Riverdance: The Story [Hardcover]

Sam Smyth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1997

An illustrated account of the success of Riverdance, which charts how a seven minute Eurovision showpiece, designed to fill an interlude during the TV show, has gone on to become a hugely popular theatrical phenomenon.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square; First UK Edition edition (June 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0233990585
• ISBN-13: 978-0233990583
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,157,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars AN EXUBERANT, GLOSSY BOOK, August 24, 2001

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Riverdance: The Story (Hardcover)

"Riverdance," the exuberant Irish dance phenomenon that's sweeping both sides of the Atlantic, has swung its way in a scant few years from a seven-minute interval sequence in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest to a record-breaking stage spectacular. It's an audio, a much-in-demand video, and now a glossy richly illustrated book. Riverdance: The Story opens with a comprehensive history, an account "of an ancient Irish tradition in which dance and music are celebrated as a metaphor for life," then segues into the creation of Riverdance: The Show. Virtuoso Bill Whelan, who has written original music for 15 W.B. Yeats plays, ideated the piece - selecting a river's life as his overall theme, with the male lead dancer representing the land, and the female star embodying the river flowing through the land. He then composed the score for the original sequence and came up with the name "Riverdance." Neither John McColgan, director, or Moya Doherty, producer of the segment, dreamed of the reception it would receive: "It was seven minutes that shattered the hermetically sealed world of television, seizing the attention and igniting the imaginations of 300 million viewers." As the last note rang out the 3,000 member audience (made up of delegates from 25 countries) leapt to its feet, led by the usually staid Irish President, Mary Robinson. Tumultuous cries of "Riverdance! Riverdance!" filled the theater. The rest, to use a fatigued phrase, is entertainment history. The abruptly dissonant departure of audience-pleasing star Michael Flatley is not euphemistically described by the author . When Flatley did not renew his one-year contract, mediation was unsuccessful. A final volley from the multi-talented first generation Irish American is described as demanding control of the show. "I would like complete control over all that I do and all that I am involved with in this show," he wrote. "This includes what I wear, when I dance, and which dancers I choose to dance with." Finding his conditions unacceptable, the decision was made to replace him. Twenty-seven year old Colin Dunne learned only 1 day before curtain time that he would be taking over the starring role. That night the show received a standing ovation. Flatley went on to form "Lord of the Dance," an extravaganza enjoying enormous success. Nothing is overlooked in this meticulously conceived volume - themes, music, cast, production, and predictions for the future all receive studied attention. Author Sam Smyth, a columnist with the Irish Independent newspaper in Dublin, has filled his book with stunning full-page photographs of the phenomenon that has won millions of hearts and imaginations. "Riverdance" fans will love it. - Gail Cooke

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riverdance is the best!, January 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Riverdance: The Story (Hardcover)

This is a great book for anyone who loves Riverdance and/or Irish dancing.The book tells the whole stoy of Riverdance and also gives a little history on Irish dance.I think the author should have included more pictures of the dance troupe backstage or rehearsing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story of a Great Show, June 28, 2002

By 

BeachReader (Delaware) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riverdance: The Story (Hardcover)

This terrific book begins with a history of Irish music and dance, which are "celebrated as a metaphor for life." Included in this background was information about the 17th century cake dance (the dancers ate the prize) and the 18th century emergence of the solo or step dance. This was the most important development in Irish dance history. In the late 1700s dance masters traveled around Ireland teaching complex steps. The Gaelic League was formed in 1893 to promote Irish culture. The first ceili (dance event) was held in London in 1897.

The second part of the book was about Riverdance (the show)-- the original story is based on the life of a river: small and quiet at its source, then feeding and nourishing the lands it passes, and finally rushing out to sea at the estuary. The show was planned to have a soft choral opening and a big finale. It was designed as a seven-minute interval during a Eurovision song contest and got a standing ovation from a roaring audience. Thus, Riverdance "the phenomenon" was born in a Dublin theater in 1994.

From there on, it was expanded and developed into the stage show as we know it today, complete with a premier Spanish flamenco dancer, a six-person troupe from the Moscow Folk Ballet, African American tap dancers, and a choir from Atlanta, Georgia. It also made stars of its first two principal dancers, Michael Flatly and the beautiful Jean Butler, both Americans. Flatly, in fact, was the first American to win the World Irish Dancing Championships.

A "great swell" of national pride resulted from Riverdance's exploration of the internal and outward journeys of the Irish people. Riverdance rescued Irish dancing, reinforcing its sensitivity with simple costumes while utilizing generations of skills and traditions.

A lovely and beautiful book.