Showing this month at Beau Rivage
“Every night is opening night.”
It’s a simple motto that circulates among the performers and crew of Riverdance, but one that perfectly captures the energy and magic that has kept the global Irish dance phenomenon electrifying audiences for thirty years and counting.
Known for its fusion of Irish and international dance set to mesmerizing choreography and dramatic, culturally inspired, Grammy-winning music, Riverdance burst onto the world’s stage in the late nineties after first debuting as the interval act in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Now touring North America in celebration of its milestone anniversary, Riverdance 30 is proud to feature an entirely new generation of dancers who have been born and raised in the decades since the act’s inception.
“I think what ties in with the current generation is that we’ve built on what they’ve done…” said lead dancer Maggie Darlington of the act’s generational evolution. “Irish dancing itself has progressed, so we’re taking a little bit of that and just flavoring the steps that already existed with a little bit more of that style,” she said, adding that she found it amazing that they still have the opportunity to do this after thirty years.
The show features a diverse group of performers bringing different styles and backgrounds into the mix. Including dancers from Canada, America, Australia, Moldova and more, and styles such as flamenco dance, tappers who bring a jazzy swing feel into the mix, and live musicians on stage providing the sonic backdrop the the movements, the show aims to bring the viewer on a journey that shifts and flows throughout. “There’s elements that have the Irish sound to it while also being true to their culture, and we get to showcase them a little bit as well,” she said of some of the international fusion aspects.
The new generation also includes some refreshed costume selections, and amped up production elements including active lighting and a large LED backdrop providing animations and mood-setting visuals to maximize the immersion and spectacle.
Darlington, who comes from a family of dancers and discovered her talent and love for it at a very young age, has been with Riverdance for half of its existence now and is proud of the excellence of the crew and performers that keep Riverdance operating like a well oiled machine, traveling the world together and performing up to multiple shows a day with a real love for what they do.
“It’s been a fifteen year career that has just been really a joy. Dance is my passion, and to be able to do that in front of audiences is a blessing, let alone to travel and see different countries… Asia and parts of Europe that maybe I never would have gotten to go to on my own accord,” she said. According to her, the performers particularly love to reach their younger audience members, to see kids get out of their seats and move about, sometimes even dancing out into the aisles at shows.
“We were all that kid at some point,” she said. To them, passing their love of the art on to inspire yet another generation is something special.
Riverdance 30 is running for four shows on June 5th, 6th and 7th at the Beau Rivage Theatre. Tickets are available through Beau Rivage and Ticketmaster.
Get out there and catch a show!
@scottiredd
For more on Riverdance, visit:
riverdance.com
beaurivage.mgmresorts.com
