don’t even acknowledge the perfectly valid reasons why many dancers do tan (muscle tone, legs showing up on stage, hiding the bruises where they kicked themselves…)

[itstimefor-succotash]

Just telling you now, you done kicked a hornet’s nest here…

First off, I totally agree with suchdancewow above because with Ireland being part of the EU and welcoming immigrants from all over the world, the whole Irish = white equation doesn’t make sense.  There are girls in my dance class in the US whose mom is born-in-Ireland Irish and are nonwhite.  People think I do Irish dancing because I’m Irish since I have red hair, but I’m not Irish at all and the majority of my heritage comes from Mexico.

Secondly, I’m not really sure where you got your facts but I have never heard of an Irish dancing dress that came from an overseas factory.  Irish dance dresses are still custom made, on demand, by dressmakers living in Ireland, Canada, Australia, the US, etc.  If you’re talking about the production of fabrics, I’m pretty certain highland dancers don’t get the velvet for their costumes from a little old lady in Glasgow.  (Highland dancers also can’t wear jewelry and have basically one style of hair to choose from—not from tradition, but because their style of dance was highly influenced by ballet.  In a way, Highland is a fusion form of dance as well.)

Thirdly, you’re using examples of “garish” costumes from 2008.  Leaving aside the obviously judgy tone of your source and the fact that the picture was chosen specifically to shock, Irish dance fashion moves at an even more rapid pace than mainstream fashion.  Traditional designs with modern cuts is the name of the game right now.  The knotwork and soft skirt designs from the 1950′s are present in the dresses coming out in 2015.  It’d be like taking a picture of hammer pants and platform shoes and talking about how fashion today is so decadent.

Irish dance is a living art form. It could have been frozen in time forever like Highland, but it wasn’t.  Just like the Irish language has had to adapt by adding words for telephone and email, Irish dancing steps, costumes and warmup methods have adapted to fit the times.  I draw the opposite conclusion from the information given above. There has never really been a “traditional” Irish costume; because Irish culture was suppressed for so long, the “traditional” costume came less than a century ago.  It’s continued to live, grow and is influenced by Irish dressmakers, teachers and dancers today.  Can’t that just be a fact instead of making value judgments over whether that’s good or “bad”?

Source: my 15 years in the dance community and degree in Irish studies.

[theorangerogue]

turntheblanket thank you for your perfect answer to this post

[theshinybuckles]

[theshinybuckles]

Irish Dance Rages

Getting air outside the hot muggy dance room. We rent space from a contemporary/ballet/acro all genre dance studio. Dance mom walks up with her kid and says “oh look tap class” and I politely told her “nope, this is irish step dance” and then she replies “oh but they’re just doing tap moves.”

Post your Irish Dance rage below!