Levels & Speeds
Grade Feiseanna
Grade Levels
All non-set dances are 32 bars unless otherwise noted.
Tir na nOg (optional): Dancers through competitive age 6; competition is not scored. These dancers may also enter beginner.
Reel (124) - 16 bars
Light Jig (116) - 16 bars
Beginner (will be counted in):
Reel 124
Light Jig 116
Slip Jig 124
Single Jig 124
Treble Jig 92 - 16 bars
Intermediate (counted in up to age 10):
Reel 113
Light Jig 116
Slip Jig 113
Single Jig 120/124
Treble Jig 92
Hornpipe 138
St Patrick's Day 94
Novice:
NB: Novice is the level that is omitted in organizations with 4 levels. RTN recommends its Novice dancers enter the 3rd proficiently level when competing in feiseanna run by these organizations.
Reel 113
Slip Jig 113
Single Jig 120
Treble Jig 73
Hornpipe 113
Trad Sets - Jockey to the Fair 92 or Blackbird 144
Treble Reel 118 - 1 step (16 bars), danced 1 at a time
Prizewinner:
Reel 113
Slip Jig 113
Single Jig 120
Treble Jig 73
Hornpipe 113
Trad Sets - Three Sea Captains 96 or Job of the Journeywork 138
Treble Reel 118 - 1 step (16 bars), danced 1 at a time
Champion:
Reel 113 - 40 bars
Slip Jig 113
Single Jig 120
Treble Jig 73
Hornpipe 113
Traditional Sets - Garden of Daisies 138, King of the Fairies 130, White Blanket 138 (Starting with there 2023-24 dance year 5 parts of St. Patrick’s Day and Blackbird will no longer be offered at Champion level)
Treble Reel 118 - 1 step (16 bars), danced 1 at a time
Event - soft shoe, hard shoe, non-trad set of choice (must be contrasting tempo to hard shoe round--see set list)
Champion dancers must provide their own dongle for set dance music being played on a bluetooth device.
Adult Open (optional): age 21 & over, dancers at all levels compete together when possible. (Adults may enter either Adult Open or leveled solo competitions but they may not enter both categories at the same event.)
Traditional Set Dances
Treble Jig Sets
Three Sea Captains (96)
St. Patrick's Day (94)
Jockey to the Fair (92)
Hornpipe Sets
White Blanket (138)
King of the Fairies (130)
Job of the Journeywork (138)
Blackbird (144)
Garden of Daises (138)
Traditional set dances in championship feiseanna events switch off each year, done in contrasting tempos to the Hard Shoe round.
Champion will rotate in order:
White Blanket 2023-24
Garden of Daisies 2024-2025
King of the Fairies 2025-2026
CLICK HERE FOR SET DANCE LIST (PDF)
Championships
A championship event is where a dancer receives one score for a combination of dances.
Recalls for the final round (Inter & up) may be held in events with over 10 dancers; 50% of the competition will recall.
Nationals is the only RTN Championship dancers need to qualify for each year.
Levels & Dances
Beginner - Reel & Light Jig
Intermediate - Reel, Light Jig, Treble Jig
Novice & Prizewinner - Soft Shoe, Hard Shoe, Trad Set
Preliminary Champion - Reel (32 bars), Non-Trad Set [special category for Championship Events]
Champion - Soft Shoe, Hard Shoe, Trad Set (may be offered as a separate event), Non-Trad Set of contrasting tempo
**Champion and Preliminary dancers must provide their own dongle for set dance music being played on a bluetooth device.
The Soft & Hard Shoe Rounds for Championships switch each year (Sept 1 - Aug 31). Reels are paired with Hornpipes and Slip Jigs are done in the same year as Treble Jigs.
All non-set dance rounds (steps) are 32 bars, except Champion Reels, which are 40 bars. A Grade Feis may be offered in conjunction with a Championship. See above for those dances.
NB: Novice is the level that is omitted in organizations with 4 levels. RTN recommends its Novice dancers enter the 3rd proficiently level when competing in feiseanna run by these organizations.
