The NEW UK Irish Dance Board for UK, European & World (2024)

She has since joined an Open Platform school, so I thought I'd give an honest review here for anyone else considering it.

Yes, the standard is lower. That does not mean the teaching quality is lower, only that the top dancers don't have any competition, so there is less driving their effort. As more CLRG dancers move over, these dancers will have to increase their effort, which means the lower placing dancers will also have to work harder, and so the standard increases. In my opinion, a low standard is not a good enough reason alone to avoid moving, especially when the alternative is knowing that no matter how hard you work, you will never earn the result you deserve because someone else's teacher has paid for them to win.

We haven't done any competitions yet, but there is no transfer ban so DD hopes to be out soon. Having said that, the number of competitions is much smaller. We are used to having at least one competition a month on our doorstep, where now we will be travelling more. This obviously comes with an increased cost, however I think this might be negated by the lower frequency of events.

I was very sceptical about joining an Open Platform school, but my daughter was desperately missing her dancing. I know there is a lot of negativity on this board and a lot of people who will put down dancers for moving, but ask yourself this:

If you put your child's welfare first, and your friends make judgemental comments about it, why are those people even your friends? My daughter is happier and healthier, and she doesn't work any less hard than she did when she danced with a CLRG school. I understand Open Platform might not be for everyone, but it is a valid option and children should not be ridiculed by anonymous adults online for choosing to do what makes them happy.

• I agree with your theory. If more top dancers moved standard would rise (NT) -- Thanks for sharing!, 11/06/24 0:26:51, Tue
• Well done for putting your daughter first. Thanks for sharing your experience. Delighted she’s happier. (NT) -- We’ve left CLRG very recently also. Not dancing at the moment but if my dancer ever decides to go back this seems like a great option., 11/06/24 1:00:36, Tue
• I agree if more dancers from CLRg leave the standard will rise. If more teachers and dancers switch -- -, 11/06/24 1:26:01, Tue
• Open platform- Manchester? -- Jo, 11/06/24 7:15:37, Tue
  • -- Waiting until the next CLRG announcement to make our decision, 11/06/24 8:40:45, Tue
    • Unfortunately, not as many opportunities to feis in OP in the US. (NT) -- I hope that changes., 11/06/24 12:11:02, Tue
• Thank you for your honesty. From what we see on sical media, there's is a minimum of 1 feis per month. (NT) -- That is more than we attend in CLRG at the moment., 11/06/24 8:27:17, Tue
• I’ve not seen anyone ask for a review on Open Platform? Yous are all obsessed. We have seen the dire standard and don’t want it. (NT) -- You’ve said travelling is going to cost you as much? Sorry you’ve just moved to win trophies. Anyone spending their money on OP is crazy., 11/06/24 11:09:43, Tue
  • Ummm…at this point don’t you think the same could be said about spending your $ on CLRG? -- Paying for cheating now, 11/06/24 12:09:22, Tue
  • Do you know how idiotic you sound? You're literally throwing your money away on pre-determined results. (NT) -- CLRG is finished whether we like it or not, 11/06/24 12:12:20, Tue
  • Looks like the CLRG teachers are getting nervous that their parents are going to move their children (NT) -- Oh how the might fall. Y’all be kissing ass now. How the tables are turning 😂, 11/06/24 12:32:16, Tue
    • The only teachers that moved to open platform couldn’t keep up the standard required to produce open champs in CLRG. (NT) -- Spending money to go to a Mickey Mouse world championships that a primary level dancer in CLRG could win is absolutely bonkers. That’s why nobody is moving. Dream on., 11/06/24 16:33:57, Tue
• Will be the worst thing you've ever done, judges are teachers friends who don't dance, teachers just create new organisations to get their own kids to win and throw mickey mouse world championships -- Dancer, 11/06/24 12:20:27, Tue
  • Sounds exactly like CLRG then . Friend favours, fixed results for favourites and family members and Mickey Mouse worlds sponsored by competing school (NT) -- ID is now a hobby for chavs and crooks, 11/06/24 12:38:23, Tue
    • Full of crook’s , image on your CV iam a honest CLRG judge- that’s the organisation with all the favours for friends kids - really your the 1st so well done 🫤 (NT) -- Rose, 11/06/24 13:47:33, Tue
• I agree with everything you wrote except for one thing. I do think that the OP teachers are responsible for the lower quality of the dancing. Many of them do not -- imho, 11/06/24 15:22:03, Tue
  • To your last point, it's the caliber of the teaching that matters, not the qualification. (NT) -- ., 11/06/24 16:52:49, Tue
    • OP is saying the lower quality of Open Platform dancing is down to not having enough CLRG champs moving over to them. I think it's down to the quality of the instruction. Open Platform doesn't -- observer, 11/06/24 21:01:27, Tue
      • not all CLRG dancers are better than some OP dancers (NT) -- Know some ex clrg transfers who do not place above OP dancers, 12/06/24 10:51:40, Wed
        • Haha did you watch CLRG worlds? After the top 10 most just average dancers (NT) -- Bad posture and timing false starts can't treble actually shocking really, 12/06/24 10:59:10, Wed
          • Have you watched OP "championships"? Looks like Novice/PW dancers in CLRG. (NT) -- they've got low standards, 12/06/24 18:39:52, Wed
            • Open Platform dancer moved to CLRG and placed 6th at Worlds (NT) -- Standard might not be as high across the board but at least they're honest, 12/06/24 21:40:14, Wed
• What organization did you move to? CRN? (NT) -- ?, 12/06/24 18:31:21, Wed