Wednesday, November 13, 1996
DANCE:
Popular dance, music troupe brings its Celtic pride to L.A.By
Jessica Yorke
Daily Bruin Contributor
Quick paced dance steps to the tune of a mad fiddle and no
Guinness in sight. This is Ireland set in motion, the history of
the country in dance, a spirited reminder for those who left their
hearts by the River Liffey long ago and are still miles from
home.
This tale of historic movement from Irish territory is the
current behind "Riverdance." The show from Ireland has swept tides
of approval across the Atlantic since its debut last year, when
crowds gathered for 27 performances at Dublin’s Point Theatre.
Although the anticipation before its London run was tense,
audiences responded with unanimous warmth and the 6,000 tickets on
sale at New York’s Radio City Music Hall were sold within just a
couple of hours.
L.A. audiences will get a chance to see what the excitement is
about beginning Saturday, when "Riverdance" opens at the Pantages
Theater.
Though the Celtic cultural component of the show has touched the
hearts of millions, the production steers clear of Irish
stereotypes. Dance, opera and unaccompanied song celebrate the new
Ireland; and Russian folk, flamenco and tap follow traditional step
style performed by the 100-strong troupe. Electric keyboards and
saxophones flow together with pipes and fiddles to keep the music
fresh.
"The Celtic spirit I think is lovely, it kind of reminds me of
the Bronx," says Tarik Winston, 19, the first American tap-dancer
to join the show. "From what I’ve seen, the Irish really go for it;
go, go, go. When you visit Ireland the land is always green, the
grass is always pretty, there’s good air, a good smell. You can go
to little sites and see waterfalls and it brings you in tune with
nature."
For Winston, "Riverdance" has carried him far in time from a
tap-workshop program in his home city of New York. He now owns a
dance company, "Awakenings," and helps choreograph his sequence,
"Trading Taps," an energetic piece with an implicit political
message.
Winston describes the piece which depicts the first encounter
between Irish immigrants and African Americans in the U.S.
"The Irish come to America and they see us dancing on the
street. They challenge us and we look at each other’s styles and
sort of make fun out of them. I try to feel how it would be if
someone moved in on you … you know, l look real stern towards
them.
"I mean, it’s the first time you see a black dancer on stage in
the show and I think that really means something. The Irish came
over just like the slaves did to America; we both came about the
same and we’ve both been oppressed."
Winston choreographs his section with "Riverdance" star, Colin
Dunne, labeled as "The Greatest Irish Male Dancer of All Times" by
the Irish Poet Award judges in 1988. Moya Doherty, Bill Whelan and
John McColgan make up the equally acclaimed production team. It was
Doherty who created the "Riverdance" piece as an intermission
segment for the Eurovision Song Contest. Bill Whelan’s reputation
landed him the position of composer for the show. An Irish
pop-producer and composer of orchestral suites Whelan was asked to
arrange ‘The Seville Suite,’ performed on Ireland’s National Day at
Expo ’92 in Spain.
The speed of the "Riverdance" success is a true stroke of Irish
luck. The three million Eurovision viewers’ gushing response
determined the leap from seven minutes of intermission to two hours
of theater, the fastest selling video of all time in the United
Kingdom and an album which turned platinum in Ireland, raising
millions of dollars for famine relief in Rwanda.
It is hardly surprising that the stress of performing for
overflowing auditoriums raised tensions between dancers behind the
curtain. The whirlwind rise to fame brewed the inevitable storm,
namely when original male lead Michael Flatley walked out in a huff
over his contract.
Since Flatley’s departure the ebb and flow of life behind the
"Riverdance" scenes has returned to normal. Winston describes how
he and his fellow dancers are more likely to "play chess and fool
around" than stay out all night after the rush of the show.
However, the international cast can’t pretend to be immune to the
Celtic capacity for dancing away the night.
"I’m the worst out of anyone," Winston confesses. "I drink like
I was a college student or something."
DANCE: "Riverdance" opens Friday at the Pantages Theater. TIX:
$45-$65. For more info, call (213) 365-3575.
Michael Le Poer Trench
"Riverdance," the internationally-acclaimed celebration of Irish
dance, music and song comes to the Pantages Theater on Friday.