It seems hard to believe that it was twenty years ago yesterday that the intermission act at the Eurovision competition in 1994 touched off a firestorm in the revival of Irish music, dance, and language. As votes were being counted around Europe, in Dublin in the Point, (now the 02) Theatre, Riverdance burst onto the stage and took the audience by complete surprise. From the haunting vocals of anúna, the gamin elegance of Jean Butler, the amazing and explosive footwork of Michael Flatley, and culminating in a long line of Irish dancers beating the stage in perfect heart-stopping harmony, it was a heart-stopping event for the Irish audience. The music was by Bill Whelan. If you knew his work, it was very similar to what he had done the past few years before this piece was dropped on the world. The fact that two American dancers led this troupe was interesting. Butler and Flatley brought choreography that had been pooh-poohed by Irish dance officials. However, if you lived in the Midwest, especially in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, you had been exposed to similar Irish dance choreography, with the revolutionary Trinity Academy of Irish Dance. Riverdance changed the world of Irish dance, and brought increased interest in all things Irish. Chapters of the Conradh na Gaeilge sprung up all a cross America, for one. Milwaukee benefitted from the show, in that Derek Byrne met his wife here, and enriched the Irish music scene here. One of the members of the same cast, Sean Beglan, met his future wife, Jill Winke, when they were both in the show. Coming back to Milwaukee, they taught at Glencastle Irish Dancers, Inc.. They would later start Beglan Academy of Irish Dance in Milwaukee. Aileen Cronin would come back from her years in the show and teach at Cashel Dennehy School of Irish Dance, before starting her own school. the Cronin School of Irish Dance. There are others. But let it be said that those eight minutes caused a massive ground shift that is still being felt. Oh, the winner of the Eurovision contest that year were the Irish entrants, Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan, who sang Rock n Roll Kids. It was the third consecutive year that the Irish won. It would be the second-last time the Irish would win, though. Enjoy Riverdance again, twenty years on. https://youtube/watch?v=w0v_pu6miJ8
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 03:45:11 +0000
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