Riverdance at the Kennedy Center

 

Image found here

Last week I had the chance to see Riverdance at the Kennedy Center! I was able to get a discount code for last-minute tickets, so I bought a ticket for myself in the fourth row for Friday night. It was quite a different crowd from the one when I saw Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center earlier this month (read that blog post here). Lots of DC tourists!

It's the group's 25th anniversary, and I was excited to celebrate that milestone with them. It all started as the interval performance during the Eurovision Song Contest that Ireland hosted in 1994:

That performance not only led to the international sensation that is now Riverdance, but it also changed Irish dancing forever. Here's an interesting article about how Riverdance changed the way the dance was performed, the costumes that are worn, and more.

I can't remember if I saw Riverdance as a child, but certainly all I expected to see was Irish dancing. But it's so much more than that! And while the dancing was certainly impressive (and it wasn't just Irish dancing), I was equally enamored by the singing and the music. Such talent!

Such stoic faces! Image found here

The introduction of the show, "Reel Around the Sun," really gives you the full experience. The singing is incredible, the music is stunning, and the dancing is intense:

And everything went from there! I really liked their use of the virtual backgrounds to help tell the story. With today's technology, why don't all dance companies do that? It was cool to watch the sun set or the waves of the ocean move, and it's so much more modern than the traditional sets that ballet companies use.

William Bryant (above, starting at 1:04) was the male soloist of the show, and he is phenomenal! He was clearly born to be a performer. He dances with such confidence, and boy does he look good in those costumes! I couldn't keep my eyes off of him!

The troupe also includes Morgan Bullock (video above), an African-American woman from Richmond, Virginia. Her dance instructor actually works at the Pure Barre studio I go to! Such a small world. I don't think anyone expects a Black woman to be performing Irish dance, and I appreciate her poise in breaking down those barriers. She's the Irish dance version of Misty Copeland!

There was even some flamenco dancing at this show! The music gave it away with the Spanish guitar and castanets, and when Rocio Dusmet took the stage, she completely captivated your attention. Her sultry gaze was almost like that of a sorceress, luring you in. She had two separate parts in the show; it was almost like she had her own showcase!

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I thought that some of the dancers looked related, and sure enough I was right! You have Matthew and Michael Gardiner, and William Bryant is joined by his brother Kieran (they even make music together!).

Along with the dancers, the musicians were amazing, too. There were three women, which I thought was really cool, and then the percussionist was a man. Tara Howley plays the the Uilleann pipes (similar to Scottish bagpipes), the low whistle, the tin whistle, and the concertina (whew!). Emma Frampton plays the saxophone, and Haley Richardson plays the fiddle. And they are all led by Mark Alfred, the drummer and musical director. I was blown away by all of them! They are all incredible at what they do, and I loved their chemistry on stage, too.

Here's a video of Tara Howley several years ago playing the Uilleann pipes:

And this is Haley Richardson playing the fiddle along with two troupe members dancing:

I really enjoyed the segments that just featured the musicians without the dancers. It was a nice way to break up the show (and certainly to give the dancers a rst), and they themselves are quite riveting as performers. They are so good I could have watched them as a concert all on their own!

The second act was a lot more fun, since the dancers didn't seem to be as serious. It's more enjoyable to watch when they are smiling and look like they are having a good time. I've included a lot of videos below to give you a sense of that!

The second act opens with "American Wake," which feels like a folk festival of sorts:

While I was watching, I wondered how Irish dancing evolved compared to tap dancing. Irish dance came first, but tap dance certainly has strong roots here in the United States. And then the show actually included a tap dancing segment! Tyler Knowlin and Dharmesh Patel were the two tap dancers, and they were both great. It was fun watching them and the Irish dancers play a little Westside Story-esque dance battle.

Here's a video of that part (although with different dancers and musicians):

There were also four Russian dancers who did interesting tricks and the like. That part included Christine Lesnikova, Aleksandr Safonov, and Eugeniu and Ana Turcan (siblings? husband and wife?). Here's a full video of the "Russian dervish" segment:

Needless to say, this is one of the best shows I've seen, and I go to a lot of performances! I can't recommend it enough!

While the video below is not exactly the same performance I saw, it's a full hour-and-a-half if you just want to watch online:

And during the intermission they played a promotional video to visit Ireland, which I thought was funny. So maybe with COVID-19 as less of a problem, you could visit...?