Irish dancers come together next weekend for the Bucharest Feis – the only international Irish Dance competition in South-East Europe

Bucharest is hosting the fifth edition of the Bucharest Feis, the only international Irish dance competition in Romania and South-East Europe, marking the return of the event after a two year hiatus. The contest is organised by the STEYsha School of Irish Dance.

More than 130 dancers will compete, coming from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and the USA, many of whom have competed worldwide and already hold titles.

The competition will take place on Saturday, October 15, from 08:00 to 20:30, in the wrestling hall of the Mircea Eliade Sports High School at 315-317 Splaiul Independentei.

Visitors will have access to the competition throughout the day, and those who wish to take this opportunity to register for Irish dance classes will be able to do so at the event. Admission costs EUR 8, providing access for the whole day, and children under 12 can attend the event for free.

The competition will be judged by two Irish referees certified by the Dublin Irish Dance Commission, Maire Treacy-Dixon and Gerard McQuaid, and live music will be provided by professional competition musician Kevin Murphy, from Scotland.

The competition will be a real showcase of the variety of Irish dancing, with competitors divided into both difficulty levels (beginners to champions) and age groups (4-year-olds to over-50-year-olds).

They will demonstrate their skills in a number of classic competition sections, as well as a few special ones: the Transylvania Land themed competition, the Blind Hornpipe, where the judges will have their backs to the dancers and judge them strictly on the musicality of the steps they hear, and the Family Ceili, where dancing and non-dancing members of the same family can demonstrate their skills together.

For many of the participants, Bucharest Feis will be the last competition before the European Championships, which is the last chance qualify for the 2023 World Irish Dance Championships.

This year, the Bucharest Feis will be followed by a Show Dancing Workshop with Claire Greaney, TCRG, 6 times World Champion and performer in the cast of Trad on the Prom.

The workshop will take place on Sunday, October 16, at the STEYsha School of Irish Dance. The workshop is open to children aged 6+, teens, and adults, from experienced beginners to the championship level.

09:00 – 11:30 Advanced Group (Intermediate & Championship Level)

12:00 – 14:00 Beginner Group

14:30 – 16:30 Primary Group

The class fees are EUR 45 per dancer for a class or EUR 65 per dancer for 2 classes. Dancers are asked to come to the studio 30 minutes beforehand, to ensure each class starts on time.

The Bucharest Feis is supported by the Irish Embassy in Romania and the Irish community in Bucharest.

Additional details are available on the STEYsha School of Irish Dance website, their YouTube channel, and their Facebook and Instagram pages.

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(Photo source: STEYsha School of Irish Dance Facebook page)