Riverdance turns 30 with a cast of dancers younger than the show | Ents & Arts News

Riverdance is marking 30 years with a new generation of dancers who were not born when the show made its debut.

The interval act from the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest became a global phenomenon and continues to inspire Irish dancers worldwide.

Lead dancers, Anna Mai and Fergus Fitzpatrick, are siblings from County Meath who grew up dreaming of touring with Riverdance.

Fergus said: “It’s a dream come true to be able to be a lead dancer in Riverdance.

“It’s even more special to be able to have family on the road with you.

“Travelling, getting to do what you love and to see these amazing places, while taking care of the iconic show that is Riverdance.”

They are deeply conscious of the show’s legacy and take pride in following in the footsteps of Irish dancing giants.

Anna Mai said: “We absolutely feel the responsibility and we take that challenge completely positively, and we see it a bit more as an honour, rather than a heavy weight.

“Riverdance was here before either of us were born, so we know that the legacy was created, we’ve never known life without Riverdance, and we take it on as a responsibility, as something to pass through to new generations.”

Lorcan Murphy was one of the original cast, propelled to unexpected stardom when the show hit the road in 1995.

“When people say what’s your best memory, I say the All Blacks asked me for my autograph,” he recalled.

“I think it’s meant to be the other way around!”

He has never forgotten the moment Riverdance took the world by storm, with a spellbinding fusion of music and dance.

He said: “It broke rules. I think the thing about Riverdance is that it doesn’t have to conform to the rules and balances that were in place beforehand.

“Everything carried a purpose to it, culminating in that incredible night where it was nothing but electricity from start to finish.”

To date, the various casts have produced 70 marriages, and 130 “Riverdance babies”, three of whom have now performed themselves.

The new generation will take Riverdance to new audiences, with an anniversary tour opening in the United States in January.

Riverdance will come to the UK in August, performing across 30 venues until the end of the year.