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I am a teenager. That means I know everything. Or at least I think I do. (This is according to my mother.) Anyway, since I know everything, I have opinions, and strong ones, and lots of them. So, let me step on to my soapbox for a moment.

Wigs

I love my wig. I would never ever ever go back to curling my hair. I got one because of the incident related in the 2001 Feis Diary for the Nationals, and also because at the Nationals it seemed like very, very few girls were not wearing wigs. I am now convinced that a good wig is a part of the champion look. However, I HATE bad wigs! And there are so many bad wigs out there! I would rather have my hair straight and down than wear some of them. I don't like wigs that are huge, especially for very little girls. In fact, very little girls usually look better with their own hair, anyway. So, I definitely recommend wigs for champions, but if you must get one, get a good one. The price is worth it.

Makeup

Makeup is a touchy issue. It can be good though. Do me a favor. Put a mirror on the wall of a long hallway. Now back up as far as you can. Do your features disappear? Probably, yes. This is why we wear makeup. Feiseanna don't have bright lighting, usually, but you do want to have eyes and lips from a distance. Gobs are bad. If your makeup routine includes either a shovel or a spatula, you're wearing too much. If it looks clownlike up close, that's too much. If it looks like a somewhat normal person wearing way too much makeup, that's about right. It's a fine line. Blush is good, as is lipstick, but you will get the most out of eye makeup. Windows to the soul and all that. Just please, moms, if your little daughters don't want it, don't make them. That's gross.

Glitzy Dresses

I like them. They're fun. You never know what you will like until you try it for yourself. I don't personally like neon or lace, but I'm all for glitter. And yes, they're not "traditional Celtic dress," but then again, I don't care.

Switching Schools

It should not be done lightly. At all. If you haven't been thinking about it for three months at least, you need to think about it longer. How will your teachers, friends, and fellow dancers take the news? How will you survive the suspension period? Six months is a long time to go without feising. It's obviously something to think long and hard about. However, this is not to say that it shouldn't be done. Dancers have a responsibility to conduct themselves in a professional and honest manner no matter what their decision, but their foremost responsibility is to themselves. If you are unhappy or unsatisfied, you should do what you can to improve the situation, whether this means discussing it with your teacher or seeking other options. Only you can make this decision, so think it through.

Starting Young

These days, teachers are accepting students as young as 2 or 3. They learn to dance practically as soon as they can walk. At this young age, can it really be their decision and their goals that motivates them to dance? Usually not. So why are parents signing them up? The same reason parents push young children to do anything: they want their kids to get a head start and become fabulous because of it. Psychological speculations aside, these kids do often have an edge if they stick with it and stay motivated once they're old enough to choose dance for themselves. They already have the basics at an age when most kids are just lacing up their first soft shoes. However, this doesn't mean they'll stay on top forever. Michael Flatley was considered old when he started at 11, but that certainly didn't seem to have stopped him. Personally, I think it's better to start kids when they're a bit older, like six or seven, because they they have more coordination and are more able to concentrate. If a young child is going to start, they should at the very least be in a class where they have no pressure and lots of patience.

Gossip/Politics

I don't think that it happens to the extreme measure that some people think it does. I just don't believe all the stories of corruption and such. But like any sport, Irish dancing does have its fair share of gossip and politics. It's human nature and should not be taken so seriously.