Center is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Program subject to change.
Act 1
1. Rhythm of the Dance
2. The First Drop
3. Hornpipes
4. Easky's Legacy
5. Mná na hÉireann
6. Actin’ the Goat
7. The Gathering
8. Exhibition
Curtis Long – Lead Male
Colm Brien – Lead Male
Ethan Kesby
Eoghan Weldon
Robert Fenner
Stephen Gallagher
Thomas Colangelo
The Storyline
Act 2
1. A New Dawn
2. Erin go Bragh
3. The Beat of the Bodhran
4. Hup!
5. An Irish Tango
6. Beyond the Horizon
7. Boann
8. Adamant
9. The Last Drop
10. Parade of Champions
11. Sláinte
Dancers
Jessica Cartwright – Lead Female
Grace Hannon – Lead Female
Molly Fitzgerald
Maeve Mc Phillips
Robyn Caffrey
Jodie Binns
Rebecca Byrne
Musicians
Oliver Havlin – Guitar
Kealan O Connor – Accordion
Luke Savage – Flute
Sean Kelleher – Fiddle
Ethan Kesby – Bodhran
Vocalist
Oliver Havlin
Crew
Danielle Scharpf
Grzegorz Kozlowski
Jakub Kowaleski
This incredible live show creates a new era in Irish entertainment, containing a wealth of Irish talent, featuring World and Irish champion dancers, some of the finest Traditional musicians and singers who are a big hit everywhere. Combining traditional dance and music with the most up to date stage technology, this twohour dance and music extravaganza takes the audiences on an exhilarating and exciting, energy-packed time trip through the ages. It’s internationally rated as one of the most popular and busiest Irish step dance shows in the world making it such a success with critics and audiences worldwide.
Origins of the Show
From the creation of Rhythm of the Dance in 1998 (initially the show was set up for a 3-week tour of the United States) it has toured consistently internationally and is achieving greater critical acclaim year after year.
This wonderful show continues to evolve thanks to the constant striving for perfection by its Director/Producer, choreographer and composer to keep the show fresh and interesting so that audiences who attend performances regularly will always find some new and exciting elements within the programme.
With a wonderful, gifted young cast of dancers, musicians and singers, featuring live performances from the entire troupe, this is a show that has won critical acclaim across 4 continents of the world in 50 countries to over 7 million fans. And now after 20 Years of showcasing the very best in Irish dance to the world, the show has undergone a process of renewal, reinvigorating the choreography and music to create an even more spectacular performance. Producer Kieran Cavanagh is very excited about the updated format of the show, he hopes that Rhythm of the Dance will be a breathe of fresh air into Irish dance with this traditionally rooted and authentic production.
The History of Irish Step Dance
There are vague references to the early history of Irish dancing but evidence shows that its first participants were the Druids. They danced in religious rituals honoring their pagan gods. Around 400 A.D., after the conversion to Christianity, the new priests adopted the pagan style of art in creating their beautiful manuscripts, and the peasants kept the pagan style of music and dancing.
The circle dances of today began after the Anglo-Norman conquest in the twelfth century. The Carol was a popular Norman dance where the leader sang and a circle of dancers replied with the same song.
Three Irish dances are often referenced from the sixteenth century: the Irish Hey, the Rinnce Fada and the Trenchmore. One of the first mentions to dance was in a letter written to Queen Elizabeth I in 1569 in which the dancers were described as being very beautiful and magnificently dressed first class dancers.
During the mid-sixteenth century, dancers performed in the great halls of newly built castles, and some of the dances were brought to the court of Queen Elizabeth. The Trenchmore was an adaptation of an old Irish peasant dance, and the Hey was a
predecessor of the present day reel. Irish dancing was accompanied by the music of the bagpipes and the harp.
The dancing master appeared in Ireland in the eighteenth century. He would wander from village to village to teach dance to peasants. Each dancing master had his own district and never trespassed into another master’s domain. When they met at fairs, they challenged each other to dancing competitions that ended only when one group was left standing.
Each master had his own style, so several versions of the same dance would be found in different areas of Ireland. Over the centuries, Irish dances were modified into the jigs, reels, hornpipes, sets, half sets and polkas performed today. Solo dancing, or step dancing, first appeared at the end of the eighteenth century.
There are dancing competitions in all four Irish provinces and winners qualify for the All Ireland Championships. The international competitions are held in Dublin at Easter and the dancers from other countries compete for the world title. The success of Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and Rhythm of the Dance has placed Irish Dance on the international stage.
