More Hotel Rooms for 2013 NAN's in Anaheim

Sheraton Anaheim (photo from Google Images)

Nora has received the following information regarding hotel accommodations for the 2013 North American Championships in Anaheim in July:

Additional rooms for the 2013 Nationals have been contracted at the Sheraton Park Hotel, 1855 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92802 (within walking distance of the Anaheim Hilton).

The room rate remains the same at all three hotels - $150 per night plus taxes for single, double, triple or quad occupancy.

Reservations may be made by calling toll free 1-866-837-4197 or by using this link:
https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=1301310512&key=41043

Birthday Bumps for Sarah

As is tradition at NPIDA, Sarah's classmates gave her the "birthday bumps" earlier this week in class! Thank you to Nicole for submitting these photos.

Good Luck in Glasgow Gemma!

Gemma at the 2012 Oireachtas
Photo by Cheryl Galdert

Gemma K is travelling to Glasgow Scotland today with her mom Kelly-Erin, to compete in the 2013 All Scotland Championships. Gemma will be dancing this weekend, and following the competition she and Kelly-Erin will be travelling to the Orkney Islands, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

Good luck Gemma and enjoy your trip to Scotland!

Congratulations Margaret!

Margaret's graduation, February 2013

We would like to congratulate NPIDA alumnus Margaret E on her recent graduation from a Masters program in Bristol, England! Margaret is the first NPIDA dancer to obtain a Masters degree; congratulations on this significant achievement, Margaret!

In Margaret's own words:

I earned a Masters with Distinction in Archaeology from the University of Bristol. I focused on how archaeological research can benefit from digital media and new technologies. Additionally, I explored how archaeology can be better communicated to a broader audience, resulting in greater engagement with the general public.

For my dissertation, I argued the importance and value of 20th century conflict archaeology. Despite the great volume of archival footage and first-hand accounts, there remain many inaccuracies and secrets that archaeological research can uncover.

Margaret graduated from UBC in 2010, and in October 2011 began graduate studies at the University of Bristol. She completed her Masters in Archaeology in October 2012 and returned to Bristol earlier this month to attend her graduation ceremonies.

Margaret is currently living and working back in Richmond, and hopes to return to the UK in the future for either work or further education in archaeology.

You can read about Margaret's UBC graduation here:
http://dontcrossthepickettline.blogspot.ca/2010/06/congratulations-margaret-ubc-grad.html

Your 2013 EBIDS Board of Directors!

2013 EBIDS Board Members
Sue, Jennifer, Kelly, Andrea, Christina, Nicole and Gillian
Absent from photo: Connie and Carolyn

At the AGM held on Saturday at the NPIDA studio, the following parents were nominated to the 2013 Board of Directors of the Eire Born Irish Dance Society (EBIDS).

Christina M (mom of Thea)
Connie G (mom of Shannon and Morgan)
Jennifer M (mom of Anna and Emma)
Andrea C (mom of Mackenzie and Camryn)
Carolyn A (mom of Catharine)
Sue M-T (mom of Jadyn)
Kelly S (mom of Laurel)
Nicole D (mom of Jayne and Katelyn)
Gillian S (mom of Megan)

A big thank you to continuing Board members Christina, Connie, Jennifer, Andrea, Carolyn, Sue and Kelly for your tireless dedication, and a warm welcome to new Board members Nicole and Gillian!
We would also like to acknowledge and thank retiring EBIDS Board member Jay D for his long service as Treasurer!

If you would like any information on what was shared or approved at the AGM, you can contact Christina at ckmedATjdmed.com; or speak to any other Board member.

Following the AGM there was a question-and-answer session with Pat about the Pat McAndless Award for Excellence. Reminder: 2 more meetings with Pat will take place:
- Monday February 18 (tonight!) at the ballroom, 8:45pm.
- Tuesday February 19 at the NPIDA studio in North Van, 8:30pm.

