"Riverdance 30 - The New Generation"
Fox Theatre
Detroit, Mich.
April 11
While I was watching "Riverdance 30 – The New Generation," it was clear to me why the show has reached its three-decade milestone. The Irish stepdance show – which I’d seen in my youth – is an ode to traditional Irish culture, one based on a connection to the earth, and a celebration of life.
Riverdance is most famous for its intricate, rhythmic dance steps that offer a strong percussive base to traditional Irish music performed live on stage. The action is mainly from the waist down. Arm movement is minimal, while rhythmic fancy footwork creates a soothing pulse that brings the music into your veins. Soft shoe work adds kicks and jumps into the mix, adding another layer of vibrant folk dancing.
Live music, however, is also a core component. Riverdance’s dance numbers are interspersed with singers as well as instrumentalists performing on traditional Irish instruments, like a low whistle and Uilleann pipes. Behind the performers, projection screens display changing scenes of animated, idyllic Irish countryside and other locations to complement the performers, a modern update from the shows mid-'90s origins.
Dancers Will Bryant and Olivia Nachtigal led the cast with vibrant solos that showcased the technical difficulty of the footwork. On the group numbers, dynamic music and movement carried us through periods of growing and receding excitement. The thunderous all-male a cappella dance “Thunderstorm” was one of my favorite parts of the performance.
On the music side, the featured soprano’s voice was sweet and angelic, heightening the ethereal atmosphere of life on the riverside. When joined by a group of mixed a cappella singers, their voices blended for a soothing harmony that added to the magic.
Act I focused on Irish tradition, creating a full sensory experience that balanced strength with softness, masculinity with femininity, nature with the human soul. It was magical and ethereal, based on a strong percussive foundation. With a stage full of dancers in perfect synchronization, Act I’s closing was triumphant and powerful.
Act II took us on an international dance journey that incorporated American tap dancing, flamenco and Eastern European-style folk dancing. Set in front of an animated projection of Brooklyn, “Trading Taps” was a highlight. It featured a playful dance-off between a group of male Irish dancers and American tappers, Dharmesh Patel and Kenji Igus, who matched their technical prowess with intricate sounds and speed.
The show as a whole was joyful, celebratory and harmonious, continuing to unify a delighted crowd as it has for the past 30 years.
