Feis Rules
Feis Rules
Competition Overview
The competitive year runs from September 1st through August 31st.
Dancers must re-qualify for Nationals each year.
All RTN-affiliated events are Open Platform, where dancers from any, or no, organization are eligible to enter.
The decision of the Feis Committee is final in all matters connected with the Feis.
Step Choreography
1. Teachers are urged to include traditional foot movements (such as rocks, drums, cross keys, etc) in their choreography.
2. Choreography must be appropriate for the competitive dance level.
3. No point or block movements - stationary or moving - are allowed to be performed until a dancer reaches the competitive age of 12 (as of January 1st) and the Prizewinner level or age 14 (as of January 1st) and the Novice level.
Teacher Certification
Starting August 1, 2021, all teachers must have a T.C.R.G. from an organization that has an examination program in order to enter dancers in Novice, Prizewinner, Preliminary or Champion competitions. This rule applies to any teacher wishing to enter students in competition at RTN events. Proof of certification may be required.
Teachers are not allowed to enter competitions.
Competitor Conduct and Responsibilities
1. A competitor may be disqualified for any of the following reasons
(a) Unsportsmanlike Conduct (including, but not limited to, blocking)
(b) Falsification of age or other important facts such as teaching, competition level, competing under another competitor's name or number, etc.
(c) Penalty for a or b: Competitor will be disqualified from the Feis and from all RTN-sanctioned Feiseanna and Championships for a period of one year beginning at the date of the occurrence.
(d) Failure to report on time to compete. (Penalty: disqualification from that dance/round.)
2. Competitions may be closed if there are no competitors at the assigned stage ready to compete when the competition is scheduled or announced. If a competitor has a stage conflict, the competition will be held until they finish their first event.
3. Competitions cannot be changed on the day of the Feis.
4. A competitor’s number must be worn and visible to adjudicators when performing in all solo competitions. One member of a team must wear a visible number identifying the team.
5. The Feis Committee and any organization affiliated with the feis and feis committee, will not be held responsible for personal injury, property loss or damage. Destruction of Feis property or rental property will be punishable by law.
Competitor Entries and Identification
1. It is the responsibility of the competitor and his/her teacher to carefully review the Feis syllabus and enter the correct age and level.
(a) It is NOT the responsibility of the Feis entry committee to carefully review each application for correctness in each category; however, a review of entries for Championship competitions and events may be implemented at the Feis Committee's discretion.
(b) Competitors who have entered in the wrong age group should notify the Feis committee as soon as the discrepancy is found.
(c) If the correct competition has already danced, the competition does not need to be reopened.
2. Competitors who are accepted by the Feis Committee must receive a competition card with their registration number on the front in a color and size large enough to be read from 20 feet away.
(a) The rear of the card must identify the dancer and competitions in which s/he is registered.
(b) The registration information should be available for pickup by either the competitor or teacher upon their entrance to the competition area, if it has not been sent in the mail prior to the day of the Feis.
3. The Feis reserves the right to reject any entry for any cause, to cancel all or part of the Feis, and to limit competitor’s performing time. Refunds must be given for competitions cancelled after payment has been received.
(a) Competitors must answer all questions as required by the Feis Entry committee and pay the entry fee when registering for the Feis. Failure to do so will result in a rejected entry.
4. Entries must be submitted on or before the closing date or they will be subject to a late fee.
5. Entrants cannot change competitions, categories or dances on the day of the competition.
6. Combining male and female dancers in any age category is left to the discretion of the Feis Organizer.
Details on Feis Organization
1. Musicians, adjudicators and tabulators cannot be approached during a competition by anyone except the Feis Committee. No one can approach them while a competitor is performing.
2. Musicians employed by the Feis Committee will be solely under the direction and management of the Feis Committee on Feis day.
3. Teachers or team captains are responsible that their teams are complete and in position when the competition is announced.
4. In matters pertaining to adjudication, the decision of the adjudicators is final.
5. Adjudicators are to monitor the quality of music at the stage(s) to which they are assigned.
6. Competitors will appear in competition in the order prescribed by the Feis Chairman.
7. Siblings should not perform directly against each other unless there are no other competitors in that competition and whenever possible dancers from the same school should not dance at the same time as each other.
8. Any event considered a Championship/Qualifying Event will require three adjudicators for events with 3 or more dances; one of these adjudicators must have experience adjudicating for an established Irish Dance organization.
