Celtic journey: five Riverdance spin-offs that blend Irish dance with magic and dazzle
The step-dance style mixes well with other forms and is featured in a host of phenomenal shows, with one of the hottest acts set to perform in Hong Kong this December
It started with a seven-minute interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in April 1994.
A soprano looking like a river fairy opened the performance, joined by a choir dressed in hooded capes, which emerged mystically from a cloud of dry ice. A woman in a short black skirt began to dance with her hands by her sides, performing an Irish step dance with a difference. And a man in a blue satin shirt, flowing like water, also began to step dance, but combined it with tap.
Riverdance, the completely unexpected dance and entertainment phenomenon, was born.
Irish step dance dates back to the 18th century when dance masters used to travel from town to town creating entertainment for the locals. It was revived in Ireland, and America, after the foundation of the Gaelic League in 1893, which was pushing for Irish independence and identity.
It was introduced as a “uniquely Irish performance”, although both dancers – Jean Butler and Michael Flatley – were born in America.
But what began as a few minutes of entertainment would within months become a full two-act theatre show. It was an instant hit and would tour around the world again and again – though not with Flatley, who absconded from the show after its first performance to start his own rival spin-off, Lord of the Dance.
