Hanging out with Diddlyi



My awesome eight-year old won a t-shirt in a caption contest at Diddlyi.  Here he is sporting the winning goods.  Congratulations bud!

Diddlyi Offers Irish Dance Classes Online

Diddlyi is offering online workshops.  These classes are already getting rave reviews. 

Until February 4th you can try a workshop for half price.

I know of plenty of adults who wish they had an ID school near them.  Now anyone with an internet connection can improve their technique and have fun. 

Here's what Diddlyi advertises:

You'll get: 
Unlimited access to all premium content including video lessons and training videos
Special access to our famous Dance Masters
Support and motivation from highly qualified instructors. And more
Your own profile page and the ability to connect with other dancers for support and friendship


So, has anyone tried the workshops?

The Secret to Finding Gold at the End of the Rainbow

You may have heard that a man will become rich by following a rainbow to its end, where fabled leprechauns squirrel away their gold. Are the legends true? Can something be had for nothing?


Leprechauns are tricky fellows; they lure the unsuspecting on an impossible quest. To the mythological laborer, assurance of easy riches is a powerful siren that calls him away from the daily grind toward a magical life of ease. He leaves all that he has worked for and drifts toward the allusive rainbow, always just out of reach.

Scientifically, we understand that the rainbow is an optical effect that depends on the location of the viewer. The closer we try to get to its end, the further away the bow will drift.

A rainbow can be thought of in a different light: as a visionary goal. Think of the rainbow as a metaphor for a lofty goal that you have set for yourself. Does it seem so far away that you could walk forever and never reach it?

Unlike a physical rainbow, we have control over the attainability of our personal rainbows. I had a teacher in high school who drilled the importance of determined work into my brain, “Working will win, when wishy-washy wishing won’t,” he often quoted (Thanks Mr. C).

Think of the most successful people you know. Did they pine away after a get-rich-quick scheme or complain about how far away their goals were? If you take a close look at those people whom you admire, you will see a trend of hard work and determination. Probe a little further and those accomplished success stories will reveal a secret the leprechauns would rather you didn’t know: when they reached the end of their journey for success, it wasn’t the “pot of gold” at the end that gave them the satisfaction they had looked towards, it was the passage of time and work that became the real treasure.

Dictionary.com defines a pot of gold as the realization of all one’s hopes and dreams; ultimate success, fulfillment, or happiness. That kind of gold can be found at the end of anyone’s rainbow. Look for your own bow of light, and resist the urge to wait around for success to find you. Catherine Pulsifer, editor of Inspirational Words of Wisdom puts it another way, “Wishing for something occupies the mind, but leaves the bank empty. “

Work hard and keep your rainbow in view and your own pot of gold will be within grabbing distance. Just don’t forget to gather the valuable nuggets abounding from your efforts along the way.

*This article was originally published on DiddlyiMagazine on March 16, 2010
image source, image source

How to Train Your Turn-out

Adult Irish dancers are more likely to get injured than their younger counterparts. But all dancers can benefit by taking action to prevent injury and increase their muscle strength. This article is the third in a series focusing on what adult dancers can do to maintain a healthy body.

If you dance Irish, chances are good that you have been told to work on turn-out. You make a mental note and begin your dance again, hoping that if you try hard enough, your feet will magical turn-out by themselves. Turning out is frequently talked about, but commonly misunderstood.

In her book, Inside Ballet Technique, author Valerie Grieg states that the extent to which an individual can rotate their legs is largely pre-determined by genetics. Muscle flexibility, the shape of hip bones and sockets, and the elasticity of ligaments contribute to the amount of natural turnout a person may have. Because of the genetics factor, Grieg is of the opinion that the action of turning out the leg is more important to movement than the angle that is attained. She does note that before the age of eleven the structure of the bone may be influenced by exercises.

But turn-out in your sport is a not an option, it’s a requirement.

So what’s a dancer to do? The answer may be as simple as a change of perception.

Dr. Jack Giangiulio, a dance injury chiropractor, says that at least 90% of poor hip turn out is caused by meager foot control (the other 10% can relate to a lack of lumbo-pelvic coordination, and genetics). Dr. Jack says, ”It is not usually about strength or even flexibility, it is just a matter of reconnecting (a dancer’s) neurology to coordinate the muscles.”

Try Dr. Jack’s simple suggestions to improve your turnout. A slow and steady approach to training the foot is best.

■First, check to make sure that your feet are in a neutral position:

While standing with your heels together, turn-out your feet. Ask a friend to place two fingers under the arch of your foot. If your friend’s fingers cannot fit under your arches, you are rolled-in. If more than two fingers fit under your arches, you are rolled-out. Repeat with your feet crossed over.

■Practice keeping your feet in a neutral position:

Resume standing with your heels together, making sure that the heel and all toes remain on the floor. Align your knees with your toes and hold the position for two minutes. Repeat in a crossed position. Daily repetition may be required for up to four weeks to re-train the muscles in your feet. Note: this position will require you to temporarily reduce your turn-out while your body re-trains.

■After you gain control over your feet, you can add exercises for increasing turn-out recommended by your dance teacher.

“The idea here is to teach the body that the hip, knees, and foot must always be in alignment, and to keep the foot in the neutral position.” Dr. Jack explains.

When your feet are turned out with greater foot control, your dancing will look nothing short of magical.

So do you use certain exercises to improve your turn-out?


You can find more articles on foot control by visiting Dr. Jack Giangiulio’s website http://www.danceinjurydoctor.com/.
This article originally appeared on Diddlyi Magazine.