More Photos: Eire Born Gets "KISSed"

Gene Simmons puts his sunglasses on Jadyn

Left to right: Emma H, Aishlin, Gemma, Emma Hib, Gene Simmons,
Camryn, Mackenzie, Laurel, Emma. Kneeling: Jadyn and Megan

Thank you to Sue for sending these photos taken at the River Rock on Friday night, where Eire Born encountered Gene Simmons of the band KISS. (See prior photos from Kim directly below).

Eire Born Gets "KISSed"!

 

Eire Born dancers with Gene Simmons at the River Rock
Cara, Emma H, Aishlin, Gemma, Emma Hib, Camryn,
Laurel, Emma B, Catharine, Anna and Kyla
Front: Jadyn and Megan

Eire Born parents Sue, Kim, Andrea and Kelly-Erin
with Gene Simmons and his wife Shannon

 

Josie and Kyla

Eire Born performed at a Chinese New Year event at the River Rock Theatre in Richmond on Friday night. Thanks to all the dancers, sound crew, Courtney and parents!

The dancers and parents spotted Gene Simmons of the band KISS, along with his wife Shannon, and captured these pictures. Thank you to Kim for submitting these photos.

AGM is Today!

The EBIDS Annual General Meeting takes place today at the NPIDA studio from 3:00-5:00PM.

Dress for Sale (#2013-7) *PRICE REDUCED*

Information about this dress from the owner:

White solo dress made by Hannah P of Flying Colours Dancewear, approximately 1 year old. Dress fits slim 10-13 year old.

PRICE REDUCED TO $500.

Please contact Leanne at leannearmstrongATshaw.ca (please replace AT with @).

Dress For Sale (#2013-6) *PRICE REDUCED!*

Information about this dress from the owner:

Stunning black velvet Loretta dress. Second owner, smoke free home, perfect first solo dress. Comes with a new tiara and silver flower as well as extra diamonds.

In good condition, minimal let out. For a 10 to 12 year old; can be taken in.

PRICE REDUCED TO $350 obo.

Contact Daina at dainab67ATgmail.com (please replace AT with @).

EBIDS Penny Drive

Photo from Google Images

Now that Canadian pennies are being officially phased out, EBIDS would like you to consider donating your pennies to their latest fundraising effort: a Penny Drive! Collection jars will be at both the North Vancouver NPIDA studio and the ballroom in Richmond. Any amounts are welcome!

Dress For Sale (#2013-5) **SOLD**

 

THIS DRESS HAS SOLD!

 

Information about this dress from the owner:

 

Beautiful modern dress by Flying Colours Dancewear. Neon pink, neon orange and black twinkle satin. Asymmetrical swoopy design with decorative stitching  and lots of rhinestones. Very light and easy to dance in.

 

Dress is less than 2 years old and was made for 2011 Worlds. Very good condition. Stored flat and comes from a smoke free home. Includes matching headband and bloomers, as well as extra rhinestones.

 

Dress currently worn by a petite 12 year old. Dress has been taken out to the max to accommodate growth spurts. It was originally made 2 sizes smaller and can easily be altered to fit anywhere from a size 8-12 year old.Asking $950 O.B.O.

 

Please contact Josee at mjbayersAThotmail.com (please replace AT with @).

PMAE Application Deadline is March 1

EBIDS would like to remind NPIDA dancers that the application deadline for the Pat McAndless Award for Excellence is March 1.

Please refer to the application form and detailed instructions which were e-mailed to all NPIDA families on September 19, 2012. PMAE applicants must currently be a registered dancer with NPIDA, be age 10+, and be currently enrolled in elementary, secondary or post-secondary school.

Please see the message below from Christina M, chair of EBIDS:

Dear Dancers:

 

Just a reminder that the Pat McAndless Award for Excellence is due NO LATER than Friday, March 1 at 5pm as per the application form.

