How Irish Dance Is Scored
A practical guide to the pillars of Irish dance scoring — and how FeisScore training scores relate to competition adjudication.
The Four Pillars
Irish dance performances are typically evaluated across four broad areas. Whether a judge is sitting at a feis or a dancer is reviewing a FeisScore training report, the same categories tend to matter:
- Timing — dancing in time with the music, with clean rhythmic footwork and consistent tempo.
- Execution — the technical quality of footwork: turnout, elevation, trebles, crossing, and toe extension.
- Steps — correctness, difficulty, variety, and memory of the choreography.
- Presentation & Style — posture, arms, carriage, stage presence, and overall impression.
How Competition Adjudication Works
At a feis, certified adjudicators watch dancers perform and assign scores based on their professional judgment. Each adjudicator brings years of training and a personal eye for what matters most. Scores are comparative — a dancer is ranked against the others in their round on that day, under those conditions.
Adjudication is subjective by design. Two qualified judges watching the same dancer can weigh things differently, and that is a normal part of how competitions work.
How FeisScore Training Scores Work
FeisScore uses AI to analyze a video of your performance and produce a training score on a 100-point scale. The score is broken down across the same four pillars, with 18 measurable criteria underneath them. Each criterion gets a numeric value, and the totals roll up into pillar scores and an overall score.
The goal is to give you specific, actionable feedback you can use between lessons — not to predict or replace a competition result.
Training Scores vs. Competition Adjudication
FeisScore training scores are not competition scores. They are a practice tool. A FeisScore score reflects what the AI observed in your video on that day. It does not predict how an adjudicator will rank you at a feis, and it is not a substitute for a judge's professional opinion.
Use FeisScore to track your own progress over time, identify specific areas to drill, and measure whether your practice is paying off. Use competition results to understand how you compare to other dancers on the day.
What FeisScore Does Not Do
- It does not replace your dance teacher or an adjudicator.
- It does not predict your placement at a specific feis or against specific competitors.
- It does not account for stage conditions or other factors a live judge may consider.
- It does not score dances it cannot clearly see or analyze in the video.