How to do the irish river dance

Learn to Riverdance in two weeks? No sweat – The Irish Times

Sweating and cursing, I slump to the floor and stare longingly at my handbag, which I know contains a bottle of ice-cold water and a bar of chocolate. The blisters on my feet are aching, but I know I have to dig deep and summon the energy to pick myself up and start again. As I struggle to my feet, Bill Whelan’s familiar music blares through the speakers. I lift my head, stand tall, and for what feels like the 100th time, begin dancing.

When asked if I'd be interested in learning the steps for Riverdance, I agreed without question. I'm not a dancer. As a child I used to traipse to the school hall once a week to learn my h-aon, dó, trís with the rest of my runner-wearing classmates. None of us was destined for dancing fame, but from the enthusiastic girls in the front of the class to the grumpy boys shuffling at the back, we all jumped around and stretched our limbs.

Years of primary-school dancing lessons may not have sent me straight to the stage, but it did instil rhythm. During my teen years I developed these skills by dancing the familiar Ballaí Luimní in school halls in the west, desperate to impress those strapping young Irish College lads.

Sorcha Pollak and Pádraic Moyles. Photograph: Alan Betson

That I'm not a dancer becomes quite apparent from the moment I meet Pádraic Moyles, associate director and principle dancer of Riverdance and my trainer for this experiment. He is exactly how I imagine a professional dancer to be: he's fit, lean and moves in a way my body refuses to imitate.

As a small boy, Moyles would watch and take part in the set-dancing sessions his parents held in the family home every Friday. When he was nine his family moved from Dublin to New York, where he began dancing with the teacher Donny Golden.

Sorcha Pollak has 2 weeks to transform herself into a Riverdance dancer ...can she do it? Video: Darragh Bambrick / Daniel O'Connor

“I didn’t like dancing at all,” he says. “It was getting in the way of football and basketball and all those American sports that I was starting to get into.”

However, at 17 he skipped school to travel to Boston for an audition with a new Irish dancing show. Within a few months he was finished high school, and in November 1997 he began dancing with Riverdance.

“In one sense it’s an addiction for me now,” he says. “I absolutely love it and there is nothing like feeling the applause and the appreciation of a crowd at the end of the night.”

Twenty years later

Riverdance is celebrating its 20th anniversary since it was first performed as the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994. Two decades later the show has been seen by more than 25 million people in 46 countries across the globe.

I have often wondered what dancing in front of an international audience would feel like. As I turn up for my first class, my enthusiasm to learn masks my panic.

I imagine my new teacher is expecting a dancer more like the attractive colleagues who accompany him on stage, dancing the steps with make-up and hair perfectly intact. Sadly that’s not how I look as I grapple with the ridiculously high-speed choreography. Each step is demonstrated with mesmerising speed and dexterity. I, on the other hand, trip and sweat my way through each afternoon.

However, despite the countless falls and inability to pick up seemingly simple steps, I emerge from each rehearsal invigorated. Dancing has the ability to clear your mind of all worries and fears. It requires that you focus 100 per cent on the movement of your body, leaving no time to stress over picking up the shopping or meeting a deadline.

One hour rehearsing also leaves you with an indescribable hunger. As I imagine the giant plate of pasta I will prepare post-rehearsal, Moyles tells me he tends to eat high levels of protein to maintain his strength.

“Most mornings when I wake up it’s oatmeal and egg whites with some honey. For lunch I try and eat bigger because I like to feel light going on stage and have two chicken breasts with some broccoli.”

Suddenly I can no longer justify that metre-long baguette I hoped to buy on the way home. “Don’t worry”, he adds, “I love a chocolate bar every now and then.” I breathe a sigh of relief.

Dancers lose an average of 5lb of water weight during every performance of Riverdance. "In China we lost about 15lb," says my lean but not mean trainer. "We couldn't find the right foods and none of us were properly prepared for the culture shock."

I empathise with those dancers, not the pounds but the water weight. I don’t think my skin has ever excreted as much fluid as during the intense rehearsals.

After 17 years dancing, Moyles says that eight shows a week, often for 52 weeks a year, is exhausting. He tells me about the challenges of being on the road for months, living out of a suitcase and searching for a launderette in China.

"There are certain territories that are easy to tour, like the United States and Europe, but then there are other places that are extremely difficult, like Asia, and China in particular."

