You've placed out of advanced beginner at your first feis. Your teacher mentions "preliminary championship" and "set dances." Suddenly, the world of Irish dance feels much larger—and more complicated—than it did yesterday. What belongs in your repertoire now? How do you choose which dances to prioritize when competition rules, performance goals, and your own strengths all pull in different directions?
This guide walks intermediate Irish dancers through the concrete decisions that shape a competition-ready and artistically meaningful repertoire.
Defining "Intermediate" in Irish Dance Contexts
"Intermediate level" means different things depending on your path. Understanding where you stand clarifies what your repertoire needs.
Grade Exam Track: Dancers working toward Intermediate or Preliminary certificates through An Coimsiún, CRN, or other governing bodies face specific technical requirements. Your repertoire must demonstrate mastery of syllabus steps at increasing tempos with precise execution.
Feis Competition Track: The progression typically runs Beginner → Advanced Beginner → Novice → Prizewinner → Preliminary Championship → Open Championship. At prizewinner and preliminary championship, your repertoire expands significantly—you'll need both soft shoe and hard shoe dances, plus potentially a traditional set dance.
Performance Track: Dancers focused on stage shows, ceilis, or cultural demonstrations prioritize versatility and audience engagement over strict competition requirements, though technical standards remain high.
Regardless of your path, measurable markers distinguish intermediate execution from foundational levels:
| Element | Foundational Standard | Intermediate Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Reel tempo | 96-106 BPM | 113-116 BPM |
| Turnout | Attempted, inconsistent | Consistent 180° with knees aligned |
| Crossover placement | Feet pass at knee height | Feet pass at ankle height |
| Hornpipe trebles | Present but muddy | Articulated, rhythmic, even |
| Stage presence | Nervous or absent | Confident projection, beginning character work |
The Core Repertoire: Six Dances Every Intermediate Dancer Needs
At minimum, an intermediate competitive repertoire includes six distinct pieces. Here's how to build them deliberately.
Light Shoe Dances: Speed, Elevation, and Grace
Reel (4/4 time): Your workhorse dance. At intermediate level, the reel demands sustained speed without sacrificing turnout or crossover precision. Practice with a metronome, increasing tempo by 2 BPM increments only when your current speed maintains clean foot placement and consistent height.
Slip Jig (9/8 time): The only dance in the standard repertoire performed exclusively by female competitors in most organizations. Its triple meter requires distinct rhythmic phrasing—emphasize the first beat of each bar while allowing the following two beats to flow. The slip jig reveals musicality gaps that faster dances mask.
Single Jig (6/8 time): Often neglected in favor of reel and slip jig, the single jig builds the rhythmic precision necessary for successful hornpipe execution. Its hop-heavy structure also develops the calf strength and ankle stability that protect against injury at higher intensities.
Selection strategy: If competition time constraints force choices, prioritize reel and slip jig for female dancers, reel and single jig for male dancers in organizations where this applies. However, maintaining all three prevents the technical gaps that become visible at championship levels.
Heavy Shoe Dances: Power, Percussion, and Control
Hornpipe (2/4 or 4/4 time, depending on tradition): The hornpipe separates intermediate dancers from advanced beginners through its demand for rhythmic complexity. Focus on treble clarity—each strike should produce distinct sound rather than a blurred rattle. Practice trebles in isolation: front treble, back treble, alternating, at quarter speed before attempting full tempo.
Treble Jig (6/8 time): Faster and more driving than hornpipe, the treble jig requires the same percussive precision with less recovery time between phrases. The "down" beat emphasis contrasts with slip jig's floating quality—mastering both develops the rhythmic versatility that defines senior-level dancing.
Traditional Set Dance: At preliminary championship and above, dancers perform a set dance selected from a canon of approximately 40 traditionally notated pieces. Unlike other dances where teachers choreograph steps, set dances follow prescribed music with fixed structures. Begin learning your first set dance at intermediate level even if competition requirements don't yet mandate it—the musical complexity and stamina demands require months of preparation.
Popular first set dances include:
- St. Patrick's Day (moderate tempo, clear structure)
- The Blackbird (hornpipe time, technically accessible)
- The Garden of Daisies (slip jig time, lyrical quality)
Consult your teacher and your organization's approved list before committing—some governing bodies restrict set dance selections by competition level or gender.
