It’s that time of year again when the memory of former Riverdancer, Dr Eithne Walls, will be marked by her friends, family and former colleagues running the 2013 Flora Womens Mini Marathon to raise money for Dublin’s Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital’s Research Foundation.  Eithne, a former Riverdancer and a Doctor at the RVEEH, was a passenger along with her friends and colleagues Dr Aisling Butler and Dr Jane Deasy on the ill-fated Air France Flight 447 which disappeared over the Atlantic on June 1 2009.  Each June Bank Holiday since then her friends, family, and former colleagues in both Riverdance and the RVEEH have come together to run the Mini Marathon as a way of remembering Eithne.

Mr Whelan signalled the strong possibility that Riverdance will be performed in Limerick as part of one of the major events for the year, the draft programme for which is expected to be unveiled in June. “It would be absolutely my hope that that will happen and I have already approached my partners in Riverdance on this and I think we will make this happen,” he said.

James Greenan is one of the male leads with  Riverdance, currently performing in China as part of the Riverdance Grand Theatre Tour. James was born in London but moved with his family to Co Cavan at the age of 11. A keen footballer, he took some persuading to take up dancing, but has never looked back since.

by CCTV at Beijing Exhibition Centre
“The Irish dance phenomenon is on tour across China. Powerful and compelling, Riverdance hits the stage with heart throbbing force. The show features traditional Irish step dancing, known for its rapid leg movements, which has left audiences enthralled”
And the excitement is palpable as the lead dancer introduces the beating drums into the dance. The story of Irish culture and Irish immigration to America is presented in a rich and fascinating way, fusing dance, music and song.

Severe weather conditions cause the delay of the arrival of the show trucks in Beijing thus cancelling the opening night and rescheduling the show. (In Riverdance”s 17 year history, this show is only the second show to be cancelled in advance. The last time was a fire at the venue in Madrid in 2001.
With the VIP guests assembled in Beijing, the show must go on.  Snr Executive producer, Julian Erskine tweets from Beijing “the company entertain the 200 guests with an impromptu show..“

“We are currently enjoying our tour of China and wanted to take just a couple of moments to send you our Christmas Greetings from here, wherever in the world you are. We hope you and yours have a most Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Beannachtaí na Nollag agus athbhliain faoi shéan’s faoi shonas.

Riverdance returns to the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin from 27 June to 1 September 2013 for an unprecedented 10th consecutive summer season.
To avail of our special Early Bird offer of a 15% saving on all 2013 tickets purchased on or before 31st December 2012, click on Ticketmaster.ie and use promotional code RDEB13

As one of the lead dancers in Riverdance, Caterina Coyne has travelled all over the world and performed to audiences of hundreds of thousands of people.
She always had a keen interest in Irish dancing. After many years of hard practice, she decided to follow her dream of becoming a professional dancer.
She has danced in prestigious venues such as Radio City Music Hall in New York and the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.
Now she is China for a ten-week tour, where she will perform to an expected audience of 86,000 people across 24 major cities.
Caterina was interviewed by Worldirish.com

Riverdance embarks on a 10 week tour of China, performing to an expected audience of 86,000 people across 24 major cities. A Chinese language website www.riverdance.com.cn has been launched to support the tour.
The tour includes performances at the world renowned Beijing Exhibition Centre Theatre and the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre.
Riverdance will also perform in a large number of newly constructed; state of the art venues on this tour and in a number of instances Riverdance will have the honour to take part in the official opening of these new venues.

It’s made of navy silk velvet, delicate crochet and jet beads, and it was like no other Irish dance dress ever seen before. Jean Butler wore it during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest interval act she performed with Michael Flatley, and in seven minutes changed the image of Irish dancing forever. Her first dance—soft shoe, delicate—looked traditional, but her sexy, off-the-shoulder dress showed how Irish culture could be reimagined for a modern, global audience. After Michael Flatley’s solo, Butler came back on stage in hard shoes, and their kicks, clicks and taps created a percussive power that resonated further than anyone could have imaged. Bernice Harrison