Story by Page Leggett

Riverdance - 25th Anniversary Show Photo by Jack Hartin, 2020

FEET, DON’T FAIL ME NOW

Brianna Doran, part of Riverdance’s 25th Anniversary Show, has perfected her footwork—and her stamina

STORY BY

Page Leggett

Not every Eurovision act goes on to international superstardom.

But some do. ABBA won the European songwriting competition in 1974. Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias and Olivia Newton-John all represented their home countries in the annual challenge.

And in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a then-unknown Irish dance troupe performed as an interval act. Soon after, husband-and-wife production team John McColgan and Moya Doherty expanded it into a stage show that premiered—and broke box office records—in Dublin in 1995.

The exuberant show came to America—specifically, Radio City Music Hall in New York—in 1996 for eight sold-out shows. Since its premiere, Riverdance has been seen in more than 450 venues worldwide by more

than 25 million people, making it one of the most successful dance productions ever.

And now, a reinvigorated, 25th anniversary production is visiting Atlanta as it dances its way across North America. The touring production has all the energy and nonstop movement associated with the show, but innovative new lighting, projection, stage and costume designs are now in the mix.

DANCING SINCE SHE WAS 2

And a young woman from Raleigh, North Carolina will be living her dream by being part of the company. Brianna Doran joined last summer, took a break to finish school (she recently earned her associate’s degree in business) and has now rejoined.

Doran, 20, started dancing when she was 2. By 5, she’d picked up Irish dancing—characterized by its fast, intricate footwork and dancers maintaining a rigid upper body—and loved it right away. Her dad was born and raised in County Down, Ireland, so she has a familial connection to the art form.

Doran can’t recall how old she was when she saw Riverdance for the first time, but it was at her local theatre, the Durham Performing Arts Center, and she became “immediately obsessed with it.”

“It’s what really pushed me to keep going in Irish dance,” she said. “I remember, after seeing the show live, looking at all the YouTube videos and listening to the soundtrack. And ever since, I knew that being in Riverdance was my main goal. For me, it was going to be less the competitive side and more performing.”

That’s not to say she hasn’t competed. In 2017, she came in 45th in the global Irish Dance Championship. In the United States, she placed third in our Southern region in 2021 and 2019 and second in 2018.

SO MANY EMOTIONS

Doran appreciates more than just the fancy footwork; she likes the history Riverdance conveys. “There’s a whole story involved with Riverdance and so many different emotions,” she said. “Act I is all about Irish myth and legend. In Act II—called ‘Departing to New Lands’—we introduce flamenco, tap and dervish.”

Riverdance represents the pinnacle for anyone in Irish dancing interested in performing, Doran said. Her training ground: the Triggle Academy of Irish Dance in Raleigh. “My teachers there have helped me tremendously,” she said. “They both were in Riverdance, and one – Andrew O’Reilly—will be on tour with me, as well.”

When we spoke, she was in Raleigh rehearsing. “I’m going over the choreography and drills and making sure my stamina is perfect,” she said.

The word stamina came up repeatedly in our conversation. It’s essential

Riverdance - 25th Anniversary Show Photo by Jack Hartin, 2020

for every member of the company. “I make sure I’m physically fit and eating correctly,” Doran said of her training regimen. “It’s like training for a marathon, basically.”

For all the artistry and storytelling that are part of Irish dance, it’s also— and maybe first and foremost—athletic. “I don’t know of any sport more strenuous than Irish dancing,” Doran said. “It’s physically exhausting. It’s just the constant pounding on your feet.”

“COMPLETELY AMAZED”

While each dancer is responsible for learning the choreography in advance, it becomes very collaborative once they join the tour. “It’s on you to make sure you have that stamina, but everyone is very supportive of each other once we all come together,” Doran said.

“When you’re spending all that time together, you get very close to people; they start to feel like family,” she added. About 30 people are part of the “Lee” company, including the four-piece band. (Every Riverdance company is named after a river in Ireland. This company is named for the River Lee in County Cork.) So, the 30 comprise one big family.

Doran said she thrives on the energy she gets from an audience and the fans she sometimes meets after the show. “After one performance last year, there were a bunch of young kids that came up to me who said they wanted to learn Irish dance,” she said. “My love for it really started because of seeing this show, and I love that children today are also being inspired. Everyone who sees it for the first time is completely amazed.”