Riverdance

To say that I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to see Riverdance live at the Gaiety Theatre this summer is an understatement. Having began my dancing journey through Irish Dance classes at the age of three, I had always been inspired by jean Butler and Colin Dunne and what they had done for the art form. However,I had never seen Riverdance live or the full recorded version until this Summer.

My First impressions of the show was the audience members. I was surprised by two things. Firstly, that the theatre was full as this was the second last night of their summer run in Dublin and secondly by the age and gender range of the audience. It was quite evident by looking around, that this was a show that had the ability to attract both dancers and non-dancers.

The show overall, couldn't have been any more different than what I had in mind. Not only was it a celebration of Irish history and the courage of it's people, but it was a celebration of dance as a whole and how we as a culture choose to embrace that. The mix of Flamenco and tap dancing added colours and layers to the performannce and contrasted the traditional Irish dance very well.

One of the best things about the performance, and it is quite rare to find in such an intense and physically demanding live piece of work, was the high energy levels throughout the show. The dancers were all technically brilliant and the main leads ensured that the audience felt as though they were on a journey with the dancers. It was nice to see that even though Jean Butler, Colin Dunne and Michael Flately put the show on the map, It's the show itself that draws people back year after year and having amazing dancers, musicians and vocalists is purely just a bonus.

I think that sometimes, as a dancer, when I realise how long I've been doing this for and the amount of time, effort and sacrafices I have put into dance, it can become quite easy to question if I'm on the right path and ultimately if all the effort is going to be worth it in the long run. Watching Riverdance, was a strong remainder that my instant love of dance at a young age was the reason I began dancing. There are no words to describe how I truly felt about that one performance, and likewise there are no words to describe the passion and reasons behind my love for dance.....That is why I dance and will continue to do this for the rest of my life. It is who I am.