Customer Reviews

Riverdance - Live From New York City

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I've seen both versions of "Riverdance," with and without Michael Flatley, and I think this one is far and away the better. His successor is a terrific dancer, in a rather self-contained style, but he lacks Flatley's gusto and his rapport with the other dancers and the audience (compare the duos with Jean Butler in both versions and you'll see what I mean). Flatley always looks as if he's enjoying himself, and he throws himself into every performance with passion and enthusiasm -- even after many hundreds of shows, it's not "just a job" to him! Ms. Butler is superb: she can be light as thistledown, or stomp out an intricate rhythm in tap shoes with the best of them.
As for the rest of the film, I could have done with fewer choral selections, although both Anuna and the Gospel group perform well. I would have liked to see more of the band: as an Irish music aficionado, I was stunned to read the credits and see the caliber of musicians who'd been performing, but the tape didn't give more than the odd 10 seconds to anyone besides Davy Spillane. And I can't imagine why the filmmakers didn't include the tap dance segment, which was, to me, the best part of the New York tape.
But this version has it all over the other in one very important respect: whoever filmed it understood something about Irish dancing. They focused on the footwork, which, to a fan of this dance style, is THE most interesting part. The show was a gigantic hit in Ireland -- and in the heavily Irish communities in the U.S. -- in large part because it took a traditional (sometimes hackneyed) ethnic dance form and turned it on its ear. If it's filmed as just another razzle-dazzle dance show, with no attention to its roots, much of the enjoyment goes out of it -- and I think that happened in the New York version.

Let me just say this, I am an Irish dancer, have been dancing with some modest success off and on for 15 years or more.
I've even performed in a mini Riverdance/LOTD type show. Affectionatly called Puddledance. :-)
So here goes: I like both shows, I also like both dancers (i.e. Colin vs. Michael)
Yes MF probably has/had more skill than Colin. However Colin is a much less ego-centric person and is IMHO easier and at times more enjoyable to watch.
I appreciate what MF has brought to both shows, however I find Riverdance a better overall production and here is why;

1. The costumes do not look like some tacky combination between the worst of Irish dance competition wear and a Vegas showgirl show. They are simple, subtle and work well with the dancing. (Have you seen Feet of Flames and that ridiculous cape they made Dair nolan dance with!! Or the UGLY catsuit they put the Gypsy girl in..oh god the list is endless...)ANY show knows you need to have appropriate costumes to carry off the theme fo the show. I wish someone had told MF that.

2. As much as MF is/was a brilliant dancer and is a pretty good coreographer he spends way too much time in the world of ME ME ME and does not show even half the joy Colin shows when he is dancing. Nor does he let his co-stars shine too brightly, lest they dim his own star. I really do like the man folks but it is so OBVIOUS. And I am sorry just becuase the man has done so well does not give him an excuse to be so arrogant that is not OK in my book at all. Humility will get you more acolades than arrogance.

3. Riverdance is more well rounded it doesn't go over the top, it shows you a good mix of what Irish dancing is, what it can be and shows how it compares and contrasts with other forms of Dance. That in and of itself makes it a bit stronger than all the MF shows combined.

4. Colin vs. Michael is just silly, two different men, two diffent skill levels. And honestly Colin does more actual "Irish" dancing than Michael has done in ALL the shows combined. MF style is more a hybrid of Irish and US Tap dancing with WAY too much posturing and goofing around without as much real dancing going on. So the fact is does Colin make mistakes? Yes, of course he does, Irish dance is VERY difficult dance style in many ways it is as dificult and requires as much training as Ballet. But it is even more complex than ballet and every single Irish dancer in the world has bad days and good days. Unfortunatley sometimes those bad days happen at the wrong moment, i.e. The Grammys.
So anyway while I enjoy Mr. Flatley's shows Riverdance is a much stronger show without him and as a whole is a better example of the best of Irish dancing. Regardless of the he said/she said debate over who contributed what, Riverdance had its vision MF had another so they separated. MF was never technically "fired" he refused to go on until the issues was resolved the way he wanted and they couldn't reach a middle ground, it happens all the time folks. And personally I'm glad it did, because we got a whole new group of shows that may never had exisited if MF had stayed with Riverdance. I like both as I said, I just think Riverdance is a bit stronger than the various LOTD shows.
Now if we could just re-train camera men to properly film these shows it would be lovely!!!!

