A Retrospective by Dr Jeanette Mollenhauer
On 30 April this year, Riverdance celebrated its 30th birthday. In the months leading up to the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Point Theatre in Dublin, it’s unlikely that any of the dancers, singers or musicians envisaged that their seven-minute item would develop into a globally successful theatrical production.
They certainly introduced many new elements, such as arm movements, men in trousers rather than kilts, women in short, close-fitting dresses and music that reminds listeners of Ireland but with a dose of Eastern Europe in the mix. The item received a standing ovation and as Eurovision was, even then, a televised event, many more people than just those in the Point Theatre that night witnessed a remarkable event in dance history.
One of the results of its conception was that enrolments in Irish dance classes increased. The 8-years-and-under girls’ section of the New South Wales Championships in 1996 had 35 competitors. The same section, in 1999, had already grown to 99 competitors, representing an almost threefold increase in just a few years. Another result is that whereas previously, Irish dance in Australia was practised by Irish Australians, suddenly people from all cultural backgrounds wanted to learn. Over the years, there have been dancers (including Australian champions) with Greek, Serbian, Croatian, Chinese and Indigenous Australian ancestries, among many others. This multicultural dancer cohort places Irish dance in a unique position among culturally specific styles.
Another beneficial development has been the presentation of dance as an attractive activity for males. The #boysdancetoo movement of 2019 highlighted that attitudes towards boys and men who enjoy dancing can be prejudicial. Irish dance began as a predominantly masculine activity with the Irish dance masters in the 19th century. From the early part of the 20th century, Irish dance changed to become a predominantly feminine activity in both Ireland and Australia, as boys were encouraged towards sports. Riverdance presented strong male dancers and when counting the number of Australian dancers listed in the historical cast member catalogue, I note that the male/female numbers are approximately equal. This stands in direct contrast to competition statistics when far more females participate. Encouraging Australian males into any form of dance is laudable, and Riverdance has made a significant contribution in this field.
The show inspired numerous forms of imitation. These include Riverdance: An Animated Adventure and Riverdance on Ice. Various humorous tributes are located in television programs, including Ireland’s Father Ted, America’s 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Australia’s Kath & Kim (Season 2, Episode 4, “Obsession” (available on Netflix).
Overall, Riverdance changed global perceptions of Irish dance. Without it, documentaries such as Steps to Freedom, chosen to open the 2022 Irish Film Festival in Australia, would hold little interest for anyone other than Irish dance aficionados (see Review). The show has given Ireland and its diaspora a cultural treasure of which to be proud. It is also remarkable in terms of theatrical dance per se. Novel versions of classical ballets such as Swan Lake appear for a season every few years, but Riverdance has played continuously, except during the Covid-19 pandemic, for three decades. Certainly, no other culturally specific dance genre has achieved such success.
Many Australian dancers have appeared in the cast. They are too many to name, but particular mention should be made of Sydney sisters Natasia and Gianna Petracic, who simultaneously danced lead roles in separate touring troupes. Indeed, Natasia recalls that it was seeing Riverdance as a child that inspired her to pursue Irish dance. She can be seen dancing the lead in ‘Reel around the Sun’, one of the main dance items in the show.
Riverdance toured Australia in April and May this year; technically, this was the 25th anniversary production, although the arithmetic has been skewed by the Covid 19 pandemic. I saw a matinee at Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, and the venue was full. If other performances produced similar ticket sales, Riverdance can still claim to be hugely popular in this nation.
How long will Riverdance last? Nobody can answer that question, but at present, it doesn’t really matter. Happy 30thbirthday, Riverdance, and congratulations on putting Irish dance at the forefront of performance history.
Jeanette Mollenhauer
Jeanette is a scholar of Irish Dance, and is currently Honorary Fellow, Faculty of Fine Arts & Music,
The University of Melbourne. She publishes regularly in Tinteán and elsewhere. A recent publication is her chapter ‘Women take the Lead: The Feminisation of Irish Dance in Australia’ in Irish Women in the Antipodes: foregrounded (Wakefield press 2024)
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