To Prove a POint!

Oireachtas na Samhna 2025

What an experience, these words and photos to follow will give you an insight into my first dip into competitive dance.
 
When I first started step dancing (at the age of 40), I could hardly “step it out” in front of my class-mates, and as you can imagine, the inevitable “end of term” performance filled me with dread, given the addition of an audience.
 
I have come a long way from that moment, and am a firm believer of “Face your Fears”!

---

A friend talked me into entering the dance competition, one of the festival events at Oireachtas na Samhna, persuading me with phrases like: 

“people need to see representation from the North”

“people need to see that there are other forms of traditional dance than Connemara sean nós”

While I wholeheartedly agreed with all she said, all I could think – “I’m not the competitive type”!  Cáitriona left me to ponder ... a week later, the deadline for entry was imminent, we were still texting and chatting, and 30 mins before the deadline we both agreed to enter by saying: 

“feck it, why not, what do we have to lose”!

Partners in the crime!

---

On 31 October 2025, I arrived at the Europa Hotel for the preliminary round, I was number 39 out of 42, the earlier competitions were all running late, but I was happy to sit with some friends and watch the younger age groups compete before mine began.  
 
The start of the adult competition was announced, and I would have to say that the event was much more relaxed than I was expecting, or was I just in my “happy place” watching so many talented dancers take to the stage one by one?  

My name was called ... I “stepped up” and danced my best, in a wee cocktail dress (everyone else in slacks).
 
Once the last competitor had finished, the judges left the room to discuss who would be placed among the 20 finalists, and low and behold last but one – “Annette Collins” was called … what was going through my head?  

​A mix of “oh my God that’s amazing” - as well as – “I guess that means I have to come back tomorrow and do this all again”!

---

The buzz in Belfast throughout the festival was amazing, the listing of events incredible.  The air was filled with the Gaelic language, and I was pleased I could follow some of what was said. Tá mé ag foghlaim an teanga faoi láthair – I’m learning the language at present – please join the growing masses dipping back into our native tongue!

---

A day later I was back on the train to Belfast, I registered for my competition and went into the main hall of the Waterfront to watch the younger age groups.  It was odd to see traditional dance in such glitz - lights – cameras – action! 

---

I headed back stage about an hour before my slot (I was 2nd from the end), our room was filled with Tayto crisps, boxes of chocolates, and lollipops … what does that say?  The only person around my age, was the musician who was playing for us – Tom Doherty.
 
I engaged with the other dancers, and asked if they were curious about traditional steps that had been handed down from one generation to the next … one lad responded with “yes, I remember my grand father dancing like that” … we chatted a bit and watched the event on someone’s phone, while we were all called/lead to the side wings, one by one.

---

So, at the age of “60 years young”, I walked out on stage at the Waterfront, one of Belfast’s biggest entertainment venues, to perform a traditional dance with a musician I hardly knew, at an event that was being televised – live.

​To be truthful, I was oblivious to the large welcoming applause, or how it compared with those competing before me. I was back stage at the time, and on the whole it was hard to work out what was going on, except that everything was running late, and they needed to be finished before the “News”!

My name was called:

“Annette Collins, our first competitor from Co Armagh”

​I also believe I was the only person from the north who made it through to the final – I guess those facts led to a greater reaction from the audience, as said this year’s event took place in Belfast. 
 
My age group was “over 18s”; I am so much older than 18, that I could have been a granny to many of those I was competing against … the reason I was there had no correlation to competition, I was there to “Prove a Point”.

Traditional steps are worth showcasing, it is never too late to start your journey in dance; I ask of you to - do your part in saving this dance form, rarely seen; and sadly, rarely taught around Ireland.

​While I had been talked into competing, I have no regrets – my performance (link below) showcased some of my old style repertoire, my love of dance, my love of tradition.  This series of five steps was handed down to me via an unbroken line from the Dancing Masters of old: a series of four jig steps given to me by Patrick O'Dea, and a final step that had been give to me by Jackie O'Riley who received it from Patrick. 

Sadly, Patrick is no longer teaching but I visit him from time to time - ❤️

---

Also of interest, I was the only person to dance jigs in the competition; I could see the adjudication panel from the stage, they were dimly lit, three in total, one of whom had not been present at the previous day's competition, and no word of a lie, the only way to explain her demeanour was:

"a bunny in headlights"

Not surprising really, as she had just sat through 3 hours of reels, with the majority of competitors requesting the same tune.

In my mind the competition needs a bit of a shake up, allocate a tune "TO" the competitor a week ahead of the competition, include in those tunes, other dance types, hornpipe, jig, polka, slide not to mention Ireland's very own "slip jig"!  Probably not at the younger age groups, but definitely at the higher levels. 

- what an experience - 

---

Here’s an insight to “Irish humour”, after the event my dance classes were curious to know about the experience, and I was happy to share it with them.  When I mentioned that back-stage, each age group were allocated their “own room”; Alison asked if I was in a room of my own!  🤣🤣🤣

Here are a few other quotes too - my friends and family left me feeling like a superstar.

Part of the beauty of the Irish dance tradition is that it was passed on from one person to the next, one generation to the next.

​Sadly, the passing-on of traditional steps is rare to find in many parts of Ireland.  The only way I would fill a higher level class would be to offer it online, with the majority of people attending from countries other than “The Emerald Isle”.  
 
But!  

I do run lots of beginner type classes and workshops, many have been funded by the Council – are they well attended, sadly not!  So, do what you can to encourage people to dance – the benefits are HUGE!  Help me and people like me pass on a tradition that has “gone out of style”.

- click this image to watch my performance -

---