CRN PRACTICE VIDEOS

CRN DANCE PRACTICE VIDEOS

Just in time for Canada Féile practice, all of the CRN Competitive Dances Level 1 - 3 plus Traditional Sets are now available in the MEMBERS AREA of our website.  OR....SEE DIRECT LINKS BELOW!

CRN SOLO Dances are used for our Recreational, Competitive and Performance Division students and are a great tool for dancers to practice with at home!

CRN DANCE VIDEOS

• Instructional videos are for McConnell School of Dance student's practice purposes only and should not be shared or posted on social media.
• Styles vary from school to school and region to region.  Dancers are advised to follow their teacher's instruction with regards to stylistic differences they may see in the videos.  
• These are helpful practise tools to be used in combination with in-class instruction from your teacher.

CRN VIDEO YOUTUBE LINKS

LEVEL 1 - BUNGHRÁD 

REEL   SLIP JIG   SINGLE JIG    LIGHT JIG

LEVEL 2 - ÚLLMHUCHÁN

REEL   SLIP JIG    SINGLE JIG    HORNPIPE    HEAVY JIG

LEVEL 3 - MEANGHRÁD

REEL    SLIP JIG     SINGLE JIG    HORNPIPE    HEAVY JIG

TRADITIONAL SETS

ST. PATRICK'S    HUMOURS OF BANDON   JOB OF JOURNEYWORK    WHITE BLANKET    BLACKBIRD   GARDEN OF DAISYS

WHY ONLY LEVELS 1 - 3 AND TRADITIONAL SETS?

CRN Solo Dances for Level 1 - 3 are standardised steps for all CRN Competitive Dancers, along with the 5 Traditional Set Dances (St. Patrick's Day, Humours of Bandon, Job Of Journeywork, White Black, Job of Journeywork, Blackbird, and Garden of Daisys)

Levels 4 & 5 and Contemporary Set Dances are unique dances choreographed by each teacher and specific to their school or students.  These dances are original works by the teacher and videos are not shared or published for copyright reasons. 

• Level 4 & 5 dances, along with Contemporary Set Dances are learned in class only and are not to be performed or competed without the expressed consent of the teacher.

PRACTICE GUIDE FOR DANCERS

Irish Dance progress is directly affected by focus and effort in class and practice time at home. 

• Practicing with music makes a difference!  Irish dance music is timed accurately we encourage dancers to use the practice music to held develop their rhythm and timing.
• Wear your shoes when practising at home, it's safer and it improves your skill and technique, especially for hard shoe dancing.
• Remember to warm up and stretch well before every practice.  Don’t forget to cool down.  
• To increase flexibility, dancers should spend at least 10 minutes a day stretching. 

RECOMMENDED PRACTISE TIME

Not including warm up and cool down

• Preschool / Beginner - 15 min  (3 - 5 times / week)
• Novice / Preliminary - 20 mins (3 - 5 times / week)
• Intermediate / Advanced -  30 min (3 - 5 times / week)
• Performance Division -  30 mins (5 - 7 times / week)
• Adult -30 mins (3 - 5 times / week)

HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING UP?

Consider Private Lessons

If a dancer is struggling or falling behind their class, sometimes an extra hour or two of private lessons is the easiest and fastest way for a student to catch up.

Private lessons are a great idea for parents who would like to learn the basic steps and technique to assist their child with at-home practice.

PRIVATE LESSON SIGN UP

SUPPORTING YOUR DANCER - INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

• Some children have a natural drive to practice on their own. These dancers need only support and encouragement to continue with their good practice habits.   
• Some dancers desire to progress with their dancing but have trouble understanding how to fit practice time into their day. These children often need help from their parents to set out a weekly practice plan and stick to it. Quite often, after a month or two of help and support, these children can learn to practice diligently on their own to achieve their goals.  
• It is important to discover what your child's practice style is and compare that with what their goals are for their dancing. As an Irish dance parent, your most important role is to accept the character type of your child and do your best to be supportive of them and the decisions they make regarding their Irish dance. 
• Offer encouragement, especially when your child may be struggling.
• Please do not use punishment and withdrawal of love, affection and warmth to get your children to try harder or perform better.
• If you child falls behind, please work with the instructors to determine a realistic goal for the dancer to achieve. It is essential that we have the full support from parents, especially when a child is struggling.
• Avoid criticising your child's practice or performance. 
• Avoid criticising other dancer’s in practice or performance. Always be a positive role model for your dancer.
• Do not get upset or treat your child differently when they make a mistake.
• Stick to your parental role. Avoid trying to be your child's coach or teacher (i.e. becoming too involved in steps or technique, etc).

If you have any questions regarding the CRN Competitive Dances, please contact Shayleen  info@mcconnelldancers.com or 204-793-8557

Thank you,

Shayleen McConnell Finucan (TMCRN)