Levels  of Irish Dancing-Mid America Rules

Beginner Category:  A beginner is a competitor who has not taken Irish dancing lessons from a registered teacher prior to September 1st of the previous year. A Beginner dancer must move into Advanced Beginner the following year.

 

Advanced Beginner Category: An Advanced Beginner is a dancer who has taken lessons from a registered teacher for more than 1 year. An Advanced Beginner who wins a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in each dance will advance to the Novice category in that particular dance.

 

Novice Category: A Novice dancer is one who has previously won a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in Advanced Beginner. A novice who wins a 1st place will advance to the Prizewinner category in that particular dance. 

 

Prizewinner Category: A prizewinner dancer is a dancer who has previously won a 1st in Novice in a particular dance. A dancer must place 1st in all 4  soft shoe dances-  Reel,Slip jig (girls only) Treble Jig and Hornpipe and up to teacher when move into prelims. 

 

Preliminary Championship- A dancer advances to Preliminary Championship after he/she has won 1st place in in all 4  soft shoe dances-  Reel,Slip jig (girls only) Treble Jig and Hornpipe. Preliminary dancers who win 2 first places can move into Championship. 

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Open Championship- This is the highest level you can get too - This is an amazing accomplishment.

A dancer moves to Open Championship after winning two 1st places in Preliminary Championship.