Join me for an IADF festival survival guide, honed from years of experience. From practical advice on meal planning with your housemate to the sublime importance of sleep, this episode is dedicated to those who want to make the most of their festival experience.
Click here to get on Woo Corner for next month!
Irish Aerial Dance Festival Schedule and Sign up
Bus Éireann timetable and tickets from Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport information and map
Don't go back to sleep.
xoRachel
Sign up here for monthly blasts and functional woo
Find me on Instagram
Support this podcast on Patreon
Join me for an IADF festival survival guide, honed from years of experience. From practical advice on meal planning with your housemate to the sublime importance of sleep, this episode is dedicated to those who want to make the most of their festival experience.
Click here to get on Woo Corner for next month!
Irish Aerial Dance Festival Schedule and Sign up
Bus Éireann timetable and tickets from Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport information and map
Don't go back to sleep.
xoRachel
Sign up here for monthly blasts and functional woo
Find me on Instagram
Support this podcast on Patreon
Welcome to Audacity Works, a podcast inspired by and dedicated to the working artist, the creative entrepreneur and generally doing the damn thing. This exists on the premise that the world belongs to those who have the audacity to believe that their lives have value. This is for you. Hi, friends, and welcome to Audacity Works. This is episode number 36. I'm your host, rachel Strickland, and I did this intro out of order Hilarious. Today I'm going to be giving you survival tips for how to get the most out of the Irish Aerial Dance Festival. It is particularly geared towards those who are coming from different time zones, but hopefully there will be something for everyone. Little bit of an update. First, woo Corner was set out today. I'm recording this on Monday, july 3rd, and it's going live Wednesday, july 6th. So if you want to get in on Woo Corner for next month, then there is a link in the show notes. And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, i pulled a card in December of 2022 for every month of 2023, specifically for the readers of my email newsletter. So that goes out near the beginning of every month and it's going out today. It's actually I already sent it out today, so if you want access to it, just let me know and I'll send it to you.
Speaker 1:Okay, so on to the meat of the subject. What is the Irish Aerial Dance Festival? One, it's exactly what it sounds like It's two weeks. Once it was three weeks, my God, we were all almost dead. But it's two weeks in the summer. It takes place in Lutterkine, which is in Donegal, towards the north of Ireland not in Northern Ireland, because that's a different country, but in the north of Ireland, and it is put on by Fidget Feet, ireland's premier aerial dance company. All of this is the brainchild of the ineffable force of nature that is Chantal McCormick. I had the good fortune of discovering Chantal and bothering her relentlessly when the festival, was still young enough that that really made a difference And we became, and still remain, close friends. So I've been extremely fortunate to be able to watch this festival grow into the beast that it is today, and it's a really magical opportunity to grow in every way possible. So it is two weeks and the days are long. They're like almost 12 hours long, especially if you're a teacher. So ways that you can get the most out of this festival so that you survive.
Speaker 1:Okay, priority number one is food. Eat at every available opportunity. Don't underestimate what I'm saying. This is not normal life And even if you train to a very high degree and you're a professional, you're still going to be moving, walking, using your brain in a way that is abnormal. Eat at every available opportunity.
Speaker 1:The accommodations are in a dormitory called Balli Rain Hall. The Tesco and an Aldi as well, i believe is within walking distance, but don't walk. Don't walk to the grocery store Like get a lift, because you're going to be loaded up full of groceries and also in Ireland it rains all the time. So if you don't like the weather in Ireland, just give it a minute, it'll change. But you don't want to be loaded down with like 50 pounds of food items and like trudging through the pouring rain back to Balli Rain Hall. It's not fun. Ask me how I know If you have the ability to bring a few little Tupperwares with you. Do that, because then, if you do cook, you can make extra and have leftovers and you'll be so grateful that you did that.
Speaker 1:Okay, so here is the reality of the situation. All of the classes at the IDF this year are taking place in the Aura Leisure Center, and if you are used to being in a city, you will imagine a large building with lots of shops and cafes within a quick walking distance. This is not accurate. The Aura Leisure Center is way out on a country road, surrounded by cute little sheeps and rolling hillsides and cottages, and the idea that you're just going to be able to like pop out real fast and have lots of choices of food available to you is inaccurate. So you will want to plan ahead. If at all possible, team up with one of your housemates, because Ballet Rain Hall is separated into like little apartments so that you you share like a little flat with what is it? two to four other people? I I don't remember at the moment. But if you can team up with someone in your house who you have the same nutrition requirements and preferences and you can help each other out by helping to provide breakfast for whoever wakes up early, or make dinner together and just plan your meals together, that can be amazing, and the reason I know that is because I did that for years with my good friend, shane Hoolahan, who runs Taking Flight in Dublin. We really realized early on that we were both meat eaters and not a lot of people are, frankly, at the festival. So we took care of each other for years, and now he does other things during the summer, so I will miss him. But if you can share the load with someone in your household while you're there, you'll be glad you did.
