Why are other dancers I know so stuck up to Irish dancing? What can I do?

So. I go to school in a town where nobody knows about irish dancing (aside from riverdance... (if they even saw it when it came to town) And since I started ID in October.. I LOVE IT! But getting to the point - Everybody who dances at my school does normal dancing and they talk about it a lot! I must say they are good and I give them credit but whenever they are talking about their costumes, for example, I try to pipe in and talk about what we wear (without them knowing I'm an Irish Dancer) and then they ask where I go.. and I quietly (after other incounters with other dancers) say "Irish Dancing" as if its no big deal. And then they kinda give this attitude towards eachother like what a freak! And then once they caught me finger dancing and this one girl asked the other what i was doing (they thought I couldn't hear.. but I could) and the girl replied.. she was practicing her Irish dance moves.. and then they laugh! really wish I could show them what irish dance is all about because it really bothers me that they are so arrogant and I wish I could do a complex dance that wouldn't seem dumb and simple to them but sadly.. I'm only beginner and the talent show is in march. Sometimes when they brag and say how they are going to Galveston Texas (we live in texas) for competition I just want to shout OH YEAH?Well I know dancers at my school who are going to IRELAND! What can I do/say to show them up? I'm kinda stuck with them for an entire class period. :( Advice appreciated here. :)

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Permalink Reply by Safarichick101 on February 5, 2010 at 12:24am

I'm doing a project on Irish Dance and I was wondering what ya'll think I should say to make it sound interesting. That would also be great. :)

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Permalink Reply by allison :) on February 5, 2010 at 1:03am

WOW they are immature!! Who cares what they think? If you love Irish Dancing, don't listen to what they say. I think the best thing to do is ignore them. You don't need to show them anything.

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Permalink Reply by Fiddle dancer on February 5, 2010 at 7:07pm

I can tell that you are upset about this. It can make you feel alienated, unappreciated, and alone. Can you talk with and spend time with the other girls in your ID class? They will understand how excited you are about ID and share in your accomplishments and goals. I assume you are under 18. Know that girls in this age group can be really mean and cliquish, as they are unsure about their identities and feel safer banding together with those who have very similar interests. They are scared of anything out of their safe, uniform, little world at this point and will become more tolerant when they get older and esp out of highschool. If they go on to college, they will really grow up and become nicer people.
Just hang in there and be sure of yourself, work hard on your steps and take comfort in knowing that you are part of the unique and wonderful world if ID. Good luck in the talent show. A simple dance done well is better than a complex one done poorly and without enthusiasm.

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Permalink Reply by Safarichick101 on February 5, 2010 at 10:50pm

i have made friends with a few people at Dance but I'm afraid there are none at my school since my Dance school is 1 hour away.. 1 way. Is there a way I could get one of my friends to do it with me? How should I ask? Its a lot to ask a parent since classes are on mondays.

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Permalink Reply by Fiddle dancer on February 5, 2010 at 11:47pm

excellent idea!! Ask the nicest of the bunch and maybe flatter her a bit by saying, "You are great at jumping,, you seem to like a challenge, seem to llike to try new things," etc, would you like to come along to a class with me and see what we do?, etc.
I'll bet you can break the ice by getting just one of them to try it.
Got my ghillies crossed for you.

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Permalink Reply by Safarichick101 on February 6, 2010 at 2:21pm

I can't wait to get mine. :) ^^^

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Permalink Reply by Yvonne on February 16, 2010 at 11:22am

hi,
I think it would surely a great idea to ask somebody else to come with you. You could also try to convince the parents with the fact that you can build a car pool and that they don't have to drive so often.
I know it's sometimes hard if you have nobody to talk about all the exciting irish dance themes, but you can also write here on diddlyi and on other forums with other irish dancers. I can totally understand how you feel, I'm at my danceschool since 6 years, when my teacher started in my area. So like 1 year ago I startet to make friends with pupils of my dance school in my age, so I also had a long time without people to chat with and of course nobody of my normal school did dance...
So I just talked with my friends about other themes and maybe sometimes told them a little bit about irish dance and always wrote with other people on id-forums...
If you would like to do the talent show at your school I would advice you to ask your teacher what to do there. If you already started doing hardshoes, I would say do something with hardshoes, because to most people thats more impresive and everybody goes *ahhh* ;-)
And don't let the other people make you feel bad.
greetings

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Permalink Reply by sophia dunne on August 22, 2011 at 1:18pm

maybe i dont know on st partricks day you could a show for them and they will be sorry

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Permalink Reply by irishdancingkid on August 22, 2011 at 11:03pm

Oh god, my school did EXACTLY the same thing!!

Just try ignore them, very hard!

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Permalink Reply by Aisling on August 27, 2011 at 11:40pm

my mom took pics of me all in costume for a feis and showed them to all the physio therapists where I go to get therapy after my injury... he made a comment about "big hair" and kind of laughed at me... i was so embarrassed.. but then i realized its because they don't understand the costume or the dance... so i chalk it up to ignorance. anyone who makes fun of you is just that, simply ignorant. if they won't learn about something and choose to mock it they arent worth your time anyway.

if they make fun of the hand dance how about showing the Up and Over it clips and how they have become well known for this skill? you're in TX... the McTeggarts are HUGE... all over the country... those are success stories, so mocking Irish dance is jealosy and ignorance from those people.

be proud, you do something UNIQUE! :D

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Permalink Reply by Michael Piotrowski on August 31, 2011 at 4:03pm

‎"The most successful touring show in entertainment history has to day played in over 65 different countries and territories, to over 7 million people on every single continent...Since its world premiere, Lord Of The Dance has become the most talked about, the most written about and the most acclaimed show in musical history".....FACT

Who's best paid dancer in history? I'm afraid it's not Wade Robson, not even Rudolf Nureyev, but Michael Flatley!

Irish dancing is different and maybe "less cool" but it's a genre that influenced world's culture, and pop culture also, greatly.

Other dancers will always look at you strangely, like hip hop dancers laugh at ballet dancers! Or theater don't think much of contemporary! Just do what you want to do and don't be influenced by their IGNORANCE!

I'm currently a student of Broadway Dance Center in NYC and everyone admires me that I'm also an Irish dancer and everyone wants to learn it. And they all are amazing performers, I'm guessing a bit better then the ones from your school (I don't know that though!), so I wouldn't pay much attention to what your inexperienced and narrow minded colleagues are saying.

Also, don't say they're doing "normal dancing". It's a different style from Irish. "Normal" dancing doesn't exist! haha

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Permalink Reply by Corienna on August 31, 2011 at 5:43pm

They are just ignorant. There is a girl who goes to my school that deals with this problem too. If you love it then stick up for your self and for Irish dancing. Don't let them get you down. keep practicing, then one day you will be able to do those complex dances.