However, it’s not all sweat and blood on tour. When 18-year-olds begin dancing with the show straight out of school, they soon learn that their pay cheques won’t fly straight out the window.

“We have no rent and no bills. Nowadays the most people have is a mobile phone bill,” says Moyles.

Retirement age

As my bones begin to ache after an hour of rehearsing, I ask him what the retirement age is for dancers. Michael Flatley (55) is still dancing, he tells me, as is Donny Golden (61).

“You’re never too old to dance,” he says, as I strap on my black, hard-soled dance shoes for the first time. “You grow old because you don’t dance. The day I don’t dance is probably the day I’m going to become old.”

Relearning to dance reawakens the 10-year-old inside me. Somehow, in the space of two weeks I am transformed from a very self conscious novice into a toe-tapping Riverdancer.

Sadly, the sweaty hours I have spent in the studio on the banks of the Liffey may not, as I secretly dream, lead to a career in performance. However, they remind me of the importance of embracing my creative inner child.

Bring on those west of Ireland céilís: the boys will be only dazzled by my dance skills in the halla.

Riverdance returns to Dublin for a summer season at the Gaiety Theatre from June 23 to August 31

Irish Dance: History, Music, Styles, Steps, Dresses, Shoes

Irish dance or Irish dancing is traditional Gaelic or Celtic dance forms that originated in Ireland. It can be performed as a solo or in groups of up to twenty or more trained dancers. In Ireland, Irish dance is part of social dancing or may be for formal performances and competitions.

It is performed traditionally with intricate foot work and is most known for the dancers performing with a stiff upper body. Unlike other dance forms, Irish dancers do not move their arms or hands so that footwork is accented.

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The History of Irish Dance

The history of Ireland is also the history of Irish Dance. The actual dates of its origin has never been determined specifically. However, Irish history is steeped in Druidic, Celtic and other religious history which affected the origins of Irish dance. For example, processionals in Druidic and Celtic religious practices required precision movement as do Irish reels and jigs.

The Celts are a 2,000 year old civilization that brought with them their own folk dances. Many of their dances were comprised of circular formations around sacred trees or they consisted of certain patterns performed by males and females in a religious rite.

If there has been any influence in Irish Dance, it may have been the Quadrille. Ireland has been a country of many travelers who brought with them various continental dance styles. The Quadrille was one of these styles that impacted Irish dance.

The Quadrille was popular across Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries when royalty held balls and cotillions. Although, the Quadrille was popular toward the end of the 18th century and spread to England and Ireland around the early 19th century.

A Quadrille is a square dance performed by four couples. It contains five choreographic figures. Each of these figures is a complete dance sequence of itself. Thus, it is easy to see how Irish reels became a prominent part of Irish dance.

Musical instruments like the Irish Bodhran (drum), fiddle, concertina, accordian, Uiliean pipes, Celtic harp, tin whistles and banjo form the background of Irish dance music

Irish Dance Costumes, Dresses and Shoes

In the early days of Irish dance the dance costumes for females were basically ankle length dresses or blouses and skirts. For male dancers, costumes might have consisted of a shirt with a kilt in the Irish clan plaid or it may have been a long coat, shirt, vest and briques (calf length pants) with leggings.

Modern Irish dancers and dancers performing in traditional Celtic dance wear several different costume styles. For Traditional Celtic dance, female dancers wear blouses and long skirts while the male dancers perform with traditional shirt and kilt.

Modern Irish female dancers perform in beautiful short dresses in bright colors, mostly always with their arms fully covered. Modern Irish male dancers perform in trousers and a shirt with a colorful sash tied at the waist.

Shoes for male Irish dancers depends on the type of dance they are performing. For Flat Down step dancing, shoes have metal cleats on the toes and heels. For Ballet Up dance, shoes for males have soft soles.

Female dancers wear black leather "Ghillies" that have soft soles for flexibility for Ballet Up steps. The soft leather of Ghillies help Irish dancers perform dance steps either on the balls of the feet or on tips of their toes.

Female Irish dancers wear two basic types of shoes. For Flat Down step dances, shoes are an oxford style with a thick heel with metal cleat attached to the full heel and a thick frontal sole that also has a metal cleat attached. The oxford is usually black leather, has laces and a leather strap to secure the shoe to the foot.

