Since my last blog got such a good response , I figured I’d go ahead and do another feature this week. So, off I set backstage in Baltimore, MD with my pen and paper and set about seeking my next few victims! Let me next introduce to you the lovely Tokiko Masuda, who had a hard time narrowing her selection of favorite ‘things’ to one, so we agreed to feature her top two favorites..

Well what a surprise was in store for us when we got backstage. There sitting proudly in the back corner stage right was what many past Riverdancers know as ‘The Shrine’. This began with the American ‘Lagan’ Company in 1998 by crew fly man ‘Bones’. Bones is now a local crew guy at the St. Louis Fox. This shrine was a small. old suitcase which over time gathered many bots of memorabilia by the cast and crew of Riverdance.

City Update – Quebec City, QC: A beautiful, historic city that delighted me in every aspect but I was not sad to leave behind a city where they STILL have winter in April! Highlights included early morning swims in the rooftop outdoor heated swimming pool and dining at the ‘Restaurant Le Retro’ bistro in the oldtown to taste the homemade assortment of local pates and seafood chicken pie. A brunch consisting of croque-monsieur on Friday afternoon gave a nice kick start to my day.

My questioning takes me to the male dressing room a floor above ours where I find Stephen Brennan patiently waiting for a hair iron to heat up. “Is that yours?!” I ask? Stephen grins at me and replies gesturing to the hair iron “You don’t think I look this good everyday without these?!”

Veterans Padraic Moyles and Niamh O’ Connor bid adieu to the American stage after serving many years with the ‘American’ Company. Niamh and Padraic were joined by Lauren Smyth, James Keating and singer/ tap dancer, Micheal Wood on their transfer to our sister company, the Moy on a six week tour of Australia and New Zealand until June. As the saying goes, one door closes and another opens and it did just that for their replacements. We have since welcomed Megan Baffa, Owen Barrington, Ben Mapp, Tokiko Masuda and Callum Spencer. They shall complete the remaining seven weeks with the Shannon Company.

Boston itself ,being a city quite influenced by the Irish, makes it a hub for many Irish Dancing Schools. We were so thrilled to welcome Irish Dance students from many different dance academies to our performances over the weekend period. Autograph signing and partaking in group shots with throngs of young dancers and enthusiasts makes my job on the road as exciting as ever.

From Saginaw to Syracuse, between easter eggs and new fiddle players, It is only now I’ve had a minute to come up for air and share with you some more stories from our life on the road. We have come past the half way point of our final farewell tour and things are still as exciting as ever! Indulge in my tales from our home away from home.

It goes without saying Chicago lived up to it’s name. I was determined to fit in as much as possible for the week and went in all guns blazing. I was that annoying tourist that we all see walking down the street in our home towns! The very fact we were in a heatwave, overlapped with visits from friends and loved ones and with St. Patrick’s Day flung into the mix, the week was certainly going to prove eventful!

Read about Fiona McCabes list of 11 cities visited, competitions won and more from behind the curtain.

Join Irish Dance Troupe member Fiona McCabe as she tells us about her trip to New Orleans, some of her favourite cities on tour and gives us another style file.