Riverdance: Traditional Step Dancing

Riverdance was first performed during the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest on April 30. This first performance featured Irish Dancing Champion Jean Butler, Michael Flatley and the Celtic choral group Anúna with a score written by Bill Whelan.

Michael Flatley choreographed for himself and Jean Butler choreographed her solo and the troupe .

Many of the dance troupe featured in this performance subsequently went on to dance principal roles in later productions of "Riverdance the Show".



Joanne Doyle

In November 1994, tickets were sold in Dublin for the first full-length show of Riverdance, which opened at the Point Theatre on February 9, 1995. The show ran for five weeks and was a sell-out.



Michael Flatley and Jean Butler

Michael Flatley left the show reportedly over creative differences with the producers before the show's first run in London. Irish dancer Colin Dunne stepped into the role of lead dancer and went on to perform in subsequent productions before leaving the show in 1998.



After successful runs in other cities in Europe, Riverdance traveled to New York City to perform at the legendary Radio City Music Hall in March 1996. This was the first time the show was performed in America. To the relief of the producers, the show was a success. Anúna left the show in September of that year.



Riverdance continues to be performed all over the world, albeit in a diminished format and in smaller venues than hitherto. Current productions are geared towards smaller theatres, whereas past productions have been performed in large theatres and arenas. Thus, sets have been simplified and some numbers contain fewer performers than in past productions (such as those seen on the Live from Radio City and Live from Arena Geneva DVDs). For example, current touring productions of the show have 20 dancers in the finale, Heartland, where as 24 were used in the original Dublin show and 32 were used in the arena shows. Each production company is named after an Irish river. Currently performing companies are the Boyne (touring in North America), Corrib (in Europe), and Foyle (in Ireland).

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In a primitive and powerful world, our ancestors knew fear and joy and fire, worked wood and stone and water to make a place they could call home. The first peoples knew the world as a place of power. Their songs and dances and stories are negotiations with elemental powers. The first half of this performance shows them coming to terms with the world and with themselves.

The pounding rhythms of their feet are primal.

While those souls who were forced to emigrate were faced with the heartbreak of separation, their human spirit was often lifted by a defiant hope at the prospect of a new life.

Feel the emotions while the dancers express the mood of the new adventure and the loss of culture and family they are leaving behind.

We are one kind. We are one people now, our voices blended, our music a great world in which we can feel everywhere at home, together we are strong.

Katie McMahon is probably best known for her exquisite soaring soprano solo in the original Riverdance single, which topped the charts in Ireland for three months. Her voice was described by the Irish Times as "poetry, perfection and purity". Before her work in Riverdance Katie, a born and bred Dubliner, was classically trained in voice and harp and studied Italian and Drama Studies in Trinity College. During a break from her studies, Katie joined the vocal group Anuna and is a featured soloist on their first two CDs.

The Riverdance performance at the 2003 Summer Olympics Games featured the longest troupe line ever seen in an Irish dance show, over 100 dancers. The Choir and Drum Corps have were increased to match the occasion. Leading the Riverdance troupe was Joanne Doyle and Breándan de Gallaí. The closing ceremony was on June 29th.

These are the shoes made for Riverdance.

Soft Shoes

The shoe is called the soft shoe, also known as "gillies or ghillies". They are worn by women when they dance. Soft shoes are like ballet shoes but soft shoes are made of black leather, with soft leather sole and the shoe is very flexible. The soft shoe is used for three dance steps. One is the reel, next is the jig, and lastly the slip jig.

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