Irish Dance Styles & Types

In total, there are six Irish dance styles. However, it is equally important to note that within each of the six Irish dance styles, there are basically only two dance style techniques, these are known as Ballet Up and Flat Down. These describe how Irish dancers use their feet in the six styles.

Ballet up describes a balletic style where toes are pointed and steps are performed high on the balls of the feet or on tips of the toes. Body weight is lifted upward from the floor.

Flat Down describes a technique that relies more on the use of the heels in a flat, gliding motion. Body weight sinks downward into the floor to emphasize the sound of the metal cleats.

The six Irish dance styles include:

Traditional Irish Step Dancing - only the legs and feet move in flat down technique
Modern Irish Step Dancing - full body movement with ballet up technique
Irish Set Dancing - with Flat Down technique
Irish Ceili Dancing - with Ballet Up technique
Irish Sean Nos Dancing - with Flat Down technique
Irish Two Hand Dancing - with Flat Down technique

Traditional Irish Step

Traditional Irish Step dancing is performed by male and female dancers in long lines, circles, squares or as partnered reels. Traditional Iris Step Dancing consists of dances set to traditional Irish music with a fast tempo that dancers are required to perform sets of steps to.

For example, two groups of dancers face opposite each other and shuffle, hop, jump, tap and stamp to the music as they more toward each other. Dancers then move between the dancers of the opposite line and then back to their original position. This is often referred to as a "competition" line dance.

Modern Irish Step Dancing

Modern Irish Step dancing has female dancers performing ballet up dance movements like leg swings, hopping and jumping or sashaying to the music. The female dancers perform in soft ghillies while the male dancers are heard tapping in Oxford tap shoes to the music Modern Irish Step Dancing

Irish Set Dancing

Irish Set Dancing, as its name implies consists of dances performed in "sets." For example, a performance of Irish Set Dances may be part of a whole choreographed dance performance that is broken up into several separate parts. The set usually requires dancing in couples in four sets.

The Set Dance begins with all four couples dancing to the same choreography. This is followed by each couple performing the same sets as individual couples.

Irish Ceili Dancing

Irish Ceili (pronounced "kay-lee) Dancing is a very traditional dance form. It originated in the 1500's and is always performed to traditional Irish music. The Ceili Dances consist of quadrilles, reels, jigs and long or round dances. These were the most native Irish traditional folk dances.

Irish Sean Nos Dancing

Irish Sean Nos Dancing is one of the oldest of the traditional Irish dance styles. It is the only one performed as a solo. It differs from other Irish dances in that it allows free movement of the arms and it is flat down with the heavy weight on the accented beat of the music.

Sean Nos Dancing is the only Irish dance that also allows the solo dancer to improvise the choreography simultaneously as the dance is performed. The taps consist of shuffles and brushes as the dancer moves across the floor.

Irish Two Hand Dancing

This style of Irish Dance was a predominant part of Irish socializing. It is performed much like Irish Set Dancing with the exception that is it danced to polkas, Irish hornpipes, waltzes and jigs. Like the Irish Set Dancing, it is performed by couples with specific choreographic dance patterns, although in Irish Two Hand Dancing the patterns are repeated.

In Irish Two Hand Dancing couples dance in a relaxed style while they tap their feet in shuffling, hopping and spinning motion. By all appearances, when Irish Two Hand Dancing is performed on a large dance floor, the couples seem to be gliding along as they dance.

Basic Irish Dance Steps

Ballet Up styles of Irish dance rely on several uniformly performed steps. The first comes from the ballet step, "chasse," which means to "chase." In this step the Irish dancer steps with the right foot while the left foot "chases" the right in three counts. This is often called the "1-2-3."

Another step borrowed from Ballet is the "cabriole" which is to leap into the air while the left calf beats under the right calf that is extended forward in the air. There are several other steps that require the dancer to perform full or half turns.

In Flat Down Irish dance steps, the dancer's foot strikes the floor in a twisting shuffle of the right foot while hopping into the air with the left foot.

There are also combinations of Irish dance steps that include the "1-2-3", shuffle, stamping the whole foot and tapping one toe behind the other foot that holds body weight.

