Riverdance

Riverdance is a world famous Irish folklore show, featuring Irish tap dancing, typical Irish singing and Celtic music. Lasting 2 hours, Riverdance is THE show that has brought Irish culture to the contemporary world.

Riverdance History

A Show created following the success of the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest

1995: Ireland receives Eurovision at home. In order to host the show, RTÉ asked the show’s 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 multidisciplinary, and entirely dedicated to Irish culture. It brings together the following:

• traditional Irish music
• traditional Irish dance (tap dancing, jigs, etc.)
• singing
• the comedy

The performance meets a phenomenal success: the critics are ecstatic and the public salutes the talent of the dancers. Things soon followed one another and a single entitled “Riverdance” was released shortly afterwards. The single went on to sell like hotcakes in Ireland and the UK.

This unexpected success quickly convinced Moya Doherty and Bill Whelan to put together a full-length show based on the same concept: the promotion of Irish culture through jigs, dance, song and typical Irish music.

From the show’s beginnings to worldwide success

As you don’t change a winning team, the 24 dancers and 2 soloists who had performed at the Eurovision Song Contest were called back, and started their first show on 9 February 1995 at the Point Theatre in Dublin. A video of the show was filmed and released in April 1995: the success was phenomenal.

Soon, countries all over the world demanded a home performance, forcing the troupe to travel throughout Europe and the United States.

In less than 15 years, Riverdance has become a large-scale show: its success is such that it has been necessary to recruit 3 distinct troupes that can tour the 4 corners of the globe:

• one playing in the US and Canada (The Boyne)
• one that only plays in Ireland in the summer (The Foyle)
• one playing in Europe (The Corrib)

Attend a Riverdance Show

Frequency of Performances

Generally speaking, Riverdance spends every 2 years in France and Belgium. Very appreciated show, you will have to book your tickets in advance. Count about thirty euros per person to attend.

You will find all the details of their upcoming tours on www.riverdance.com. Tickets are available for sale via their website, and you can find videos of their performances, as well as a small shop where you can find all the merchandising for the show.

One thing is sure, this show will give you ants in your legs, and the irrepressible desire to dance!

Riverdance will be based at The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin from June to September 2017
. Riverdance is one of the most popular tourist attractions in our big city and is held every summer at The Gaiety for multiple performances
.

Riverdance is an energetic, exciting and dazzling show. Twenty-one years after its creation Riverdance is still a must!