Feis Overview

Every dancer in CRN begins their competitive journey with 100 points. As they compete, they earn points based on their placements, and these points help track their progress through the grades. The goal is to build confidence, develop strong technique, and move through each level at a pace that suits the dancer.

Dancers progress through the CRN grades in this order:

• Bungrád – First competitive grade

• Ullmhúchán – Primary

• Meángrád – Intermediate

• Ardgrád – Advanced

• Craobhghrád – Open Championship

Each level introduces new skills, more complex steps, and higher expectations. Dancers may move up dance by dance, depending on their results, the size of the competition, and their teacher’s guidance. Your dance teacher will always let you know when your child is ready to begin competing at a new level, ensuring they feel confident, prepared, and supported every step of the way.

How Scoring and Deductions Work

Every dancer begins each solo round with 100 points. As they perform, adjudicators subtract points for specific technical errors. The dancer with the highest remaining score places 1st, the next highest places 2nd, and so on. This system rewards tidy technique, strong basics, and consistent performance.

Why Deductions Happen

Adjudicators look for clean, correct technique. When something is out of place, points are removed from the dancer’s starting 100. These deductions can be small (½–1 point) for minor errors or larger for repeated or more noticeable issues.

Common reasons dancers lose points include:

• Feet not turned out — Toes should point outward; parallel feet lose marks.

• Poor crossing — Legs should stay tight together; gaps between the knees or ankles result in deductions.

• Timing issues — Falling behind or rushing ahead of the music reduces the score.

• Uneven rhythm — Especially in heavy shoes, unclear or inconsistent beats lose points.

• Arms moving — Swinging arms or loose upper body posture leads to deductions.

• Low elevation — Small jumps or lack of lift can reduce marks in light dances.

• Untidy landings — Heavy or messy landings affect both technique and musicality.

• Loss of control — Wobbles, stumbles, or balance issues reduce the overall score.

Each deduction is added up to create the dancer’s final mark.

How the Final Placement Is Decided

Once the dance is complete:

• The adjudicator totals all deductions.

• The remaining score (out of 100) becomes the dancer’s final mark.

• Dancers are placed from highest score to lowest score.

This means a dancer who performs cleanly and tidily can place very well, even without the biggest jumps or flashiest choreography. The system rewards accuracy, control, and consistency.