I have seen Riverdance - The Show live performance by Pat Roddy and Eileen Martin. But this DVD - featuring Colin Dunne and Jean Butler - is a very good example of how poor editing and lack of video making experience can spoil an excellent performance. Trust me, the makers of this video do not know even the basics of video making and they do not have the faintest idea - what is Irish dance. When Jean is energetically delivering her excellence, the camera is focused on her face or torso! Agreed, she is beautiful, but come on, an Irish dance lover do not see the show to ogle at the performing girls! And that magnificient orchestra playing Bill Whelan's magical scores do not get a good slot in the video either! Radio hall owes a good one to the makers of this video since most the time the hall is shown from a long angle leaving the skills of dancers in the middle of the screen as tiny dots! One side of the DVD could have been made as a non-stop delivery of the whole show, and the other side could have had the behind the scenes and dancer's biographies. Flipping over the DVD in the middle of the show is frustrating! I am looking forward for a better version of this DVD. Hopefully they make another one as Riverdance is back on live in New York now!

A far cry from the static monstrosity the show has become on Broadway, the original Riverdance with Michael Flatley and Jean Butler is unbeatable. Colin Dunn may be a skilled performer, but no amount of championship titles can make up for the fact he lacks Flatley's presence and command of the audience. This production of Riverdance is the only one you need - forget Riverdance: The journey and the Radio City Music hall nightmare. This is Riverdance the way it was meant to be, before the producers drove Flatley away and stole his creation. The can claim credit all they wish, but Michael Flatley proved where the true passion for the dance went when he bravely formed his own production of Lord of the Dance and later, Feet of Flames. The current Broadway Riverdance show is fine for making the producers money and appeasing the tourists, but they cannot deny the passion and fire of the original is gone. The only thing worth watching the Broadway cast for is the added solos of Maria Pages and the newer modern tap routines. But there is no beating the original production, with it's passion and fire that truly embody the spirit of the Celts. Between Bill Whelan's gorgeous score and Flatley and Butler's unequaled talents leading a fabulously talented cast, this is truly an example of a great idea that should never have been tampered with.

The editor's criticism of Riverdance is meaningless. Riverdance is truly a phenomenom. I was so impressed by how moving the dances and music are. The dancers never waste any time. They just move from one beautiful move to another. They have a very good dance cast and on the stage they bring life and motion. You can't resist the tapping sounds. The music brings just as much liveliness. The music cast includes piper Davy Spillane, accordianist Mairtin O'Conner, and fiddler Maire Breatnach(before Eileen Ivers joined the show). The music is at times slow and moody, but then it goes on to be energetic and jig like. One of the best parts of the music is the songs. The choral group Anuna, made up of five men and five women, sings so beautifully in "The Heart's Cry", "The Heartland", and the song "Riverdance". The American gospel influence of "Freedom", performed by the James Bignon group portrays the dreams of freedom shared by America and Ireland. The finally at the end with Anuna and the African-American group together is so cute! One cannot ignore the beauty of the song, "Lift the Wings", which I believe helped inspire the Titanic theme(you can't resist that lovely low whistle). All of the music is a great picture of Celtic music, bringing the spirit of the past to our time. At the same time, it has influence from cultural music of Spain, Russia, and African-American gospel. It is folly for one to resist this masterpiece. It is a classic that will last a long time. Even teenagers like myself adore the soundtrack, but one should also get a hold of the video to see the dances. The songs and dances often relate to Celtic legends and mythology, such as "The Countess Kathleen" and "Lament For Cu Chuchaillin". You can not say no to Davy Spillane's powerful uillean pipes! Therefore, be sure to get the original show of RIverdance, which I am pleased to see that as many Americans and Europeans alike have delighted in.

