Fans of Irish dance are in for a treat in the coming weeks when the "original" Irish dance ensemble, Riverdance makes its Taiwan debut and performs in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
Not to be confused with Michael Flatley's "other" foot tapping traditional Irish dance combo, the Lord of the Dance, which has paid numerous visits to Taiwan over the past three years, Riverdance was the first all Irish dance troupe to bring the Irish jig to mainstream audiences the world over.
Flatley's group was initially formed to perform at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, but Riverdance actually proved more popular than many of contest's lackluster musical acts. Within a year the show that was choreographed to be a little more than a six-minute celebration of Irish culture that took to the stage in between acts had morphed into one of the most popular shows of all time.
Since Flatley quit Riverdance in 1995 the group and show have not only spawned numerous copycat acts, but have led to global interest in all things Irish. Riverdance has performed nearly 10,000 concerts, has played to packed houses in over 30 countries, and has netted merchandising sales in excess of US$35 million. And as if all that isn't enough to impress, then audience figures certainly should, as an estimated 2 billion people worldwide have seen the show.
The Riverdance troupe is no longer a single company. There are now three groups all of which take their names from Ireland's rivers. The Boyne tours in North America, the Avoca tours throughout Europe and the Corrib, which is named after the river that runs through the picturesque county of Galway, is tasked with keeping Asian audiences entertained.
While several local newspapers, a well-known singer and a rather un-Broadway savvy politician have recently been critical of touring groups that perform in Taiwan -- labeling the Really Useful Company that is set to bring Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera to Taiwan early next year as "amateurs" -- Riverdance's Corrib troupe is a highly talented,
professional and handpicked unit.
And while only three of the lead roles are performed by genuine Irish dancers who were born and raised in the Land of the Blarney Stone organizers are not expecting this to hinder ticket sales or local audiences' enjoyment of the show.
What: Riverdance Live in Taiwan
Where and when: Thursday, Dec. 1 until Dec. 8 Taipei International Convention Center (台北國際會議中心); Dec. 10 and 11 Taichung Chunghsing University (台中中興大學); Dec. 12 and 13 Tainan City Cultural Center (台南市立文化中心); Dec. 15 through 17 Kaohsiung Chideh Hall (高雄至德堂).
Tickets: Tickets for Taipei shows cost from NT$800 to NT$4,800 and for performances in Koahsiung, Taichung and Tainan tickets cost from NT$600 to NT$3,600. Tickets for all performances are available from ERA ticketing outlets nationwide.
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