Riverdance is electrifying, a show to see even if you have seen it before
By Daniel Hines
Publisher
America’s Seniors at www.TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com

The current production of Riverdance at St. Louis’  Fabulous Fox Theater is an amazing example of the longevity of this amazing performance. 

Simply put, it electrifies the audience with one of the most physical, intense, yet hauntingly satisfying productions we have seen of Riverdance, one of our favorite shows. 

In this instance, the quality of the production is due in large part to the wonderful  performances of Padraic Moyles, the male lead dancer, and Melissa Convery, the female lead dancer. 

They provided a rare—perhaps even difficult to imagine—balance of grace, energy, charm and fantastic dancing that set the pace for the rest of the cast. 

Moyles was especially dynamic.  He combined a highly athletic style that was at the same exuding charm that was based upon an interaction with the audience that we had not seen in previous productions, in which the male leads seemed to believe arrogance was the prime ingredient in winning an audience. 

Moyles continued his contribution of a rare chemistry in the numbers with Ms. Convery.  Rather than seeming to be in competition with her, he utilized his handsome looks and masculinity in a fashion that showed real respect for the very real talent of Ms. Convery. 

He continued to set the pace in the crowd-pleasing “Trading Taps’ as the Irish lead (and here, a rare apology to his fellow dancers whose names we are still seeking).  It was Dueling Taps of sorts in which Aaron Tolson and Martin ‘Tre’ Dumas were the equal of Moyles and his counterparts, all of whom in the end of the number show the unifying aspects of the magic of dance.

The evening was full of excellent performances, and one that brought the crowd to its feet was another favorite—the Russian Dance featuring Anja Brovkina, Natalia Kartavtseva, Ilia Pankratov, Natalia Tomilina, Oleg Vasilev and Iouri Zhivoglotov in an absolutely amazing performance. 

Nuria Brisa was captivating in another crowd favorite, the Flamenco. 

One of my particular favorites was Alexis, MacIssac a wisp of a woman who is not only an amazingly talented Fiddler, but is endowed with a wonderfully beautiful face.

And, as an even further illustration of the commonality of dance and music, Michael Samuels delivered a moving performance with his unforgettable baritone voice. 

And, being Irish, I am always intrigued by how of the little Island has captured such a command of language and the spoken word.  And, I was not to be disappointed with this show.  The wonderful reading of the narrative that binds the show was done wonderfully by John Kavanaugh. 

Kudos to Dance St. Louis, which is doing so much to bring the aspect of dance to the St. Louis and Midwestern arts. 

A final word—if you think you’ve seen Riverdance before, don’t make the mistake of missing this show…its energy will make for a special Holiday treat.