Grade Rules
The Grades normally recognised and permitted by An Coimisiun are: - Bun-ghrad
- Tus-ghrad
- Mean-ghrad
- Ard-ghrad
New grades to be introduced in Munster on a trial basis are: - Primary ghrad
- Pre-liminary ghrad
Note: For Bun, Tus, Primary, Mean and Ard where there are 5 or less dancers in a competition, the dancers are not graded out. The Feis Organizer will mark this result as an award when results are forwarded to the Regional Council. Bun-Ghrad - Every Bun-ghrad competition shall be confined to competitions who have never previously won first place.
- for the dance specified for that competition in any other registered competition in any other grade or under any age limit
- Dancers must perform basic material only.
- Dancers can only wear skirt and top, day dress or class costumes in this grade.
Tus-Ghrad - Every Tus-ghrad competition shall be confined to competitors who have never previously won first place
- for the dance specified for that competition in any other registered competition in any other grade or under any age limit other than in Bun-ghrad.
- Dancers must perform their first advanced material. This should exclude clicks, twists, swivils, cross-keys, rocks etc
- Dancers can only wear skirt and top, day dress or class costunmes in this grade.
Primary Ghrad (Munster specific criterial only) - Every Primary competition must be confined to competitors who have never previously graded out of a competition
- for the dance specified for that competition in any other registered competition in any other grade or under any age limit other than in Bun or Tus or Primary Grade.
- Dancers can perform the same level of material acceptable in Mean or Ard Ghrad competition.
- Solo costumes can be worn by dancers in this grade.
- Once a dancer wins a dance in Primary grade, they are no longer eligible to enter that dance in that grade again.
Mean-Ghrad - Every Mean-ghrad competition must be confined to competitors who have never previously won first place under the upper age-limit specified for the competition (or under a higher age-limit) outside of Bun-ghrad, Tus-ghrad or Primary-ghrad
- a registered competition for the dance specified for the competition.
- The same level of material can be performed for Mean-Ghrad and Ard-Ghrad.
A competition in which there are five competitors or less shall not count for grading purposes i.e. the winner of such a competition shall be entitled to dance again in a competition for the same dance in the same age group and grade. (1994) Preliminary (Pre-Lim) Ghrad (Munster specific criterial only) - Every Preliminary competition must be confined to competitors who have never previously won an Ard competition
- for the dance specified for that competition in any other registered competition under any age limit other
- Winners of a Pre-Lim competition are not graded out of the Pre-Lim grade. Only the winning of an Open competition or Championship will affect a dancer's participation in this grade.
- Dancers can perform the same level of material acceptable in Mean or Ard Ghrad competition.
- Solo costumes can be worn by dancers in this grade.
- A winner of a Pre-lim solo competition automatically eliminates the dancer from dancing that dance in Bun, Tus or Mean.
- If a dancer fails to win that Pre-lim dance again in the next two years, they can apply to Comhairle na Mumhan to be re-graded to Mean Grade again. The re-grading is entirely at the discretion of the Munster Regional Council.
Ard-Ghrad - An Ard-ghrad competition shall be open to any dancer who satisfies all the following qualifying conditions:
- is a pupil of a registered teacher
- is qualified to compete as regards age and place of residence
- is not suspended from competitions under any Rule or by a decision of An Coimisiun or of a Regional Authority
- is entered with the permission of his teacher
A competition in which there are five competitors or less shall not count for grading purposes i.e. the winner of such a competition shall be entitled to dance again in a competition for the same dance in the same age group at mean grade. (2007) Where a dancer has won first prize and thereafter fails to win a prize for that particular dance, the teacher of that dancer may, when a period of two years has elapsed, apply to the regional council to have the dancer re-graded as a mean grad dancer. Effective January 1st 2009 (Munster specific) 1. For those competitions where grading occurs for ALL GRADED COMPETITIONS, the number of dancers that progress to the next grade will be modified based on the numbers in a competition as follows. -
Less than or equal to 20 >>> 1 dancer grade up -
21 – 40 >>>>> 2 dancers grade up -
Greater than or equal to 40 >>> 3 dancers grade up 2. Each child grading up must receive a prize of the same standard as the winner and exceeding that of the dancers in the other places. GRADE CHAMPIONSHIP for OIREACHTAS na MUMHAN:
(Current Munster Criteria) a/ Dancers who have won the dances listed in the Championship, in Open or Ard Grade for the previous 2 years, where 6 or more dancers took part, will not be entitled to enter the Grade Championship. i.e. for 2008 exclude winners for 2006, 2007, & 2008. b/ Dancers who have won this Graded Competition at Oireachtas Rince na Mumhan in the previous two years, will not be entitled to enter the Grade Championship. e.g. for 2008 event exclude winners for 2006 & 2007 c/ Dancers in 7- 8 Graded Championship must not have been placed in the top 6 places in the previous Oireachtas Rince na Mumhan. i.e. 6-7 age groups 2007. d/ Dancers in 8 – 9, 9 – 10, and 10 – 11 age groups must not have been placed in the 6 placings in the Oireachtas na Mumhan Priomh Comortas or Craobh Comortas, in either of the two previous Oireachtas na Mumhan. i.e. 7-8, 8-9, 9-10 ages for 2006 and 2007 Oireactasai. e/ To enter the graded championship ,dancers must not have won a Craobh Comortas at Oireachtas Rince na Mumhan, regardless of what dances were performed. f/ Dancers who have ever qualified to dance at Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne are not eligible to dance in a graded championship. g/ Winners of this Oireachtas na Mumhan, Grade Championship will automatically be eliminated from dancing those dancers performed in any lower grade i.e. Bun, Tus, Primary (Munster criteria) and Mean grades. h/ Winners of this Oireachtas na Mumhan, Grade Championship, who after a period of two years has elapsed, has not won Preliminary grade or Ard grade for the dances performed, can apply to Comhairle na Mumhan to be re-graded as Mean Grad. This permission is solely at the discretion of the Munster Regional Council. i/ Winners of this Oireachtas na Mumhan, Grade Championship, are not in any way precluded from entering solo Preliminary competitions where these competitions exist, provided they have not won the dances in Ard grad. Should there be a need for further clarifications on these rules, please do not hesitate to contact the Runai of Comhairle na Mumhan, Mr Charles Moore. Where updates or charifications result from such a query, the website will be update for the convenience and clarity of all and teachers will be notified through the email system on this website. Teachers are advised to keep their email address up to datte on this website to ensure that they get notified of all changes. Please contact, the Runai of Comhairle na Mumhan of such changes |