 

Due Date Details: We want to fair to everyone, so please if you are not dancing on Friday or start later than 5:00 pm – get them in on Thursday! There will be drop off capabilities with both Christine in Richmond and Carrie in North Van. Please review the submission instructions carefully.

 

Reference Letters: Please do not leave it until the week of the due date to request your 3 reference letters (Academic, Community Service and Dance Teacher). Imagine if Nora receives 20 requests in the last week! All reference letters should be provided back to you in a sealed envelope, which you will then include in your submission as per the instructions.

 

Your submission: Take the time to read over the application. You might want some time to think about your goals and your dreams in Irish Dance! Remember – the committee members will not know you – so just speak from the heart.

 

Community Service: This section is about volunteering, not listing any paid work. If you have any questions, please come to the information meeting on February 16, immediately following the AGM with Pat. He has been receiving lots of texts and would appreciate answering all questions in the meeting. 

 

If you would like to attend a meeting on another date contact Carrie at the NPIDA studio  (infoATeireborn.net, 778-340-5323) as she is helping to organize two other meetings in the same week.

 

Committee Review: We are currently receiving names of great candidates (it's not too late if you want to forward a name to us) to form a small committee of neutral community leaders. With regards to committee members - their names will remain anonymous until the awards are announced and all dancers names will be blacked out on all aspects of the application forms and will be referred to as dancer #1, #2, etc. This is to avoid conflict of interest or any perceived conflict of interest.

 

Next Steps: During the month of April the submissions will be compiled and Pat will meet with the committee to discuss his vision. The committee will review the submissions on their own and as a group and rank the applicants according the merits of their application form.

 

We are so excited about realizing Pat’s vision and we hope that it encourages you to think about your goals in Irish Dance and in the community in a whole new way! We will continue to remind you about the due date so that you will be encouraged to start the work and encourage others to apply.

Dress For Sale (#2012-2) **SOLD**

THIS DRESS HAS SOLD!

 

Stunning red, black and white dress, beautifully tailored by Christine Bland. This dress has excellent stage presence, with it's eye-popping colours, sparkling sequins, detailed embroidery and lots of large rhinestones that add to the sparkle on stage. It is just over 1 year old and is in immaculate condition.

 

The dress comes with bloomers, removable white ruffled cuffs (to easily lengthen or shorten sleeves), headband frame to match dress (to add to your own headband) and extra fabric and rhinestones. This dress is beautifully lined and has removable, washable armpit guards.

 

This dress was made for an 11 year old, but has plenty of room for letting out or can be taken in. The waist can be dropped or taken up to either lengthen or shorten the dress. Included additional fabric can also be used to lengthen the skirt.

 

Measurements:

Length: (from neck line to hem) approx 27"

(from top of zipper to hem) approx 28"

Chest: approx 28" (14" across)

Waist: approx 25" (12.5" across)

Sleeves: (from top of shoulder) 20"

 

Price Reduced: Asking $1400 obo.

 

Contact Rosalie at rosaliedATshaw.ca (please replace AT with @).

Congratulations Alexis!

Congratulations to Alexis B who competed at the Rince ISS Feis in Edmonton this weekend. In addition to several solo medals, Alexis placed 3rd in the 13+ Beginner to Novice Reel Trophy Dance. Congratulations Alexis!

Date Change for the Spring Ceili (Year-End Show)

Due to a large number of dancers wanting to compete in the POD Feis, Nora has decided to change the date of the 2013 Spring Ceili so there is no longer a conflict.

Please mark down on your calendar that the new Spring Ceili date is the afternoon of Sunday May 19th at the Centennial Theatre. This is the Victoria Day Long Weekend, but dates were limited and Nora felt this would be the best option from what was available.

Rehearsal will be on the evening of Wednesday May 15th.

If you know that the dancer(s) in your family will not be able to make it to the Ceili, please contact Nora and Courtney to let them know for choreography purposes.