Competition Dancing Order
Solo Dances: The stage worker will line up dancers prior to the side of the stage. At no time should any competitor names be used as this could influence the adjudicator. Dancers will form a straight line facing the adjudicator. When the adjudicator is ready, he/she will signal the musicians to commence playing.
After eight bars of music, the first two competitors on the adjudicator's left will commence dancing. The next two competitors in line will commence dancing after the previous competitors are finished (8 bars of music may be played in-between competitors if this has been previously specified). When all in line have finished and adjudicator rings the bell, the dancers will bow to the adjudicator(s) and walk off the stage.
Championship Events:
Competitors may draw rotation numbers for position prior to the start of the competition. Dancers remain in that position for all dances. Solo dances are performed two or three at a time, soft shoe dances first. For non-traditional set dances, each competitor the announce with inform the musician & adjudicator(s) the name of the dance and its metronomic speed. The adjudicator will signal the musician to begin playing and the competitor must start dancing after the introductory bars of music. Upon completion of the dance, the competitor will walk off the stage and the next competitor will walk on. A competitor will be disqualified if they are not in position to compete when their number is called.
Age Groups
1. A competitor's age will be determined by the age they will be on the date of the Feis.
(a) For dancers whose birthday falls on a feis day, their age shall be the age they are turning on that day.
2. Dancers will compete in their competitive age group. Age groups may be split or combined at the discretion of the feis host to create groups of a minimum of five competitors.
3. Suggested Age Groups (guidelines)
(a) Beginner: Under 6, Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, 16 and over, Adult
(b) Intermediate - Champion: Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, Under 18, 18 and over, Adult
4. Age groups can and should be either broken up into individual age groups if they are too large or combined into multiple age groups in order to achieve a minimum of five dancers in the majority of dances.
Solo Adjudication Rubric
1. Dancers receive a score of 0 – 100.
2. Ties may be broken by an official “call-back” by the adjudicator(s) concerned or duplicate awards may be given.
3. The same rules for solo dance advancement (one dance = one award) apply to a championship feis as well as a grade feis.
4. For Championship Events (multiple dances = one award), in age groups with 2 or more competitors the winner will level advance in all dances in that particular event.
Relative Ranking Scoring System
For the purposes of determining winners (and to even out the personal variations in adjudicator scores), ranking scores will be used for competitions with more than two adjudicators. Dancers will receive a ranking score for each round based on their placement by each adjudicator.
Complaint Procedure
Major complaints must be accompanied by a fee of $10 (grade feiseanna) or $15 (championships) and submitted within one hour after the occurrence to the Feis Chairperson. Money will be returned if the complaint is justified.
Major complaints must be concise, stating names and other factual information, and signed by the complainant.
Minor complaints at a Feis should be brought to the attention of the Feis Chairperson, to be solved immediately.
In the event a complaint cannot be resolved by the Feis Chairperson, it should be forwarded to the RTN Board of Directors to be discussed at the first meeting held after it is received.
Transfer of Students
1. Students who transfer from one Irish Dance school to another will be subject to a three month's suspension from competition except:
(a) When the original teacher's school has closed.
(b) The student moves a significant distance away from his/her original teacher.
(c) The student has not attended classes for at least one year.
(d) The new school is a new member of RTN (see #4 below)
2. College dancers who train at another school may remain students at their original school and are not subject to any suspension/penalties.
(a) These dancers may participate as team members of the training school providing written notice of agreement from both teachers is given to the Board of Directors.
3. Where two or more members are teaching a joint school and one or more of them decides to leave the class and terminate the relationship, the pupils of the school may remain with the original teacher (no suspension) or move to another member teacher (suspension rule applies).
(a) If the new school opens up within a 10 mile radius of the original school, there will be a six month suspension for dancers transferring to the new school for the first year of operation. After the one year anniversary of new school, students will follow standard suspension rules.
4. New Schools will be subject to a one year period where Inter-RTN transfer students will serve six month suspension. After one year, new students will serve 3 month suspension as normal following standard RTN Transfer rules.
5. Important: It is the responsibility of the new teacher to notify the Feis Committee of the need for suspension by submitting the official RTN transfer form on this site. Competition suspension will start the date indicated on the form. Teachers must fill out the form within 1 week of student transferring to the school.
6. Dancers who are under suspension may not enter into competitions until their suspension time period is over. Any dancer who enters and competes in a feis prior to the end of their suspension time period shall have their suspension time extended.