Riverdance
Encyclopedia
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing
, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest
, a moment that is still considered a significant watershed in Irish culture. Riverdance is, in essence, the story of the Irish culture and of the Irish immigration to America.
, which was hosted by Ireland. At the time members of Irish folk band Planxty
, Bill Whelan
and Donal Lunny
composed the music, augmenting the band with a rock rhythm section of electric bass and drums and a four-piece horn section. The piece was performed, with accompanying ballet dancers, during the interval of the contest, and later released as a Planxty
single. In a book about Planxty
("The Humours of Planxty", by Leagues O'Toole), Whelan says "It was no mistake of mine to call it Riverdance because it connected absolutely to Timedance. It was a nod in the direction of where I believed it came from".
at the Point Theatre
, Dublin on 30 April 1994. It received a standing ovation
. Later that year, the BBC
commissioned a repeat performance of the act for the 1994 Royal Variety Show, when it was introduced on stage by Sir Terry Wogan
. At Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest
it was named as one of the most popular interval acts in the history of the contest.
This first performance featured Irish Dancing Champions Jean Butler
and Michael Flatley
, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
and the Celtic choral group Anuna
with a score written by Bill Whelan
. Whelan had also composed "Timedance" – an early version of "Riverdance" – for the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Planxty
. Most of the show's choreography was done by Flatley.
An audio recording of "Riverdance" entered the Irish singles charts at #1 on 5 May 1994, and remained there throughout the summer (keeping Wet Wet Wet
's phenomenally successful "Love Is All Around" off the top), eventually totalling a record 18 weeks at #1. In response to the Rwandan Genocide
of May/June 1994, a video of the Eurovision interval performance was then released by the Irish broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann under the title "Riverdance for Rwanda" with all proceeds going to the Rwanda Appeal Disasters Joint Appeal Committee. Many of the dance troupe featured in this performance subsequently went on to dance principal roles in later productions of Riverdance the Show.
Riverdance is produced and directed by husband and wife team John McColgan and Moya Doherty
, controlled through their production company Abhann Productions, based in Dublin. In November 1994 tickets were sold in Dublin for the first full-length performance of Riverdance, which opened at the Point Theatre
on 9 February 1995. The show ran for five weeks and was a sell-out with ticket sales of over 120,000.
On 8 May 1995 Riverdance performed at the Royal Gala 50th Anniversary of VE Day celebrations at the special invitation of Prince Charles
. This attracted a television audience of 20 million.
A video release of Riverdance occurred in the UK on 5 June 1995 which immediately debuted at #2 before rising to #1 the following week. For a total of seven months the Riverdance UK video remained in the charts and became the all time highest selling music video in the UK.
During the second half of 1995 Riverdance performed a four-week season at The Apollo at Hammersmith before returning to the Point Theatre Dublin for another six-week sellout season before again returning to The Apollo at Hammersmith for another six-week season which again was a sell out. Riverdance also performed at Royal College of Music, London in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; Queen Elizabeth II; and Princess Margaret
on 17 July 1995.
14 March 1996 saw the start of an eight-week sell out season at Radio City Music Hall, New York. The sales of merchanise resulted in Radio City Music Hall merchandise sale’s record is smashed during the first performance of Riverdance. Riverdance went on to more sell-out tours at King’s Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland, and The Green Glens Arena, Millstreet, Co. Cork, Ireland, plus a huge three and a half month return to The Apollo in Hammersmith with astounding advance ticket sales of over five million pounds. The season was extended to run from May 1996 to January 1997. The end of 1996 saw the 400th show performed with a total audience of 1.3 million people in that time. The Lee and Liffey companies were also born with the Lee commencing a US tour at Radio City Music Hall on 2 October 1996 while the Liffey company remained touring the UK.
After successful runs in other cities in Europe, Riverdance travelled to New York City
to perform at the legendary Radio City Music Hall
in March 1996. This was the first time the show had been performed in America. To the relief of the producers, the show was a success. Anuna left the show in September of that year.
In 2000 the show moved to Broadway for a year at the Gershwin Theatre with an all-new show, featuring dance leads Pat Roddy and Eileen Martin and singers Brian Kennedy
and Tsidii Le Loka
.
Riverdance is scheduled to perform in Israel in September 2011, and despite requests that it boycott Israel, Riverdance posted this statement on their website: Riverdance supports the policy of the Irish Government and indeed the policy of every other EU state that cultural interaction is preferable to isolation.
stepped into the role of lead dancer and went on to perform in subsequent productions before leaving the show in 1998.
In June 1998, the show's executive producer created further controversy by revealing that in some of the synchronized group dances, the footstep sounds were pre-recorded to enhance the impression of unified choreography.
Riverdance began a farewell tour after fifteen years of performing and touring the world. During the tour the show played in Bradford, Ipswich, Southend-on-Sea, Blackpool, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, London, Southampton, Nottingham and Derry as well as other venues in Europe and the Far East and as of 2011 continues in Australia.
river
. Currently performing companies are the Boyne touring in North America
, Corrib in Europe
and Foyle in Ireland
.