Worlds Pub Night Fundraiser: March 2

NPIDA is sending a record 29 dancers to the 2013 World Championships in Boston next month, including 4 8-Hand Ceili teams and 12 solo dancers. The Worlds families will be hosting a Pub Night fundraising event at Ceili's Irish Pub and Restaurant, located at 1774 West 7th Ave (at Burrard) in Kitsilano on Saturday March 2 from 6:00-10:00PM.

Tickets to this event can now be purchased from any Worlds parent/senior dancer. Price is $20 which includes a burger and beer (veggie burger option available upon request). Dancer tickets are available for $15 and include choice of burger, veggie burger, or chicken strips and fries. Tickets are limited so make sure to get yours soon!

In addition to the great food and awesome dancing by the soloists and teams, there will be some fantastic raffle items, a silent auction, and a 50/50 draw.
 

Please support your 2013 NPIDA Worlds dancers - we hope to see you on March 2 for a fun evening of dancing, food, prizes and celebration!

 

2013 Worlds dancers are:

Emma, Caitlin and Macaela B-T

Katelyn and Jayne D

Pixie and Gemma K

Sydney and Olivia B

Morgan and Shannon G

Camryn and Mackenzie C

Sarah A

Jadyn M-T

Megan S

Jessie H

Halle N

Thea M

Tomas M

Rhiannon M

Catharine A

Anna M

Emma Hib

Hanna S

Stephanie M

Laurel S

Emma B

Catalina G

2013 Worlds Schedule Now Available

Logo from CLRG website

To dancers and parents who are attending the 2013 World Championships in Boston next month: the final detailed daily schedule has been posted by CLRG.

Please click here to access the schedule:
http://www.clrg.ie/news.php

Dress For Sale (#2013-4) **SOLD**

THIS DRESS HAS SOLD!

 

Information about this dress from the owner:
Gavin Doherty dress for sale.  Black bodice with orange, green and yellow accents.  Has been taken in for a small size 11 but can be lengthened.

Great dress for new prizewinner dancer and stands out on stage.

Price reduced: Asking $550 obo.

Please contact Nicole at nicoledentAThaw.ca (please replace AT with @).

News From EBIDS!

Please refer to the e-mail sent out yesterday (January 30) to all NPIDA families for full details on these news items from EBIDS - the Eire Born Irish Dance Society.

1. Thank you for your support of the EBIDS Winter Ceili last Saturday! We have had lots of great feedback on the amazing dancing, great food, and the family feel that the Austria Club provided! With over 225 guests, the memories will last a long time!

2. The EBIDS AGM will take place on Saturday February 16, 3:00-5:00PM at the NPIDA studio in North Vancouver. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and understand what your annual membership fee goes toward and where our resources and efforts are focused. This year we will also be inviting you to the event through an EVITE invitation so that we can collect RSVP’s easily.

If you are interested in becoming an EBIDS board member, please contact Christina (EBIDS chairperson) by February 2 at ckmedATjdmed.com

3. As outlined in an e-mail in September 2012, the Pat McAndless Award for Excellence will be launched in 2013. EBIDS is accepting names for individuals to sit on an evaluation committee to review all applications and select the 2013 award recipients. Please refer to the email sent out today for full details. If you know of any suitable candidates for the evaluation committee, please submit their names by February 16 to Kelly S (EBIDS  board member) at kellysherlockATshaw.ca

New Policy at Flying Colours Dancewear

Hannah P of Flying Colours Dancewear in Richmond is instating a new creative policy effective April 1 2013 which is now posted on her own blog.

You will find the new policy posted permanently on the right hand sidebar of the Flying Colours Dancewear Blog. Additionally, an explanatory letter from Hannah is currently posted on her blog.

Please click here for a direct link: www.flyingcoloursdancewear.blogspot.com

Here is the new Flying Colours Dancewear creative policy:

Upon commencement of any new dress, customers will submit a 50% deposit. Upon completion of the dress the other 50% will be due. Should the customer decide for any reason not to purchase the dress, the original deposit will be returned only when the dress has been sold to another party.
 