Although traditional Irish dance limits movement of the arms, today's modern Irish dancers are seen starting a dance routine with their hands on their hips and using certain movements of the arms that coordinate with music for interpretation of choreography.

Irish Dancers are as young as pre-school age to adult. There are numerous Irish Dance schools that teach traditional and modern Irish dance styles in the U.S. and Europe. The syllabus for Irish Dance is less complex than ballet, although several Irish steps originate from ballet.

Irish Dance is a combination of ballet and tap dancing. Although, it can be said that tap dancing originated from Irish flat down dance technique.

Unlike ballet, however, Ballet Up dance steps require dancers to place full weight on their toes in ghillies that are not blocked as ballet pointe shoes are.

In Flat down dance steps, the shoe is more flexible across the front of the shoe than a traditional tap dance shoe. This enables the Irish dancers to perform shuffling steps with more speed.

Irish Dance Today

The first international reintroduction to Irish Dance performances was with the performance of "Riverdance", composed by Bill Whelan.

The first performance was in 1995 in Dublin. It starred the now famous Irish Dancer and Irish Dance choreographer, Michael Flatley.

Although, it predominantly features Irish step dancing, "Riverdance" has a Baroque style that incorporates other dance styles like flamenco and a Russian dervish. The end result for dance experts is that "Riverdance" provides insight into how dances are linked in technique and styles.

It has since been performed as a touring Irish Dance show in New York City and at the Vatican for Pope Francis.

In addition to "Riverdance," Michael Flatley choreographed his first full length Irish Dance performance in which he starred, in "Lord of the Dance." This was followed by "Feet of Flames" and "Celtic Tiger Live." These are modern Irish dance shows that include Ballet Up and Flat Down Irish dance techniques.

In "Feet of Flames," Michael Flatley performs a lengthy series of movements that seem to defy gravity, all while maintaining balance and musical timing.

However, in the Flatley shows, he included traditional Irish songs in the Gaelic language as well as actual story lines for each of his Irish dance shows. For example, in Lord of the Dance, the story line has both a romantic and a fairy tale plot that includes a whimsical fairy piper.

As a result of the addition of a Gaelic singer and two Irish talented Irish fiddlers in these shows, similar Irish entertainment emerged from these Irish performances such as "Celtic Woman" and "Irish Tenors."

All of these Irish performances include some of the most extraordinary dance talent and shows the extreme skill needed to maintain Irish dance choreography as well as a semblance of acting talent.

There are also Irish Dance Championships that encourage students of Irish Dance to take part in competitions for awards for their dance techniques, skills and choreography.

Conclusion

There is no doubt Irish Dance captures the attention of audiences wherever it is performed. There are also many Irish societies and organizations that help promote Irish dance performances like the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day Parade, Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh and the World Irish Dance Organization. Today, Irish Dance is seen in the Thanksgiving Day Macy's Parade as well as the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City and Chicago.

Ulyanovsk "Irish" staged a jig in Moscow and took prizes "in a minute"

Irish dance fascinates everyone who has ever seen a live performance of a patrick, jig or hornpipe. But few people know that Ulyanovsk residents aged 11 to 45 can also master steps that are breathtaking in complexity and beauty and subsequently become the best in their performance. The other day, our dancers became winners of the Russian National Championships and Feis 2017 in Moscow in Irish dancing.

The opening of the first school of Irish dance in our city is the merit of Oksana Sergeeva, a dancer of ballroom and oriental dances from Siberia.

“When I arrived in Ulyanovsk in the late 90s, I continued to do my favorite dances,” recalls Oksana Sergeeva. One day, about eight years later, I was looking on the Internet for novelties for working moments and came across an Irish show by Michael Flatley. After watching it, I realized what I should do in life. It turned out that these dances are not taught in Ulyanovsk.

But this did not stop our interlocutor. She was so imbued with the Irish theme that she began attending master classes in Samara, adopting the experience of metropolitan professionals. In 2010, Oksana recruited her first ten students and the work began to boil. Together they learned the basics of an exciting dance. Soon they were waiting for an exam for professional skills in the capital from eminent experts from Ireland itself. The task was completed successfully.

- When I received my education certificate, I began to put up ads around the city for admission to Irish dance groups, but no one paid attention to us, - says Oksana. - We talked about this dance, but everyone imagined the Scottish dance - with bagpipes and skirts. But how can these two dances be confused? Scottish dance is more like Russian folk than Irish. As a result, they proved the uniqueness of the Irish, performing at concerts every week.

