Major Competitions

The major competitions in Irish dance are many: namely regional Oireachtasi, National Championships, and World Championships.

Oireachtas
In the United States, the Irish dancing community is divided into five regions – Mid-Atlantic region, New England Region, Southern Region, Western Region, and Mid-America region.

Each region holds an Oireachtas in November or December within its respective area. For example, my school is in the Mid-Atlantic region and our Oireachtas is the weekend of Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania. The Oireachtas are open to any prizewinner or championship-level dancer, although it is usually the discretion of the teachers as to what students are able to compete.

Oireachtasi feature solo, ceili, figure dancing, and dance drama competitions. (Figure dancing is similar to ceili dancing except there are more than 8 dancers and the school choreographs the dance. Dance dramas are choreographed by the school and have elaborate costumes and backdrops. The dances have to tell a story.)

The top 10% of dancers in each solo competition qualifies for the World Championships.

National Championships
The North American Irish Dance Championships, or North American Nationals, are the national championships for the United States and Canada. Dancers from around the world travel to whatever city is hosting this event. It is another competition in which dancers can qualify for the world championships.

Both ceili and solo dancing is done at the Nationals. Again, the top percentage of solo dancers will qualify for the world championships.

There are also the Great Britain, All-Ireland, and All-Scotland Championships. These are the national championships for their respective countries. Like the North American Nationals, they are open to dancers from around the world.

World Championships
The World Championships of Irish dance, or Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne in Gaelic, is the most prestigious competition in Irish dancing. The Worlds are held in cities of countries where Irish dancing is most prominent. These cities include Belfast, Northern Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; Killarney, Ireland; and in 2009 they will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (the first time the World Championships will be held outside of Europe).

Sources
Carr, Darrah. (2001). Irish Dancers' Winning Ways - Oireachtas Irish dance competitions. Retrieved March 24, 2008 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1083/is_3_75/ai_70926841

Friend, Pat. (2001). An Irish Feis – Competition in Dance. Retrieved March 24, 2008 from http://allaboutirish.com/library/dance/feis.shtm