Riverdance is a world-renowned Irish folk show, featuring Irish tap dancing, traditional Irish singing and Celtic music. Lasting 2 hours, Riverdance is THE show that revealed Irish culture to the contemporary world.
1995: Ireland hosts the Eurovision Song Contest. To host the show, RTÉ commissioned show producer Moya Doherty to recruit a troupe of 24 Irish dancers and 2 soloists to perform a 7-minute intermission during Eurovision. Bill Whelan was asked to compose the music for this interlude…
This “mini-show” is intended to be multi-disciplinary, and entirely dedicated to Irish culture. It brings together :
The performance was a phenomenal success, with rave reviews and public acclaim for the dancers’ talent. Things went from bad to worse, and a single entitled “Riverdance” was released shortly afterwards. Everyone was clamoring for it, and the single achieved record sales in Ireland and the UK.
This unexpected success soon convinced Moya Doherty and Bill Whelan to put together a complete show, based on the same concept: promoting Irish culture through jigs, dance, song and typical Irish music.
As you don’t change a winning team, the 24 dancers and 2 soloists who had performed at Eurovision were recalled, and began their first show on February 9, 1995 at Dublin’s Point Theatre. A video of the show was filmed and released in April 1995: it was a phenomenal success.
Soon, countries all over the world were clamoring for a home performance, forcing the troupe to travel throughout Europe and the United States.
In less than 15 years, Riverdance has become a major show: so successful has it become that 3 separate troupes have been recruited to tour the 4 corners of the globe:
In general, Riverdance performs every 2 years in France and Belgium. A very popular show, you’ll need to book your tickets well in advance. Expect to pay around 30 euros per person to attend.
For full details of upcoming tours, visit www.riverdance.com. Tickets can be purchased via their website, where you’ll also find videos of their performances, and a small store where you’ll find all the merchandising for the show.
One thing’s for sure: this show will make your legs tingle, and give you an irrepressible urge to dance!
The Riverdance show will take up residence in Dublin’s The Gaiety Theatre from June to September 2017.
Riverdance sets up shop every summer in Le Gaiety for multiple performances and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in our great city.
Riverdance is an energetic, passionate and dazzling show. Twenty-one years after its creation, Riverdance remains a must!
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