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MJP Skirt Care Sheet <Click here to read and/or download a copy

What do I wear?

All Dancers:
Shoes: Black ballet slippers or Irish Pomps (Ghillies) - Hard Shoes if you own them and know your hardshoe dances.
If your shoes are older, you may want to replace the shoe laces to ensure they won't break at a critical moment.

To make quick shoe changes easier, elastics can be treaded through soft shoes, hard shoes or both instead of shoe
laces. The elastic can be bought at fabric stores or at Zellers or a similar store.

Be sure to polish both pairs of shoes and repair any holes well beforehand so that they are shiny and new looking.

Tiaras: Tiaras should be positioned the way a regular headband would sit on the head, with the ends secured behind
the ears. Be sure to secure tiaras and headbands very well using plenty of pins and have the dancer do the "shake test"
to ensure it will not come lose on stage. If dancer is not wearing a wig, you can put some of their hair in a small, half
ponytail to anchor the tiara in.

Tiny Toes, Beginners and Advanced Beginner dancers:
MJP Skirt
MJP Shawl (from Left sholder to Right hip)
Black Bodysuit with T-shirt Length sleeves and boat neck
Black tights: Please be sure the tights are nice and dark.
If needed, wear two pairs.
Tiara (see above for tips)

Tip- Always bring an extra pair of tights in case of runs or holes.

Beginner Competitive dancers

Shirt: White, long sleeves, round neck that is at collar bones or higher
MJP Pinny: Tie the back ties under the front first. You may have to
pin it in places to keep it from shifting (if you do not have a pinny yet,
a white, button up shirt with a collar is worn instead)

White MJP skirt - please pin your skirt on in case the snaps come open.
Bloomers: Be sure to tuck your shirt into the bloomers so that when
dancers kick, the bottom og the shirt does not show.

Socks: white "bubble" or "poodle" socks - These can be purchased at feiseanna or at
Bob Steele's.
Socks should be fairly long (about 2-3 inches below knee cap or, about mid-calf)
Socks should not touch the knee cap. That is too long.

To keep socks up, use a glue stick or sock glue. Put glue over at least half of the lower leg,
then pull sock up snuggly and pat it into place.

There are socks available now that have rhinestones on them. They give the socks a subtle
sparkle onstage and are fine for solo dancing but dancers should have a plain pair for
figures (group dancing) unless the whole team decides to wear matching rhinestone socks.

Adult Dancers
If you have an MJP Skirt, please see the Tiny toes/Advanced dancers section above, replacing the bodysuit with one
with long sleves.

If you do not have an MJP skirt, you can wear a plain black skirt that is above the knee in length, a Black Bodysuit or
tight shirt with full arm sleeves and boat neck, and black tights. Please be sure the tights are nice and dark.

Boys/Men
Shirt: Black, long sleeves, button up with a collar

Pants: Black dress pants. Be sure that the pants have a bit of stretch to them so that you can lift your knees high. Try
them on with your shoes to ensure they are not below the upper section of your shoe. If the pants go all the way to
the floor past your shoes heels, they will get holes and may trip you up when dancing.

Tie: Red necktie

Hair
Hair should be curly. There are two options to achieve curls: curling natural hair or wearing a wig. For a detailed "how
to" on either of these options, please see the "Hair" section on the "Feis info" page.

If you are wearing a wig, be sure it is securely attached.

Make-up
Make-up is not recommended for dancers under the age of 12.

If the dancer is over 12, or close to it, here are some tips:
Irish dancing is rarely ever held on brightly lit stages. Therefore, make-up used does not have to be overly dramatic or
very much darker then regular street make up. If your solo dress is sparkly, a bit of glitter on or around the eyes is nice.
Again, try not to go overboard.

Jewelry
Beginners: No jewelry or watches. Small, silver or gold studs or hoop earrings are fine. If a team decides to purchase
matching earrings, they will be permitted.

Advanced: Many girls like to wear sparkly earrings that match their solo costume. But, DO NOT wear dangling
earrings as they can snag and catch.

What to bring:
- Dress (solo and/or school dress)
- or skirt and blouse (make sure both are clean)
-Bloomers
- Headband/ Tiara/Hair scrunchie
- Wig
- Poodle socks/ Tights
- Sock glue or Glue stick
- Both pairs of shoes: Ghillies (soft shoes) and Heavy shoes
- Spare shoe laces or elastics
- Tights and Spare tights
- Black duct tape (for bottom of hard shoes if the stage is slippery)
- Shoe polish and/or Black marker
- Water Bottle
- Band-aids
- Safety pins
- Bobby pins

Attendance:
If you have committed to dancing at a show, you are expected to attend. Once you have made a commitment, it is
important to follow through for your fellow dancers. Please note that if you cancel on a show with short notice, you
may not be invited to participate in future shows.