It’s hard to believe it’s been more than 30 years since Riverdance first took to the stage —originally presented as a seven-minute “interval act” during the intermission of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin. (Eurovision has since become something of a cultural phenomenon, now televised to more than 31 million people in 51 countries around the world.) You can catch the Riverdance spirit this weekend, as the Tennessee Performing Arts Center welcomes Riverdance 30 — The New Generation. The current U.S. tour certainly captures all the passion and precision of the original show, including Bill Whelan’s Grammy-winning score. But audiences can also look forward to plenty of updates, including fresh choreography, new costumes and visual elements and, yes, a whole “new generation” of performers. (Apparently, none of the current cast of dancers were even born when Riverdance first burst onto the scene.) Balancing traditional Irish music and dance with other iconic styles — including tap, flamenco and Eastern European folk — it’s a vibrant celebration of all things dance.
April 3-4 at TPAC’s Jackson Hall
505 Deaderick St.