It is disappointing to see just how poorly the video angles, camera placement and editing were done. The energy of the tap performances and the dancers was never the focus of attention - instead, the producer(s) seemed to want to go crazy with their continuous jumping from one camera to another without any thought to showing the performance in its best light. The camera angles continually changed around the stage , with extreme closeups of head and torso that simply did not do *any* justice to the dancing.

The original "Riverdance - The Show" video is a *much* better edited performance, albeit with fewer actual tap dancing scenes. The performance of another similar video "Lord Of The Dance" did not sit well with me either, perhaps because the originality and energy of the dancers was subsumed in an over-produced, over-glitzy performance. Some improvement in the editing over *this* video, but still not anywhere as good as it could have been.

I would recommend the original "Riverdance - The Show" over any of the subsequent performances that have been released. Now, if I could only find that performance in DVD format - the only release that I know of is VHS!

Many people have critizised Michael Flatley for having an egolarger than the 32 counties of Ireland (26 counties for youpessimists), but sometimes in life there are those that are so good at what they do-- they have earned a bit of cockiness. Michael Flately is an amazing Irish dancer-- in all likelihood, the best in the world-- so shouldn't we all cut him a bit of slack? The show is fantastic and Flatley makes it. Also appearing is Jean Butler (who appears a LITTLE stiff with nervousness in her first number, but then loosens up and does a beautiful job), and she is magnificent. I would recommend to anyone that hasn't seen Riverdance to see the first one (With Michael Flatley), but also the second at Radio City Music hall (With Colin Dunn). Both are VERY different, and equally amazing. I don't have enough good to say about it. See the show!!

The original Riverdance video was terrific, but I think this is even better. The fantastic dancing and lightning-precision choreography of the original is kept here, and the delightful international cast and multiculturalism of the original is expanded upon in this production with a pair of African-American tap-dancers who do a wickedly funny "duel" with Colin Dunne.

Jean Buter shines, of course, just as she did in the original. Colin Dunne, while not quite as good technically as Michael Flatley, is nevertheless highly skilled, and even more of a delight to watch since Dunne's focus seems to be more on making the production as a whole look good rather than on calling attention to his own "amazing feet feats." Dunne's self-deprecating humor in the above-mentioned "duel," as a tap dancer parodies Irish dance, is alone worth the price of the video. This video is a great companion piece to the original and not a repeat!

All three major Irish dance films suffer from the inability of whoever is doing the filming to film dance properly! This is the greatest abuser of the three. There are three major problems: 1) not filming the dancers full body, 2) stage lighting (not the best for filming, though fine for viewing a live performance), and 3) excessive changes in camera angle. Of these three, the second is forgiveable, being unavoidable if one is filming before a live audience but one and three are not! As to one, there was extensive work done by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in the early days of the musical that worked out the best ways to film dance. Only one completely ignorant of filming technique would fail to film full body. As for three, I can tell you that there are nine cameras in New York's Radio City Music Hall. How do I know? BECAUSE THE FILMOGRAPHER SWITCHED CAMERAS EVERY 10-15 SECONDS OF EVERY FLIPPING DANCE! HELLO, we do not ALL watch an excessive quantities of MTV, thank you very much! This is distracting at best and at worst it totally disrupts the ability to appreciate the flow of the movement. Additionally, if you've already seen the Michael Flatley film there is very little of interest or improvement (unless you dislike his work, in which case you may like this). The only major change is a "dance down" pitting American tap against Irish step. This particular number, were it film properly, would be worth the price of adding this work to your collection, even if it already included the original "Riverdance", but, as it is, forget it! Rent it on video, see the number, and forget wasting you well-earned money on this forgetable turkey. The performers worked hard and I am sorry that those filming them didn't give their effort the presentation it deserved.

I saw Riverdance at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago in a production very similar to the one on this videotape performed and recorded live at Radio City Music Hall. What I saw on the video was a small fraction of the sensational dancing demonstrated by the performers I saw in person. That is because there are far more shots showing the head, torso and theatre than full-body dancing. Just as soon as you think you are really going see some fabulous dancing the camera cuts away. I think the tape editors were too into the art of video and not at all into the art of DANCE. It was very frustrating to watch this videotape.