Speaker 1:Priority number two is sleep. Do not underestimate the alluring power of a group of friends who want to go to the pub And I'm not saying that you shouldn't go to the pub, like go to the pub, But it doesn't get dark in Donnie Gall in the summer until like 11pm, 11 30pm. And if you wait until that long, that late in the evening, to make your dinner and go to sleep and then you have to be on a shuttle at 8 30 the next morning, it's going to wear you down. So at some point you're probably going to have to choose sleep over fun, and it that's worth it really. Bring a sleep mask and earplugs if you have one. There's no sure way to make yourself vulnerable to a cold or some other illness or just feeling like crap than not sleeping. Not only is it a necessary physiological process, but it's also where the bulk of real learning takes place. So sacrificing sleep for fun all the time will not serve you and will not serve your experience of the IDF in the long run.
Speaker 1:Now, when it comes to accommodation and Balli Rain Hall, i totally recommend that everyone stay in the accommodation. Don't try to get an Airbnb on your own out in the town, because it's really great to just be with everyone, and if you are, if you identify as a massive introvert the way I do trust me, i get it. You are tempted to get an Airbnb and stay off site so that you can control your environment, and there is totally truth to that. I just personally recommend staying in Balli Rain Hall with the other participants and the other teachers, because relationships are really the, the gold that comes out of this festival. The first year I went, i couldn't afford my own room, so I shared a room with someone that I didn't know. That person ended up being Don Pascoe of Natural Wings Aerial Dance in Australia, and we've been lifelong friends and made a lot of shows together and traveled the world together. That would not have happened if I had given into my shyness and just wanted to be alone Not that I had any other choice at the time, but yes, that is my personal recommendation Stay in Balli Rain Hall, and I know this is coming a little bit late to be beneficial to a lot of people.
Speaker 1:But if you can, if you're coming from a different time zone into Ireland, come at least a day early to get on Irish time. I'm just going to repeat this is like a marathon. The festival is a lot, and the more you can be prepared to dive in on day one, the happier you will be. If you're like well, i don't know what to do if I come in a day or two early, like where do I go? That's the beauty of the whole thing. You can go wherever you want. You can get a little hostel in Dublin, you can travel to Galway, one of my favorite cities in the entire world, or there's also like Hundreds of other people coming to do the same thing that you're doing. You probably know some of them, so y'all could like hook up and hang out. I don't know, just saying So during the IDF.
Speaker 1:If there is a food option available At the festival during the day This has happened several times where we call them like the food angels would come and you could buy, like You could prepay for lunch for the week during the break time, and If that is available, take it. Just just do it, take it. If there is a shuttle option available to get you to and from the aura, where classes are held, take it. The aura is a leisure center which is a 45 minute walk at a clip From the accommodation, from Ballet Rain Hall. On a beautiful morning, this is fantastic. It's a great way to warm up your body, walk through the town, look at the sheep on the hillside, the whole thing. But, as I have mentioned, it is not always sunny for 45 minutes straight in Ireland And it's not really something that you can depend on happening every day. So if there is Some kind of transportation available to you, take it. Also, on that end, having something waterproof Would be good.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying you need to wear galoshes or something, but I do recommend that you have a second pair of shoes in case you can and will Get caught in a sudden downpour and your shoes get soaked and you're like oh, these are the only shoes I brought. Don't, don't, do that, just don't. And This is where I'm going to just get into some like general travel advice from from my traveling life Bring twice as much underwear as you think you will need and twice as many socks as you think you will need. I learned that the hard way and This piece of advice fun. We're going to move into the classes now. This piece of advice is lifted straight from Jenny Tufts patreon, and if you don't know Jenny Tufts I would be very surprised. Jenny is one of my favorite humans and a sensational creator and just like generally wonderful Blue tornado, and she mentioned this on her patreon months ago when she first announced She was teaching at the IDF and I thought it was really smart. So I'm going to repeat it here.
Speaker 1:Don't take more than two support apparatuses and by support I mean bar things that you can sit on like a trapeze or a spiral or a hoop, even if those are your main apparatuses and you have Built up pretty good calluses on them. Don't overestimate your calluses During week two, like I just I know this site so so well because I've seen it so many times people just walking around Staring at their palms in horror because their palms are ripped open and now they can't participate and any more of the classes that they Prepared so diligently for. So don't overestimate the skin of your hands and what it can take like. Keep your bar classes to a minimum of two. Jenny also advises to only take three classes a day, even though you can technically take four, and I also think that that is really wise.
