Riverdance

[Kenshin17]

Alright lets here who likes some good tap and Irish music

I have been (for the laste like five days) listening to ripped audio (and I bought the soundtrack of it) of Wheel around the Sun from the show.

I also like Countess Cathlene, Rolling Thunder (Thunderstorm it might be), Firedance, Riverdance...pretty much all the bits with tap dancing in them I like. Not so fond of the songs, but they arn't bad.

Words cannot describe the coolness that is Riverdance. I love the tap dancing, so awesome.

So who else likes it?

[Ashley]

I also enjoyed watching the first "Riverdance" that came out to VHS way back in the day. I haven't seen any of the sequels...lack of time and opportunity have made it difficult to keep up with it. Still, you can count me among the fans. ^^

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I remember watching it on PBS a few years ago, and I found myself kinda enjoying it! I love the stomping and clomping with the music--it was like the dancers were a part of the orchestra, playing their own instruments! The music was especially stirring, and would probably make GREAT driving tunage!

[Kenshin17]

It does make good driving music I should know, ripped the audio from my dad's DVD

Ash the new ones aren't sequals per se, they are just updated versions of the same. I saw the old school one and recently saw a newer one. There are diffrences but the core show is the same. If you get the time check the new ones out. Its good stuff.

[meboeck]

I saw Riverdance live a few years ago! I love it so much! My favorite is Countess Cathleen, but really I love pretty much all of it.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Oh man. Don't get me started. Okay, too late. I LOVE MICHAEL FLATLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was like totally my hero for years when I was around ten years old! I wanted to be a tap dancer when I grew up, and I literally watched Feet of Flames at least twice a week. I daydreamed about it, I tried to dance myself.... Man, was I hooked. I still am, actually. A few months ago I pulled out the old Feet of Flames video and thought, "Why not?" So I popped it in and found myself captivated again within moments. And then my brother got some of the songs from Feet of Flames and Riverdance, and I'm about to hyperventilate now just from thinking about Ronan Hardiman's music!
I love the Countess of Cathleen, and Wheel Around the Sun, and Firedance, and Riverdance, and the whole shebang! From Feet of Flames, my favorite song is the evil guy's theme (Warrior or something) *starts humming*
And the longer-haired violinist from Feet of Flames, Mairead (sp?) O'Connor, is now in the band Celtic Woman! I go simply CRAZY over her violin music.
The tapping adds so much more to the music (which is already amazing enough to make me want to put it eternally on repeat), like extra percussion. Michael Flatley especially can really move his feet! It's amazing, it's...unbelievable.
Of all the Michael Flatley shows I've seen recordings of, I like Feet of Flames the best. Riverdance seemed a bit less coordinated somehow, and I didn't really like the choir songs as much. In fact, I can't even remember if it really had much of a story to it like Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames did. 'Course, it's been several years, so....
But yes. I am a TOTAL fan of Irish tapdancing

[Kenshin17]

Cool. Actually you should watch some of the new ones without Michael Flatley. They do feel more like they tell a story. I especially like the act in the one I saw where the Irish tap dancers battled with the Funky street tapers. Both groups where awesome and the male lead dancer in this version is arguably faster then Flatley.

Little side note: All of the men who have filled the role of lead dancer (the role Flatley held) have been world champion tap dancers.

I do love how the tapping is part of the music. And I hear ya on the endless repeat, for a while when I saw it again I listened to it for days straight (I listened to nothing but Wheel around the sun for an entire eight hour shift)

I will be honest though, I like the new ones without Flatley better. They are more artistic, and the sotries are clearer.

My personal views on Flatley aside I do think he had some awesome talent.

My favorite acts are Wheel Around the Sun, Riverdance, I do like the tapping portion of Countess Cathleine quite a bit, and I like Rolling thunder too. Any of the acts with tap in them are cool.

Oh and if you haven't seen the newer iteration of Firedance you must see. Instead of the Spainish dancer dancing only with the male lead, she dances with six of the dancers. its pretty awesome.

[EireWolf]

I saw Riverdance live several years ago, and it was breathtaking -- very passionate, a work of art. I have the video of the original (at least I think it's the original), and I could watch it over and over.

And then I saw Lord of the Dance live. *sigh* Let's just say that I thought the stage just wasn't big enough for a certain dancer's ego. It was way over the top, not artistically beautiful like Riverdance was. The dancers were all amazingly talented of course, but ... meh.

I would pay to go see Riverdance again and again.

[Kenshin17]

I so wish I could see it live. But alas the closest show is way to far for me to see it

And yeah my dad like the new ones better...he has not a high opinion of Michael Flatley...

[EireWolf]

Sheesh... At first I read "I so wish I could live to see it." I was thinking, "Oh no! Does Kenshin17 have a terminal illness?!"

Michael Flatley's athletic talent and stage presence was apparent in the original Riverdance. I think the problem is that he thought the show succeeded because of HIM. If Lord of the Dance is any indication... No. He's a great dancer, but he does not create a great show by himself.

[Kenshin17]

Indeed. Arrogance is not the same as confidence and he was arrogant. I never actually saw this but heard about how he left the show from him. After that it almost seemed to me, when I watched the Riverdance with him, that he was smirking that "I am so good" smile through the whole thing....prolly just me but...

No no terminal illness, unless there is a hidden part of asthma I am not aware of....

[the_wolfs_howl]

What are the "newer shows" called? I'm interested!

I can see what you're all talking about with Flatley's ego and all that. He DOES kinda smirk and show off. But I still like his dancing; I've never seen anything like that anywhere else. And I think I need to see Riverdance again; it's been so long that I can't remember much but a general blue color and a choir in white robes singing.

[Puguni]

Tap dancing is hypnotizing as it is. Irish tap dancing is like, can't-even-blink hypnotic.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I can see what you're all talking about with Flatley's ego and all that. He DOES kinda smirk and show off.

You know what's running through his mind when he's clipping and clopping along stage.

I am so hot...::clip clop, clip clop:: I am so hot...::clip, clop::

But you know, when they're dancing like that, it's kinda sounds like the drum line in a marching band or something! It's so hypnotic and cool!

[Nozomi]

guilty as charged... of watching Riverdance and enjoying it! my family even still has the first VHS of it that came out. there were some funny parts in there...

like where the redhead (i forget her name) and Michael Flatley's first dance in the show... she just wouldn't smile. until the end of the sequence.
also the russian dancers, where the women sat down and had to be pulled up by the men, reluctantly...

and in those times, Flatley held the world record for most taps in a minute.

[Kenshin17]

Oh Flatley is good. Don't get me wrong but I like the new ones without him better. Its fresher and its on DVD

Tap dancing is hypnotizing as it is. Irish tap dancing is like, can't-even-blink hypnotic.

Very good way to put it.

[Quote=the_wolfs_howl]What are the "newer shows" called? I'm interested![/quote]
They are called Riverdance. The new one I saw was Riverdance Live from Geneva. Head over to their website (or I am sure amazon.com) and you should be able to find it. The Riverdance website also has some cool stuff as well.