When the creative process begins on any new dress (ie: at the first consultation) the customer will be asked for input regarding colours, fabrics and design. This information will be strongly considered when the dress is being designed and the materials purchased. However, the final decision on design, colours and fabrics will lie solely with me and the customer may or may not be kept informed of decisions during the creation of the dress.

Once the dress has been completed, changes to it will only be made for the following reasons: if the fit needs adjusting, if there are small changes that both the customer and I feel would improve the look of the dress, if there are manufacturing flaws (eg: broken zipper, faulty snap, missing rhinestones etc).

One More Winter Ceili Photo

Mary, Stephanie, Shannon and Anna

Thank you to Jennifer for submitting this photo taken at the Winter Ceili on Saturday night!

More Winter Ceili Photos

Josie, Emma and Caitlin with Vic and Pat

Taking a break from all the fun

Left: Siblings Avery and Declan
Center: Raven and Sophie share a laugh
Right: Malia and dad Marcel

Left: Nora demonstrates the proper form for spinning your partner
Center: Scott looks excited to dance with Jessie!
Right: Jadyn and Megan coming down the aisle

U-11 Worlds 8-Hand team

U-11 Worlds 8-Hand team

U-11 Worlds team members are:
Katelyn, Emma, Sarah, Jadyn,
Megan, Caitlin, Pixie and Sydney

U-13 Worlds 8-H team

U-13 Worlds 8-H team

U-13 Worlds 8-H team members are:
Morgan, Halle, Thea, Jayne,
Jessie, Olivia B, Camryn and Macaela

U-16 Worlds 8-Hand team

U-16 Worlds 8-H team members are:
Gemma, Jayne, Catharine, Jessie,
Shannon, Emma Hib, Anna and Rhiannon

19+ Worlds 8-Hand team members are:
Emma, Stephanie, Mackenzie, Hanna,
 Rhiannon, Camryn, Laurel and Catalina

We hope that everyone had as much fun
as Scott did at the 2013 Winter Ceili!

There was lots of fun family dancing and socializing at the 2nd Annual EBIDS Winter Ceili last night! Thank you to all of the dancers who performed last night, with special thanks to the Worlds soloists and the Worlds 8-Hand teams for showing us the results of all their hard work!

Good Times at the Winter Ceili!

A very enjoyable evening at the Austria Club

Lots of NPIDA families sharing a fun night!

Mikaela, Laurel, Catalina, Tomas, Catharine,
Emma H, Camryn, Emma B and Mackenzie

Everyone enjoyed the buffet dinner!

Malia carefully buttering her bread on the floor

NPIDA family members Nicole, Katelyn, Jayne and Jay

Left: Sophie, Gemma and Raven
Top right: Olivia and Morgan
Bottom right: Kyla, Cassidy, Caitlin, Macaela and Emma

Sound team members Connie, Vic, Pat, Jennifer and Diana

Getting lined up for the "Fun Dance"
ie... The Bridge of Athlone

Nora and Courtney
calling out instructions for the fun dance

Group dancing was enjoyed by the tall and the small!

Coming down the aisle: Cara and Anna

The 19+ Worlds 8-Hand team demonstrated a new group dance
called Walls of Limerick (taught by Courtney)

A long night for the youngest dancers
 - Malia and Marcel -

Left: Connie was in charge of the 50/50 draw
Middle: Macaela drew the winning ticket
Right: Cassidy won more than $300!

Dancers checking their raffle tickets,
hoping to win one of the many generous raffle prizes!

A good time was had last night at the EBIDS Winter Ceili, which was held at the Austria Club in Richmond. Here are a few photos; check back later today for more! Many thanks to the organizing committee, Nora and Courtney, the sound team, the raffle donors, and of course the dancers and their families!