This past weekend Déla competed in the 2016 Emerald City Feis. This annual competition is just one of many held around the country, but the only one held here in Seattle.
She competed in several dances, with the first one at 8:30 in the morning, the first dance of the day. Only problem was, we couldn’t find all of her costume. Missing was the headband. We scrambled and searched but could not locate it.
Despite searching we could not find it. Finally it was time to go or miss the competition. We had to have some faith that we would be able to borrow one. Getting there we signed in, found one of Déla’s instructors and asked if there was a spare headband, knowing it was a long shot. Turns out they had one.
I wish I could remember the specific dances she participated in. I have the list somewhere, but can’t seem to find it right now. In a few dances she came in 3rd or 4th out of usually between 10 – 14 competitors. In one dance she came in 2nd. In a few other dances she did not place at all.
This, despite Déla’s spectacular dancing, is one of my favorite pictures of the weekend. In case you can’t read the words it says there are no events scheduled for the room.
After the “standard” dances there were a couple of “specials” she competed in, then the two and three hand dances. She medaled in the team dances as well, coming in 3rd.
It was the special dances we waited around for. She was able to pick up her medals as soon as the results were posted for most of the dances with the exception of the specials. The Hat/Mask Special we didn’t expect much, but Déla felt good about her Reel Special. There were 14 competitors in that dance. When it was announced there would be seven trophies handed out, she got excited. With ties for 3rd and 4th place, she felt her chances were good. When she didn’t hear her name called for 3rd place, she figured that was it. When somebody else’s name was called for 2nd place she knew she wasn’t going up for an award because the other dance was really good. When Déla’s name was called up for 1st place it took us both a second to realize that indeed she won. We looked at each other with a lot fo shock, amazement, surprise and happiness.
Out of something like 11 dances she took home 6 medals and a 1st place trophy.
And on a borrowed headband.