Riverdance Show #4 (Shot in Beijing, China in February 2010)
A fourth show has been recorded in Beijing by Declan Lowney for release on DVD & Blu-ray on 11 October 2010 to celebrate the 15th Year of Riverdance. Riverdance was first performed as a full length show on 9 February 1995.
Their three companies perform each of these songs during their show.
Irish stepdance
Irish stepdance is a type of performance dance originated in Ireland from traditional Irish dance, characterised by solo dancers who dance with hands by their sides and upper body stiff, making quick, intricate movements of the feet, often with a troupe. Irish stepdancing was popularized by the...
, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1994 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenters were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The pair hosted the evening in French, English and Irish...
, a moment that is still considered a significant watershed in Irish culture. Riverdance is, in essence, the story of the Irish culture and of the Irish immigration to America.
Origins
Riverdance has its roots in a three-part suite of baroque-influenced traditional music called "Timedance" composed, recorded and performed for the 1981 Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song Contest 1981
The Eurovision Song Contest 1981 was the 26th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 4 April 1981 at the Simmonscourt Pavilion of the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin. The presenter was Doireann Ní Bhriain...
, which was hosted by Ireland. At the time members of Irish folk band Planxty
Planxty
Planxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
, Bill Whelan
Bill Whelan
Bill Whelan, is an Irish composer and musician. He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The end result, Riverdance, was a seven-minute display of traditional Irish dancing that became a full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze...
and Donal Lunny
Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
composed the music, augmenting the band with a rock rhythm section of electric bass and drums and a four-piece horn section. The piece was performed, with accompanying ballet dancers, during the interval of the contest, and later released as a Planxty
Planxty
Planxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
single. In a book about Planxty
Planxty
Planxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
("The Humours of Planxty", by Leagues O'Toole), Whelan says "It was no mistake of mine to call it Riverdance because it connected absolutely to Timedance. It was a nod in the direction of where I believed it came from".
Success
Riverdance was first performed during the 7-minute interval of the Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1994 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenters were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The pair hosted the evening in French, English and Irish...
at the Point Theatre
Point Theatre
The Point Theatre was a concert and events venue in Ireland, that ran from 1988–2007, enjoyed by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Quay of the River Liffey, amongst the Dublin Docklands...
, Dublin on 30 April 1994. It received a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
. Later that year, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
commissioned a repeat performance of the act for the 1994 Royal Variety Show, when it was introduced on stage by Sir Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
. At Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest
Congratulations (Eurovision)
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest was a television programme organised by the European Broadcasting Union to commemorate the Eurovision Song Contest's fiftieth anniversary and to determine the Contest's most popular entrant of its fifty years. It took place at Forum,...
it was named as one of the most popular interval acts in the history of the contest.
This first performance featured Irish Dancing Champions Jean Butler
Jean Butler
Jean Butler , is an Irish American Irish dancer, choreographer, and occasional actress. She is best known for originating the principal female role in the Irish dance company Riverdance.-Personal life and education:...
and Michael Flatley
Michael Flatley
Michael Ryan Flatley is an American Irish dancer, choreographer, actor, musician and occasional television presenter. He became internationally known for Irish dance shows Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, and Celtic Tiger...
, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra is one of the two full time professional orchestras in Ireland that are part of RTÉ, the national broadcasting station. Since its formation as the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra in 1948, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, has grown from a small studio-based recording group to...
and the Celtic choral group Anuna
Anúna
Anúna is an Irish choral group. In 1987 Dublin composer Michael McGlynn founded An Uaithne, a name which describes the three ancient types of Celtic music, Suantraí , Geantraí and Goltraí . One of the group's stated aims is to explore and redefine this music...
with a score written by Bill Whelan
Bill Whelan
Bill Whelan, is an Irish composer and musician. He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The end result, Riverdance, was a seven-minute display of traditional Irish dancing that became a full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze...
. Whelan had also composed "Timedance" – an early version of "Riverdance" – for the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Planxty
Planxty
Planxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
. Most of the show's choreography was done by Flatley.
An audio recording of "Riverdance" entered the Irish singles charts at #1 on 5 May 1994, and remained there throughout the summer (keeping Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish pop rock band that formed in the 1980s. They scored a number of hits in the British charts and around the world. The band is composed of Marti Pellow , Tommy Cunningham , Graeme Clark and Neil Mitchell...
's phenomenally successful "Love Is All Around" off the top), eventually totalling a record 18 weeks at #1. In response to the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
of May/June 1994, a video of the Eurovision interval performance was then released by the Irish broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann under the title "Riverdance for Rwanda" with all proceeds going to the Rwanda Appeal Disasters Joint Appeal Committee. Many of the dance troupe featured in this performance subsequently went on to dance principal roles in later productions of Riverdance the Show.
Riverdance is produced and directed by husband and wife team John McColgan and Moya Doherty
Moya Doherty
Moya Doherty is a Dublin-raised Irish entrepreneur and the producer and co-founder of Riverdance, the worldwide acclaimed theatrical phenomenon, which premiered in Dublin’s Point Theatre in February 1995...
