Influential Irish musical returns to Philly for 30th anniversary

“Riverdance,” the musical that brought traditional Irish music and dance to a mainstream global audience, is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year and returns to Philadelphia for the first time in five years with performances April 18 to 20 at the Miller Theater.

Out dancer and cast member Jordan McCormick, who has been dancing since the age of 3, wasn’t even born when “Riverdance” first debuted. But exposure to the blockbuster musical was woven into the fabric of his upbringing in Ireland.  

“I remember my mother used to be an Irish dancer and my two older siblings were Irish dancers as well,” McCormick said. “And so Irish dancing was always just around me growing up. So, since the very, very beginning, ‘Riverdance’ was always kind of around in terms of the music. I would say we used to have the old DVD, and we would watch that kind of video, and it would always be on the TV, and it was always such a big inspiration for me. So essentially, as long as I’ve known what Irish dancing was, I’ve known what Riverdance was.”

McCormick added that seeing the show in-person cemented his drive to someday be a part of the production.

“I think I was about seven or eight when I actually saw the show live,” he said. “I went to the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin to see it with my family and I remember coming out of that theatre being just so activated by it. I was obviously so young and I was just a kind of budding Irish dancer. We were going to the car to drive home, and we lived three and a half hours from Dublin so it was a bit of a trek, but I was dancing the whole way to the car like I was just making up my own steps and running around and trying to mimic what they were doing on the stage. I said to my mom ‘I want to do that someday,’ and I’m actually kind of shocked when I think about it, that I actually ended up doing that. I really was so inspired by it that I was like, ‘I know exactly what I want to do.’”

McCormick said that the reason “Riverdance” has endured in popularity with audiences of all kinds for three decades is because the show incorporates a diverse range of performers and influences beyond its traditional core of Irish music and dance.   

“I feel like for a general audience, I would say that the way that we can have so many people synchronized and doing the same thing at the same time is what has attracted people for so long,” he said. “It’s such a unique art and such a unique dance style that people are just captivated by it. I think for the LGBTQ audience, what’s important is the diversity and the collaboration of different cultures and different styles into the one show. People come to ‘Riverdance,’ and they might think it’s just Irish dancing, but it’s definitely not. We have a flamenco dancer; we have American tap dancers and Eastern folk dancers from Moldova. And we obviously have our musicians as well. People have a bit of respect for the way that those dance styles are exhibited, but it’s also in a very collaborative way. Rather than just each dance style doing their own thing, we try to mix and mingle those cultures together.  That’s probably what stands out for a lot of people.”

McCormick has spent the better part of a decade traveling the world as a “Riverdance” cast member, and while he loves the show, he says he’s already got the next phase of his career in mind. 

“I’m actually kind of hanging up the shoes in September,” he said. “I’ve been with ‘Riverdance’ for eight years. It’ll be coming up to nine years in July, so that is quite a long time. Not everyone stays for as long as that. Some people stay for one tour. Some people stay for five years. Some people for ten. It just depends from person to person. For me, I’ve stayed in ‘Riverdance’ because I just really enjoyed this lifestyle. I’m with my friends and I’m traveling the world. It’s my dream job, so it’s amazing. I obviously have other dreams as well. I’m actually starting a Master’s in September in Paris, in luxury management, which is completely different to my undergrad, which was primary school teaching. I feel like by the time I finish this Master’s, I will have lived multiple lives as a teacher, as a dancer, and then as potentially a brand manager.” 

Even though he’s ready for new challenges in his life, McCormick will miss being a part of the cast. 

“I feel like I grew up here,” he said. “I was 18 years old when I first started with Riverdance. And it’s probably the first place I’ve ever felt 100% accepted. It is scary to leave somewhere that has been so nurturing for me and to go out into the world essentially on my own without the protection of this ‘Riverdance’ cocoon. I definitely do feel sad about it. I feel excited because I’m ready to go back to school, but I feel a little bit nervous.” 

Ensemble Arts presents “Riverdance 30 – The New Generation” April 18 to 20 at the Miller Theater, 250 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets visit ensembleartsphilly.org.