Monday, March 24, 2008

Irish dance Shows

There are two main Irish dance shows in the United States: namely Riverdance, and Lord of the Dance.

Riverdance
Riverdance was first performed in 1994 at the Eurovision Song Contest in Ireland. The country that hosts the song contest usually performs a song or two representative of the host nation. Ireland chose to showcase its Irish dancing with the seven-minute routine known as “Riverdance”.

In the first performance the lead dancers were Michael Flately and Jean Butler. They stayed on as the original leads in the Riverdance – The Show production, which officially opened at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland on February 9, 1995.

On March 14, 1996 Riverdance opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City with Colin Dunne as the new male lead.

Riverdance troupes continue to travel throughout the world performing at corporate events and performance venues around the globe.

Lord of the Dance
After Michael Flatley left Riverdance, he created the show "Lord of the Dance", a dazzling display of purely Irish dance and music. The first performance of Lord of the Dance was on July 2, 1996 at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.

In 1997 Lord of the Dance opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City to a sell-out crowd. Since its inception, Lord of the Dance has shattered various box-office records, including having 21 consecutive sell-out shows at London’s Wembley Arena in 1998.

Troupes for this show continue to perform at venues around the world.

To be in these shows, a dancer must have medaled at the World Championships, and the shows hold auditions for dancers frequently.

Riverdance and Lord of the Dance are the two most influential Irish dance shows created. Watching Riverdance is what initially got me interested in Irish dancing. These shows have given older dancers the opportunity to make a living while doing something they love. Riverdance and Lord of the Dance have helped to boost the popularity of this art form throughout the world.

Sources:
Lord of the Dance. (2008). Touring History. Retrieved March 26, 2008 from http://www.lordofthedance.com/

Riverdance. (2005). Riverdance: The Journey. Retrieved March 26, 2008 from http://www.riverdance.com/htm/theshow/thejourney/index.htm

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