RIVERDANCE is 30 years young

February 4, 2025
1 min read

Riverdance 30 – The New Generation is not only bringing new choreography to the show, but it is also introducing a new generation of dancers, none of whom were born when Riverdance first took to the stage 30 years ago.  Emissaries for the show, Irish siblings Anna Mai and Fergus Fitzpatrick, grew up knowing this was something they wanted to do as they went through their years of training and competitions.  They are also two of the lead dancers for this new troupe.

While this theatrical show is mainly traditional Irish music and step dance, it does incorporate other dance styles like tap and Flamenco.  With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest featuring Irish dancing champions Jean Butler and Michael Flatley.

Most of the company has been training and coming up through Irish dance competitions and participating in camps.  While they may dabble in other forms of dance on the side, this is their training, hours every day, almost every day, like athletes in any sport.  And like other athletes, they have to care for themselves by stretching, icing down, and using massage guns right after the show so they aren’t stiff and sore the next day.

Once chosen for Riverdance, the team trains as a group to look and sound like a precision instrument.  Irish dance incorporates tap in their shoes, so if not synchronized, it will sound off, whether two dancers or twenty.  The Riverdance tours are known for their intricate, precision footwork and formations.

If  you’ve never seen Riverdance, it is worth the outing, and you may well find yourself more than pleasantly surprised.  The energy is amazing and the timing impeccable.  The tour is premiering in Florida and has only has one performance in Jacksonville – February 6th, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.  The show runs about two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.  Presented by the FSCJ Artist Series Broadway in Jacksonville sponsored by VyStar Credit Union.  Tickets are available at fscjartistseries.org.

by Cessy Newmon

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