Game of Thrones is getting closer

Today, two training bases for Irish dance of the Iridan federal network have been opened in Ulyanovsk: in the Favorit sports complex on Dimitrova, 10a and in the third building of the Ulyanovsk State University on the Sviyaga River Embankment. In the first, 15 people are involved, in the second - ten. At the same time, the age of the Ulyanovsk "Irish" ranges from 11 to 45 years.

So what's so great about Irish jig? First of all, the music of the 18th century, which is found in the films "Game of Thrones" and "Vikings", will captivate. You will also meet fans of these film masterpieces in the ranks of the Ulyanovsk "Iridan". We, the audience, can see their skills at the main concert venues of the city. Among them are soft dances, where the dancers literally fly around the dance floor, and hard dances, when the artists masterfully beat the rhythm.

Colorful costumes for the artists are sewn by Ulyanovsk dressmaker Irina Zlobina, who has become a professional in tailoring Irish outfits for five years of work with the Iridan school.

Every year the Ulyanovsk "Irish" prove their skills at the annual competition "Russian National Championships and Feis". About 500 - 600 dancers from Russia and other countries take part in them. This year, eight Ulyanovsk talents headed by their mentor Oksana Sergeeva went to the capital and returned with awards.

- We performed in each of our age categories and difficulty levels: beginner, prime marie, interlude - Sergeyeva explained. – The contestants dance two at a time on three stages to the live music of an invited musician from London (rhythms: reel, light jig, etc.) And so they demonstrate seven basic rhythms. Each dance lasts one minute. This is how much the maximum sports endurance of the body is. Then, within seven minutes, there is a rebuilding for another dance, after which a new rhythm sounds.

The dancers of "Iridan-Ulyanovsk" returned with awards:

Semichaevskaya Veronika (interlude: slip jig - 1st place, reel - 2nd place; primary: horn pipe - 3rd place;

Tsukanova Daria (Primary: Reel - 3rd place),

Egorov Daniel (beginner: reel - 3rd place, treble jig - 1st place),

Kvekveskiri Varvara (beginner: light jig - 2nd place, single jig - 4th place, treble jig - 4th place),

Arzamastseva Ivetta (beginner: treble jig - 2nd place, single jig - 4th place, light jig - 6th place, patrick - 5th place),

Olibash Alisa (beginner: single jig - 5th place, reel - 4th place),

Sergeeva Oksana (interlude: ril - 3rd place, treble jig - 3rd place).

On December 2, our guys will go to the Irish dance competition in Samara. We wish them good luck!

Help

Irish dances are a group of traditional dances that formed in Ireland in the 18th-20th centuries and became very popular around the world after being staged in the 19'94 dance show Riverdance.

All types of Irish dances are performed exclusively to traditional Irish dance melodies: reels, jigs and hornpipes.

Jig - depending on the musical size of the melody in which the dance is performed, light (double) jig, slip jig, single jig and treble jig are distinguished. The usual time signature for these types of jigs is 6/8.

Reel - the usual time signature of reel is 4/4. Reel is danced in soft shoes - easy-reel and hard - then it's treble-reel. Men's "soft" reel is performed in special shoes - with a heel, but without heels on the toe.

Hornpipe - performed to 2/4 or 4/4 music. Performed in hard shoes.

Source: http://www.iridan.ru

The international Irish dance competition "Russian Open Championships and Feis" is organized by the Iridan Foundation with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Ireland in Russia. The competitions are registered with the Irish Dance Commission, an international organization that coordinates the activities of dancers and teachers around the world. The results of these competitions will be taken into account when compiling the world ranking of dancers, in addition, judges from Ireland certified by the Irish Dance Commission were invited to the competition.

