Like a sheet of lightening the pulsating rhythms, pure energy and melodic music, in the Rhythm of the Dance show, has hit 50 countries around the world with audience figures of over 7 million fans during the past 20 years. Now in 2018 this global toe-tapping success continues from China to South America and from sunny Spain to snowy Siberia.
Fans everywhere are enjoying 2,000 years, and more, of dance, music, songs and culture from pre-Celtic times to modern day sounds all compacted into a 2-hour concert. It’s full of flailing feet and fiddles, futuristic dances, eye-catching lighting and costumes, sensational sound effects and is now one of the top 3 Irish step dance shows in the world.
Apart from having World and Irish champion dancers; this show also has some of the finest Traditional musicians plus singers who are a big hit everywhere. Perhaps it’s the combination of having the crème de la crème of live performers, intertwined with the latest technology, that takes the audiences on an exhilarating and exciting, energy packed 2-hour time-trip through the ages and makes it so successful.
With what can best be described as, akin to the speed of lightening, the dancers sometimes have literally just seconds to make 25 costume changes during the show. The live band consists of top class musicians who play a vast array of musical instruments which include the Traditional Uilleann pipes, Irish Bodhran, fiddles, flutes, accordions, banjo and whistles.
Due to dance shows having no language barriers, it has been a hit in places such as China, where it performed at the gigantic Earth Dome stage, before an audience of 50,000 and was beamed to 750 million viewers, on syndicated Chinese National TV. In Russia’s Kremlin Palace Theatre the Ministry for Culture gave the show a special award for its contribution to Russian and Siberian Culture. In Moscow’s Crocus City Hall it attracted 6,000 while in Greece, it performed before 5,000 fans at the 2,500 year old Acropolis, Athens. In Poland it won the Best Irish Dance Show award. It was also nominated by the prestigious IQ Magazine as Best Dance Show.
In the USA the show played to full houses in Dolly Parton’s theme Park, Dollywood near Tennessee for a 2 month stint over three seasons. Dolly sang with the cast for one special performance attended by over 1,000 invited media people and guests.
In 2015 Rhythm of the Dance played at the closing ceremony of the European Games in Azerbaijan – the international appearances, awards and accolades go on and on.
Having already entertained over 7 million fans in 50 countries the show hopes to entertain at least another 7 million in the coming years. Now in its 20th anniversary year Rhythm of the Dance continues to hit audiences like a sheet of lightening at over 200 concerts a year all around the world. With no linguistic barriers the future of world entertainment is Rhythm of the Dance and some fans even say it is entertainment that is out of this world. Perhaps, during the coming 20 years performing on the Moon or Mars might be among its next frontiers!
