Riverdance history, continued

As you can see from my last post, Irish step dance is an art learned orally and by demonstration. Tradition is a huge aspect of Irish dance, however it is not limited by tradition. Irish dance has welcomed innovation and style changes, which has allowed it to evolve into what it is today. As Irish dance continued to grow in the United States, Donny Golden became the first North American dancer to ever place in the top three at the World Irish Dancing Championships. In the 1980’s, Jean Butler was his student. She and her partner, Michael Flatley, (who studied under Pat Roche, Mary Campbell-Fahey, and Dennis Dennehy) would go on to begin the Riverdance sensation in the 90’s that sent enrollment in Irish dance classes soaring.

               So is Riverdance Irish or American? In my opinion, it’s simply both. Clearly, Riverdance still has all of the characteristics of traditional Irish dance, along with some innovations and “new world variations”. I think it’s important to understand that Riverdance does not wish to discount tradition, just to use it in a new way. It is also worth mentioning that Irish dance is performed, taught, and loved by people of all nationalities; not just Irish people and Americans.

               What do you guys think? Does Riverdance do traditional Irish dance justice? How do you think people in Ireland feel about Riverdance in America?

Until next time,

Rachael Loeb

 Jean Butler and Michael Flatley in the original production of Riverdance. Photograph: Richard Chambury/Alpha (retrieved from: www.theguardian.com)

 

Lee, Joseph, and Casey, Marion R., eds. Making the Irish American : History and Heritage of the Irish in the United States. New York, NY, USA: New York University Press (NYU Press), 2006. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 2 April 2015.