Review: RIVERDANCE at AT&T Performing Arts Center

RIVERDANCE visited Dallas last week, March 20th - 25th, during the show's 20th-anniversary tour. A company of talented performers took the stage at the Winspear Opera House to showcase a unique combination of choreography and music in a love letter to Irish dance and culture.

The first act centers around imagery of weather, seasons, and the elements. Each dancer in the RIVERDANCE Irish Dance Troupe displays remarkable skill and precision in every movement onstage. A combination of beautiful Irish music including solo vocals (in which the female vocalist miraculously manages not to be winded after high-intensity dancing) and instruments from the fiddle to the uilleann pipes create the tone for each scene. But the true rhythm of this show is found in the tapping of shoes on the stage rather than in the beat of the drum. Each dancer steps perfectly in time with their fellow performers, often making the immensely challenging moves seem effortless. Though, in truth, many of these dancers have been perfecting their art since they were young children.

After intermission, the second act introduces a new take on the classic Irish choreography. "Trading Taps" is sure to be an audience favorite, with its battle-style number featuring the very talented Male Irish Dance Principal alongside the American Tappers. The audience is removed for a moment from the classical showcase of Irish dance and is engaged in rooting for their favorites among the groups of talented American and Irish performers. It is a blending of cultures that draws out the unique and wonderful qualities of each type of dance.

If you are a lover of dance, be sure to catch this show as it continues on its 20th-anniversary tour through April 8th! The skill displayed by these dancers is something you do not want to miss. For tickets, visit: http://riverdance.com/tours/usa/