History of Riverdance

The history of Riverdance is illustrious, as this all-star Irish step dance performance is one of the most successful entertainment pieces to ever come out of Ireland. With its high-kicking, peppy music and highly skilled performers now spanning three separate companies, Riverdance first took the world by storm fifteen years ago, and continues to sell out performances and touch the hearts of thousands of audience members both in Europe and abroad each and every year.

It Started Out Small

Riverdance first debuted during the Eurovision Song Contest, which broadcasted in late April 1994. Although it was only minutes long, the segment received a standing ovation from the studio audience, and it went on to go down in history as being one of the most popular acts to ever enter the talent competition in 50 years. This was actually Riverdance's second go round on Eurovision Song Contest. Bill Whelan, who had written an earlier piece called "Timedance," had entered it for the 1981 season, and the dancing was performed by an Irish folk band. However, Timedance did not take off in the same way Riverdance did only three short years later. With his new musical score, Whelan added the world-renowned Irish step dancers Jean Butler and Michael Flatley, and fame was found almost instantly.

European Phenomenon

From this Eurovision segment, the audio version of Riverdance hit #1 on the Irish singles charts that May, and reigned supreme throughout the summer. After breaking the record of remaining #1 on the charts longer than any other song, a video of the contest entry was turned into a fundraiser, which gave all proceeds to Rwanda relief work. Many of those who performed in the original Eurovision piece, including the previously mentioned principal dancers, later went on to appear in the original full-length Riverdance show that is still popular today. Jean Butler choreographed for the bulk of the dance troupe, as Michael Flatley focused solely on his solo work.
In February 1995, Riverdance -- The Show, opened at the Point Theatre in Dublin. With a sold out 5-week performance run, the tickets broke sales records, and Riverdance went down in history as the first ever full-length Irish dance show.

International Success

After closing in Dublin, the original Riverdance cast went on to perform at the Apollo in England, where its run was extended twice, with all shows sold out. The dancers also performed for Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth in that same year.

The week of St. Patrick's Day, 1996, brought the opening of Riverdance to the United States. The show enjoyed 8 sold-out performances at Radio City Music Hall and they also break through to number 19 on the American video charts and hit the number one spot on Billboard's World Music chart.

Unstoppable

By September of 1996, Riverdance had performed 400 times and had been viewed by over 1.3 million people both nationally and abroad. The show remains exceptionally popular in the UK, ad is brought back to London for a 4th show run in November of 1997.

New generations are discovering Riverdance, and many have been inspired to take Irish dance lessons themselves, as more studios have popped up all over the world to meet the trend's demand.

Riverdance Today

Today, 15 years later, Riverdance continues to charm audiences and perform to sold out crowds. To meet demand, the show is now performed by three separate casts, touring to different regions of the world. The Boyne Cast continues to tour throughout North American in 2009, while the Foyle cast continues to captivate crowds in Dublin, home to Riverdance's beginnings, for a summer tour. Finally, the Corrib cast can be found in Europe this year. You can visit Riverdance's official website to learn more about current tour dates and whether the show is coming to your area. You can also check out video clips of the performance to get an idea of what you'll be seeing, as well as enjoy an extensive fan area and shop for those who are devoted and enthusiastic fans of Irish step dance and the Riverdance phenomenon.

Resources

• Riverdance Tickets