Speaker 1:Most people are going to ignore us, but it's worth saying anyway. And general Irish Intel if someone local asks you how the crack is, they are not assuming that you take illegal street drugs. They are asking you what the fun is, because that is the word for fun crack, cr a. I see, one of my favorite words ever and my favorite response is the crack is mighty. I didn't come up with that myself, everybody says it, but still I just I can't wait to be asked how the crack is. So something else that's very, very easy to fall into without noticing it, and as far as getting the most that you can out of the classes is trying to be impressive, super human, super understandable. But if we're not aware that that can happen to us without even really noticing, slip into. Well, i'm gonna be impressive today. That's not really conducive to learning. A lot of times It takes the focus out of your experience of being in your body and puts the focus on what you look like to other people, and that's totally normal to happen. I know that I have done it and that is why I'm telling you to be aware of it.
Speaker 1:On the weekends, see the shows. There's always shows available, not every weekend, but I think we're having shows Friday and Saturday on week two of the IEDF. Go to the shows. It's an amazing opportunity to see the work of other international artists and just to be able to sit in the belly of the wonderful Ungranted Theater And be a part of something really special. Okay, so let's talk about getting there, because the IEDF is in Lettarkinny, way up north, in Donnie Gall, and most of you will be flying into Dublin. It's generally the cheapest airport to fly into and it's where I always fly into. So if you're flying into Dublin, here are my recommendations.
Speaker 1:When you exit customs, turn right. There's an ATM there. You'll be able to get out euros. If you're coming from outside the European Union, you want to have some cash on hand. You just do After you get some cash money, turn around and take a left. Don't go down the escalator yet. Stay upstairs. If you take a left, you can go walk over and you'll see breakfast food available and sort of a buffet situation, and there's also some accessible toilets. That toilet is always my first stop so I can change out of the disgusting clothes that I've been wearing for the flight. This is like a sacred ritual for me and I do not skip it because it kind of feels like I'm going on a date, like I'm meeting Ireland for a date. Not that I have ever been on a date, but if I were to go on one, i would shower first And then, after you're all refreshed, you can go out and pay too much money for a breakfast, and if you've never been to Ireland before or the British Isles, you'll be able to experience a full Irish breakfast.
Speaker 1:This is only for me eaters, although I believe they have vegetarian options for full Irish breakfast now At the airport buffet. Why would I pay too much money for a breakfast? See priority number one Eat at every available opportunity. If you're traveling alone, your next stop is going to be the bus station, and you don't want to get on a bus for an indeterminate amount of time with no food in your belly after flying. Just eat something, have a coffee or whatever.
Speaker 1:Now, all of this information is for terminal two, so most people do fly into terminal two. So if you do, then you can, after breakfast, exit the terminal, take a left and just walk over and that's where the bus stops are. I will also put a link to the bus timetable where you can buy a ticket or like look at the times available. That'll be in the show notes, so check the show notes for a link to the bus timetable. I believe it's like a five hour bus ride from Dublin to Letterkenny. Don't quote me on that, but that feels right to me. I've only done it like 20 times, i don't know why, i can't remember accurately. But oh, before I forget, another thing regarding classes If you can don't skip the warm up, especially Amy's gyrokinesis warm up, amy L teaches it, she sets it to music. It's fantastic And I always felt like, after I did an Amy warm up, that my body was prepared to move for the rest of the day. So highly recommend. And one more thing There are hoodies available every year and they change every year.
Speaker 1:The colors change, the design changes, so you will probably want to buy a hoodie and I think that you should write your name on the tag of that hoodie. Trust me, there is going to be like 200 people walking around wearing the exact same hoodie as you, taking it off and throwing it to the side during class, and you're picking up what I'm putting down. Right Like everybody has the same hoodie. No one knows which one is there. Just write your name in your hoodie. Just write your name, and those are my survival tips for getting the most out of the Irish Ariel Dance Festival.
Speaker 1:If you are coming and you know me, can you do me a favor, because I don't know how jet lagged I'm going to be. I don't know what's going to be going on with my brain If I see you and there isn't a dawning recognition in my face. Please just give me a second Or tell me your name, because it's not that I don't know who you are. Like, trust me, it's not that I don't know who you are, and a lot of people I have never met in real life, i have only interacted with them on the internet, which is still a very real relationship. Like internet, friendships are real friendships, but it's also, you know, if you're seeing someone's face. When you're used to seeing an icon, it can take a second, but please do come say hi.
Speaker 1:I'm very excited to see all of you there, to have you in class, to watch you in class and to just generally share what is a really, really special time. Thank you for listening, particularly if you're not even coming to the Irish festival and you listen to this anyway. Thank you. That means a lot, and if it was helpful to you and you are coming to the festival, the greatest gift of thanks that you could give me would be to send it to someone else that you think it could benefit. But thank you each and every one of you for sitting here and letting me talk into your ears. I appreciate you so much, and an extra special thank you to my incredible, generous patrons, without whom this would not happen. Thank you for supporting the work. Thank you for supporting creation. Thank you for existing in the world. We'll go back to sleep.