Best legs in town
The global dance phenomenon celebrates its 30th anniversary with new performers, new visuals, and the same electrifying rhythm.
In 1994, two dancers started a phenomenon that we are still celebrating today.
Ireland was hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, an annual, internationally-televised music competition, and Jean Butler and Michael Flatley were invited to present an Irish step dancing performance during an intermission in the show. The world went wild for it. It was choreographed by Flatley, who called it Riverdance.
With a huge demand for more, a theatrical show of the same name was created the following year, with Butler leading a corps of dancers, singers, and musicians to shine a light on Irish arts and history. (Flatley left the show shortly after it opened in London.)
Riverdance has toured five times since then, traveling around the world to rapturous fans since its creation. Now, Riverdance 30—The New Generation returns with a new show and new performers, most of whom hadn’t been born when the show debuted. It’s a fusion of Irish and international dance and music with a modern twist.
“The production feels fresh and more experimental than what we have seen in the past 30 years,” says Behind the Curtain. “Sharp, percussive footwork, technical brilliance and synchronicity of the whole troupe created a sense of awe each time they erupted into unison taps.”
“At its core, Riverdance is a dynamic celebration of tradition combined with modernity,” says Theater News North, “an example of a cultural icon preserved even while being open to new ideas.”
It’s a new look: stagecraft has come a long way since 1995. Riverdance 30 has new, innovative choreography and costumes and state-of-the-art lighting, projections, and motion graphics.
“Riverdance has continuously evolved yet we ensure it always remains true to its roots,” says Riverdance director John McColgan. “Exciting and with all the magic and spectacle of the original, this is Riverdance better than ever before.”
Riverdance 30 features glorious singing, musical solos, and visual effects that will dazzle the audience. Broadway World says the show feels fresh and exciting. “It will appeal to longtime fans and captivate a new audience.” It goes on, “All the instrumentalists’ mastery and joy was undeniable as they pranced playfully around the stage during their solos. One fiddler was playing so fiercely she broke some bow strings.”
The show makes a point about the similarity between Irish tap dancing and that of other countries. There is a tap dance-off between a couple of Irish boys and two American tap dancers and their feet fly in a Brooklyn neighborhood. A Spanish flamenco dancer shows her country’s version of footwork as the show demonstrates cultural crossover and the universality of dance. The Dervish Ensemble had the audience on their feet with cheers.
“This production is not only a celebration of 30 years of Riverdance,” says Beyond the Curtain. “It was a reminder of how rhythm unites us, how stories travel across borders, and how art continues to move us.”
