Last weekend the Roberts Academy ran our largest event of the year – the Southern Stars Championship. For the first time since the pandemic hit, we were able to run the event as a true Championship with three adjudicators. Bronwyn Kelly (Tas), Conor Hayes (Vic), and Elizabeth Howe (SA) joined us for the weekend.

The event attracted competitors not only from South Australia but also WA, Vic, and NSW. It presented a fantastic opportunity for dancers to get one last stage practice in before the National Championships! In addition to the full Championship format for open dancers, we also had a full syllabus for grade dancers. It was great to see so many new faces and the level of up and coming talent coming through.

We also offered an “Adjudicator Feedback” section for the first time. This non-competitive session allowed open dancers to perform one a time in a full feis environment. They were able to video their dance, and received written feedback sheets from all three adjudicators. The concept was very well received by dancers, parents, and teachers alike.

It has to be said, an event like this is impossible to run without the efforts of a great team, and the support of the extended Irish dance community. So a huge thankyou to our RAID family who pitched in to help, and to all the families and schools who attended . There’s no feis without you all!

Stay tuned – planning is already under way for 2023. Next year will be the 15th Southern Stars and we’re hoping to make it even better for you all!