A recap of how Championship points are computed and used, just in time for the Oireachtas season!

by Jim Montague

The preliminary and championship events are the highest dance levels at a feis. As the dancer's skills have sharpened and competition becomes keener, it becomes necessary for the performances to be evaluated independently by three judges.

As in the lower competition levels (Beginner, Novice, and Prizewinner), each judge scores the dancer from 0 to 100 points (although you'll normally see a score somewhere between 70 and 95). These are known as the "raw" scores. The three "raw" scores earned by any one dancer mean nothing by themselves ‐‐ these scores must be restated so that they are in relation to the other competitors.