Hard to believe that “Riverdance,” the international Irish dance phenomenon seen by millions of people around the world, was created 30 years ago.
Even more amazing: the new version of the show, dubbed “Riverdance 30,” features a new generation of performers that were not born when the original show was first performed.
Local audiences can experience “Riverdance 30” when it comes to Segerstrom Center for five performances May 15-17.
According to information from Segerstrom Center, this special anniversary tour rejuvenates the much-loved original show with new innovative choreography and costumes along with state-of-the-art lighting, projection and motion graphics.
John McColgan, the director of “Riverdance,” said, “For over 30 years, Riverdance has taken us on a unique and exhilarating journey with the love and support of our audiences. The show has developed from a stage spectacle into a global cultural phenomenon. It has continuously evolved yet we ensure it always remains true to its roots.”
Since its inception Riverdance has been seen by over 31 million people in 51 countries. The show has played over 16,000 performances and has featured 1,500 Irish dancers.
The show is more than just dancing—it traces the life of a river and explores the way people from different lands enrich the countries they emigrate to, bringing with them their own culture, music and dance.
Mairead Trainor joined “Riverdance” in 2018 through their summer school program and made her debut as principal dancer in 2022. She has been dancing since she was only two and saw a production of “Riverdance” at the Hammersmith Apollo when she was eight.
“My mom tells this story that I don’t remember, but we were in the audience and apparently, I tapped her on the shoulder and said, ‘I’m going to do that one day.’ And so to be doing that is really special,” said Trainor
Last year Trainor added the title of Dance Captain to her resume (which includes numerous dance titles). She is also a personal trainer, which makes sense because the physicality of dancing – especially in “Riverdance” – requires endurance, flexibility and strength, although as Trainor noted, the show itself is its own workout.
“We don’t necessarily need to be hitting the gym every single day,” she said. “People do, but it is long days and it can be tiring, so a lot of the day especially on the tour bus is spent sleeping as our recovery. But nutrition is a huge factor. Making sure that we’re getting the right food and enough food before the show is really a key factor for us to get up on stage every single night, especially after a six-hour travel day into a show.”
So what does it take to be a member of the “Riverdance” company?
“I think it’s about passion,” she stated. “If you have the want and you have the drive and you have in your head that you you’re going to put in that work, I think it’s possible for anyone to be in the show. We’ve all grown up Irish dancing, and doing competitions, but that’s a lot different to what you see on the “Riverdance” stage. I remember when I joined the show, it took me a while to comprehend what I had to do. I had to dance differently. I had to move my arms. In competitions, we usually keep our arms straight by our sides, they wouldn’t move. So to learn how to use your arms and to tell a story with your face, it was definitely a learning process. But if you have the drive and you have the motivation to work hard and learn, it’s possible for anyone to be in the show. And once you get in, you put in the work to stay here.”
In addition to dancing in the show, Trainor’s responsibility as the show’s dance captain requires a different set of skills.
“It’s such an honor to be a dance captain for “Riverdance,” she said. “Our job is to make sure that the dances are okay. We make rotations every single night. People will be in different numbers from the night before to keep it interesting, so we’re not necessarily doing the exact same thing every single night. We try and mix it up as much as we can. And if there are any injuries, we deal with that too. Anything that goes on behind the scenes, it’s our job to deal with it and make sure everything’s running perfectly.”
As Trainor noted, there is a lot of dancing in “Riverdance” but it’s more than simply an Irish dance show.
“We have an incredible flamenco dancer. We have four folk dances. We have two American tappers alongside our insane four-piece band. There’s so much music and dance,” explained Trainor. “And then there’s the story of “Riverdance.” The first act is about the myth and the legend and telling the old tales of Ireland. And then the second act is about departure and discovery, when the Irish left to immigrate to America. It’s telling that story, and then by the end, all of those cultures are brought back to Ireland, celebrating together on stage. It’s truly an incredible show. We see people leaving every single night with smiles on their faces. We have standing ovations every night. So to see that every night, and to witness that on stage, and for us to give them that energy, and for them to give us that energy, it’s incredible.”
“There’s something in the show for everyone,” added Trainor. “You could be five years old, or 85 years old, whatever age you are, and wherever you come from, you can enjoy the show. It’s like a roller coaster of emotions that you go through throughout the show, which is beautiful to see.”
Beyond dancing, Trainor is serving as an inspiration for others who want to make dancing their career.
“It’s an incredible feeling to inspire people. We meet children at the stage door and they say ‘I want to start Irish dancing, I want to go to lessons.’ It takes me back to when I was their age, when I was seven or eight, waiting at the stage door to meet the cast. So to now be on the flip side, it’s incredible. And we love meeting people at the stage door and inspiring them and telling them, yeah, of course you can, it’s never too late to start, whether that’s Irish dancing or it’s flamenco dancing or tap dancing, playing an instrument. It’s so special to know that we’re inspiring that next generation to come.”
For tickets to “Riverdance,” visit www.SCFTA.org.
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