Ekaterina Rossoshanskaya

Photo and video: personal archive of Oksana Sergeeva

Shannon River: Irish dancing in Kyiv

Shannon River

425-17-79, (063) 332-88-81, (050) 146-72-79

Classes are held in the metro area "Universitet". Specify the exact address by phone on the school website in the "Feedback" section

Irish dancing

The history of the Irish people has more than two millennia, and all this time the courageous Irish fought for their freedom (well, just like us Ukrainians). Naturally, the turbulent history has left its mark on the culture, including dances. Irish dances are distinguished by a peculiar style of performance: they do not provide for movements for the head, arms and body at all, all steps are performed only by the legs. This is symbolic: the “hands tied” Irish remained true to their culture, even if they were forbidden to speak their native language, music and dances. According to another legend, in these dances, the main movements are for the feet, because: "While our feet are dancing, our mind is turned to God."

Dance schools in Kyiv

The spectacle and effectiveness of these dances directly depends on the number of dancers: when one person dances, it’s beautiful, two are even better, three are a team, and when four or more people clearly keep the rhythm and move like one organism, this is already an action, like magic. Maybe it is this unity, when dozens of people become one, that attracts people, I don’t know. I only know that watching the dancers is a crazy pleasure, I can’t imagine what a thrill the dancers themselves experience.

Irish branch in Kyiv

This, of course, is the Shannon River School, named after the river in Ireland. At a minimum, Irish dances are taught here, as a maximum, this is a company of close friends who dance, perform and take part in competitions. The age, as for a dance school, is considerable - five years. "Our Kyiv" met with one of the founder, leader, teacher and ideological inspirer of the school "Shannon River" - Maria Chernaya.

NK: Maria, tell us how your passion for Irish dancing started?

I watched the Irish show "Lord of the Dance" and these dances hooked me so much that for five years I listened exclusively to Celtic and Irish music. At the same time, she began to learn Irish dancing. At first, in role-playing parties, where we studied ourselves and taught at the same time. Then the hobby turned into a profession. I studied at master classes in Moscow with Colin Dunn, the soloist of the Riverdance and Dancing on Dangerous Groung shows, an excellent dancer and teacher.

NK: Who goes to your school?

All who want. If a person likes it, he will do it, then that's it - we take him. Doubters can come to a trial lesson to try: if you like it, stay.

NK: As an outside observer, it seems to me that this is unrealistic. Is it difficult to learn how to control your legs like that?

Probably, I’ll say a banality ... The main thing is desire, to burn with it, to want, and then everything will work out. We have three groups: beginner, intermediate and advanced. I guarantee you that if you want, if you practice regularly, then you will definitely succeed. It only seems that everything is complicated, but in fact, in a couple of months you will be able to learn entry-level dances.

NK: Do your students feel embarrassed to speak in public?

No. That is, at first people come and say: “I will not perform, I only do it for myself.” And then, when something works out, they themselves want to perform and show their skills. But if you don't want to, no one will force you.

NK: What do Irish dances give besides dancing?

To each his own: in our school everyone is very friendly, there is more communication, we have kaylee parties, to which everyone can come. At such parties you can dance, you can watch. Thanks to dancing, posture improves, the press is tightened, legs become more beautiful and toned. Since the main emphasis in Irish dances is on the legs, in order to relieve the load from the spine and enable our students to develop comprehensively, we have classes in classical choreography and gymnastics. If Irish dancing is not close to you, you can study in a choreographic studio, where a professional teacher, a graduate of the Kyiv Choreographic School and a former ballet dancer, teaches gymnastics and the basics of classical dance. Now we are recruiting both for the junior group of Irish dance and for the studio. The cost of classes in the choreographic studio is 200 UAH per month. Classes are held in the premises of the Verevka choir on Taras Shevchenko Boulevard. {google}

NK: What is the cost of learning Irish dance?

The cost of classes in the younger group is 250 UAH per month, training takes place in the Red Building of Shevchenko University. Come study now, we are just recruiting students.

NK: Maria, tell us about the competition that your students are talking about?

When everything was just beginning, there was no talk of any competitions. In 2006, we became a member of the WIDA Irish Dance Commission, and in 2007, the first competitions were held in Ukraine. The first competition was held in Odessa, the second in Kyiv. Representatives of WIDA, judges of the international level, come to Kyiv and qualify the speakers. Dancers are divided into the following levels: beginners (beginner), continuing (primary), advanced (intermediate), masters (open). Everyone who starts to compete must pass the beginner category. Here, in a week and a half, on February 14, they will take place. It will be a qualifying competition - every dancer who takes part in it gets the right to dance at the World Championships in Germany, an event that we are all preparing to go to.