25 years ago, on 9th February 1995, the first performance of Riverdance was given in Dublin’s biggest indoor venue, then known as The Point. It went on to be seen by over 27 million people, and changed the face of Irish dancing forever, making it popular worldwide.
Exactly 25 years later to the day, in the same venue (now re-christened The 3Arena) a new, bigger, more spectacular Riverdance premiered in a gala performance to huge acclaim. It was captured by Stagescreen’s cameras.
This programme starts with a brief documentary piece detailing the history of Riverdance, then presents the performance in full. As stage director John McColgan put it, now you can see the close-ups, the amazingly fast feet, the expressions and emotions of the dancers and
musicians, and the creative camera angles that show the work more intimately and revealingly than is possible for an audience sitting in the stalls.
Riverdance, in case anyone doesn’t know, features a number of Irish folk dances and Irish folk music (newly composed by Bill Whelan), linked together by a narrative which shows the progression of the Irish people from settlers to nationhood, to cultural cross-fertilisation with other civilisations, to the tragedy of poverty causing mass emigration, then to a final triumphant return.
There are elements of flamenco, Russian dance, New York tap and Indian dance forms among the Irish dances, and musical interludes that give a pause for breath from the dizzying speed and execution of the dancers, ranging from haunting and evocative to joyful and virtuosic. The brilliance of the music and dance, the sheer energy and power of the performers, and the moving narrative of the whole, have delighted audiences for 25 years. But now the visuals are the most exciting ever, and the accomplishment of the performers, many of whom are world champion dancers, is the finest it has ever been. This is the greatest manifestation of one of the greatest dance shows of all time.