, controlled through their production company Abhann Productions, based in Dublin. In November 1994 tickets were sold in Dublin for the first full-length performance of Riverdance, which opened at the Point Theatre
Point Theatre
The Point Theatre was a concert and events venue in Ireland, that ran from 1988–2007, enjoyed by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Quay of the River Liffey, amongst the Dublin Docklands...
on 9 February 1995. The show ran for five weeks and was a sell-out with ticket sales of over 120,000.
On 8 May 1995 Riverdance performed at the Royal Gala 50th Anniversary of VE Day celebrations at the special invitation of Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. This attracted a television audience of 20 million.
A video release of Riverdance occurred in the UK on 5 June 1995 which immediately debuted at #2 before rising to #1 the following week. For a total of seven months the Riverdance UK video remained in the charts and became the all time highest selling music video in the UK.
During the second half of 1995 Riverdance performed a four-week season at The Apollo at Hammersmith before returning to the Point Theatre Dublin for another six-week sellout season before again returning to The Apollo at Hammersmith for another six-week season which again was a sell out. Riverdance also performed at Royal College of Music, London in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; Queen Elizabeth II; and Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
on 17 July 1995.
14 March 1996 saw the start of an eight-week sell out season at Radio City Music Hall, New York. The sales of merchanise resulted in Radio City Music Hall merchandise sale’s record is smashed during the first performance of Riverdance. Riverdance went on to more sell-out tours at King’s Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland, and The Green Glens Arena, Millstreet, Co. Cork, Ireland, plus a huge three and a half month return to The Apollo in Hammersmith with astounding advance ticket sales of over five million pounds. The season was extended to run from May 1996 to January 1997. The end of 1996 saw the 400th show performed with a total audience of 1.3 million people in that time. The Lee and Liffey companies were also born with the Lee commencing a US tour at Radio City Music Hall on 2 October 1996 while the Liffey company remained touring the UK.
After successful runs in other cities in Europe, Riverdance travelled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to perform at the legendary Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
in March 1996. This was the first time the show had been performed in America. To the relief of the producers, the show was a success. Anuna left the show in September of that year.
In 2000 the show moved to Broadway for a year at the Gershwin Theatre with an all-new show, featuring dance leads Pat Roddy and Eileen Martin and singers Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (singer)
Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...
and Tsidii Le Loka
Tsidii Le Loka
Tsidii Le Loka is an actress, vocalist, and composer originally from South Africa and The Kingdom of Lesotho. She is best known for creating the role of Rafiki in the original Broadway production of Disney's stage musical, The Lion King.-Theatre:...
.
Riverdance is scheduled to perform in Israel in September 2011, and despite requests that it boycott Israel, Riverdance posted this statement on their website: Riverdance supports the policy of the Irish Government and indeed the policy of every other EU state that cultural interaction is preferable to isolation.
Cast Changes
Michael Flatley left the show reportedly over creative differences with the producers before the show's second run in London. Irish dancer Colin DunneColin Dunne
Colin Dunne is an English performer of Irish dance.-Training:Dunne trained at the Marion Turley Academy of Irish Dance in Coventry. In 1978 at the age of nine, Dunne swept the "Grand Slam" of Irish dance competition by winning the World Championships, All Ireland and All England titles...
stepped into the role of lead dancer and went on to perform in subsequent productions before leaving the show in 1998.
In June 1998, the show's executive producer created further controversy by revealing that in some of the synchronized group dances, the footstep sounds were pre-recorded to enhance the impression of unified choreography.
Riverdance began a farewell tour after fifteen years of performing and touring the world. During the tour the show played in Bradford, Ipswich, Southend-on-Sea, Blackpool, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, London, Southampton, Nottingham and Derry as well as other venues in Europe and the Far East and as of 2011 continues in Australia.
Legacy
Riverdance continues to be performed all over the world, in a diminished format and in smaller venues. Current productions are geared towards smaller theatres, whereas past productions have been performed in large theatres and arenas. Sets have therefore 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", whereas 24 were used in the original Dublin show and 32 were used in the arena shows. Each production company is named after an IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
. Currently performing companies are the Boyne touring in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Corrib in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Foyle in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Dance numbers and songs performed
| Riverdance the Show | Riverdance Live From New York | Riverdance Live From Geneva |
|---|---|---|
They were cut down for the American release, and the Channel Four TV Broadcast. |
|
|
Riverdance Show #4 (Shot in Beijing, China in February 2010)
A fourth show has been recorded in Beijing by Declan Lowney for release on DVD & Blu-ray on 11 October 2010 to celebrate the 15th Year of Riverdance. Riverdance was first performed as a full length show on 9 February 1995.
Their three companies perform each of these songs during their show.
See also
- The Countess CathleenThe countess cathleenThe Countess Cathleen is a verse drama by William Butler Yeats in blank verse . It was dedicated to Maud Gonne, Yeats' lifelong love.-Editions and revisions:...
- Cú ChulainnCú ChulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
- Music of Ireland