Riverdance is a dance performance with steps from traditional Irish step dancing. The main feature of this performance is that there will be only quick movements in the legs of the performers but they keep their arms and bodies remain fixed. “At its most basic level, Riverdance is an exciting display of music, dancing, and singing.” (Riverdance, 1998, para.1). It was first presented in 1994 by Jean Butler, Michael Flatley in a Euro vision song context. Before this “Riverdance” another type of performance had been there namely “Timedance” but it didn’t have much popularity even though the two were composed by the same person named Bill Whelan. This Riverdance illustrates the Irish legend and their culture and it also narrates the tale of River women who move towards the whole land and acquire power. This performance not only has the characteristics of Irish dance but also includes Spanish, Russian, and Other African –American countries. In each and every city the show became a success. When it appeared in New York in 1996, it was the first performance in America. After that, it was performed on Broadway of the Gershwin Theatre in which the main dancers were Pat Roddy and Eileen Martin and it was performed there for almost a year. For the audience, it is an amazing performance as it is the outcome of a group of international performers. Not only the performance but the background of the stage also is an amazing one as it changes according to the theme and when one goes through the performance he is able to understand that each and every setting is apt to the situation. It is luminous in its simple style. It had been played in around 30 countries and made around 8000 shows and a large number of people viewed those performances. (Liang, 2009).
It takes two and a half hours to perform the dance. But continuous dance performance is not taken by them. They take intervals after each part of their dance performance. It actually deals with the voyage of Irish people from their hometown to some other locations. They have different cultures. First, they have to mention about the new world and different people having different cultures, the tradition of the new world and all. Secondly, about the home town and about the entrance of the new world, and the way they interacted with the people in the new world. Riverdance actually mentions the life of a river. The silent start of the show is the main feature of the river show. The starting of the show is really amazing by a group of songs sung by the members of the team. The song is presented in a smooth way so that everybody likes the performance. They take a smooth step along with the song. “The soft shoe dance of the river woman, meeting and awakening the land, represented by the hard shoe solo of Earthrise, before growing and growing until it throws itself into the sea.” (Riverdance: Frequently asked questions, n.d.).
The performance of the dancers leads the tourists into a thrilling world from where they get spiritual and visual nourishment. Attending such kinds of programs gives relief from their day-to-day tensions and thereby they get complete relief to body and mind. The performers of Riverdance may take the audience into a nostalgic feeling of their own society.
The reason why this Riverdance becomes an impressive one is that it still reminds the audience of the old Irish tradition. Their performances are outstanding and this makes the audience sit stunned. A group of artists with their music and dance performances in unison and make this show an exalting one. “It’s a moment of pure unrestrained showmanship, throwing all the concentrated pyrotechnological wizardry of the best talents in the rock-concert industry into one unrestrained, explosive moment.” (The entrance, 2001, para.2). The glittering light, costumes, and background make the stage a brighter one. The main hero Michael Flatley makes a rocking performance for five minutes in the middle of the stage. Michael is a great talented artist who can make the show the very best one.
Riverdance Broadway is performed by global companies such as the Irish Dance Troupe (Ireland), the Moscow Folk Ballet Company (Russia), the Amanzi Singers (South Africa), Riverdance Tappers (United States) (Gorokhovich, n.d.).
Riverdance show is one of the best chances available to see the performances of international artists. The dancing done by different groups was amazing and the sound system was also excellent. By attending the show, the audience really feels that they are in a river, with water and wind around them, which gives relief to them and I too felt the same. The footwork of the dancers was incredible. The performance of Rosa Manzano Jimenez was very appreciable that the way she used her arms during the dance was beautiful. Moscow Folk Ballet Company performed “The Russian Dervish”, which was extraordinary. The performance of the male dancers is so interesting. They jump so high that the audience feels that they have springs in their legs. We can see a combination of various styles in their music. In Riverdance, each and every dancer and performer showed their talent in a distinct way.
This Riverdance is extremely different from other dances which I saw before. Its style of composition, performance, and even the background was so inspiring. It’s because of its music, dancing style it became a glorious one compared to other dancing performances.
Reference List
Gorokhovich, M. (n.d.). River dance Broadway a spectacular Irish smorgasbord. Explore Dance.com.
Liang, N. (2009). Riverdance: A touch of Irish life. Splash Magazines Worldwide.
Riverdance. (1998). Web.
Riverdance: Frequently asked questions: Why is the main number called riverdance?. (n.d.). Celtic Cafe.com. Web.
The entrance. (2001). Michael Flatley Mikerocosm. Web.