Qualifying for Nationals 2020 & beyond
The feis year runs from September 1st through August 31st. Dancers must participate in qualifiers starting in the new feis year (i.e. starting in September 2021 for the 2022 Nationals).
The level a dancer is as of March 1st is their qualifying requirements. (If an Intermediate dancer moves up to the Novice Event prior to March 1st, they will have to dance in 1 Championship and 3 grade feiseanna to qualify for Nationals.)
RTN Dancers:
Beginner & Intermediate - must attend 2 RTN feiseanna
Novice, Prizewinner & Champion - must attend 1 RTN Championship and 3 RTN feiseanna
CRDM Dancers:
Beginner & Intermediate - must attend 2 RTN or CRDM feiseanna
Novice, Prizewinner & Champion - must attend 1 RTN or CRDM Championship and 3 RTN or CRDM feiseanna
Other Organizations:
Beginner & Intermediate - must attend 2 RTN feiseanna*
Novice, Prizewinner & Champion - must attend 1 RTN Championship and 3 feiseanna*
*Dancers who live outside of RTN's regions may contact RTN via email to discuss live events that may qualify a dancer for Nationals; attending a qualifying championship is required for all Novice - Champion level dancers regardless of location.
2023-2024
Champion: Reel, White Blanket
Prizewinner: Slip Jig, Treble Jig, Job of the Journeywork
Novice: Slip Jig, Treble Jig, Blackbird
2024-2025
Champion: Slip Jig, Garden of Daisies(**Please note: boys are required to dance slip jig at champion level)
Prizewinner: Reel, Hornpipe, Three Sea Captains
Novice: Reel, Hornpipe, Jockey to the Fair
2025-2026
Champion: Reel, King of the Fairies
Prizewinner: Slip Jig, Treble Jig, Job of the Journeywork
Novice: Slip Jig, Treble Jig, Blackbird
Level Progression
Dancers who advance in one dance must dance up in the next level in that dance within eight weeks of their advancement win. Failure to do so may result in a suspension from competition.
Beginner & Intermediate
Beginner and Intermediate must win first place in competitions with five or more competitors to advance to next proficiency level. If there are less than 5 dancers in the competition, they must win first place two times.
Beginners who place second or third in a competition with five or more dancers may advance to the next level in that dance, per their teachers' discretion.
Novice & Prizewinner
Novice and Prizewinner must win two first places to advance to next proficiency level.
Preliminary Champion
Only dancers who have not won first place in a champion event (one where a non-traditional set dance is done) may dance in Prelim. Once a dancer wins in Prelim or Champion, they are no longer eligible to compete in this category, no matter the number of adjudicators or competitors.
Championships
A dancer who wins first place in a championship event with 5 or more competitors will advance to the next level in all of those dances that were performed for that event.
Beginners will move to the Intermediate Event when they have placed out of Reel and Light Jig in Grade Feiseanna OR when they win a Championship Event,
Dancers who are split between Intermediate & Novice may compete in Intermediate if 1) they do not have slow speed steps at the tempo offered for that year (ie, they have not yet placed out of that dance in Intermediate); and 2) they have not yet won an Intermediate Event.
For Novice, Prizewinner & Champion dancers, the majority rules: Dancers will dance at the level where they have the majority of the Event dances offered.
Novice & Prizewinner will advance in Event dances where there are 5 or more competitors even if it is their first win in a dance.
Non-RTN dancers:
Level advancement earned in other live feiseanna will be honored at RTN. Proof of the dancer’s ranking (ex. Score sheet, podium photograph) maybe be required. See the "Op Orgs" doc for corresponding levels in RTN.
Group Dances
See the Solo & Group Dance Rules page for more information.
Figure Dances
2 & 3 Hand Reels (113) or Light Jigs (115). 48 bars of dancing.
Ceilis
4, 6 or 8 Hand Ceili dances
Freestyle
Small & Large Group Freestyle