Check out this awesome behind-the-scenes Riverdance documentary from 1996, with loads of backstage & rehearsal footage, from the 1994 Interval Act, the 1995 shows with Michael Flatley, and the 1996 New York shows with Colin Dunne, and interviews with everyone involved: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MxLZDMXgQPY.html
I was lucky enough to have seen a life show! Not this one, later in Anchorage. Thank you so much for putting it here, It is one of the greatest shows ever! It is so powerful when the music and the actors are real life and not silly cartoons and stupid soap operas! The artistic performance and is outstanding. I can't even imagine how much it needed to get this all together for a life performance. I think we are lucky that we had still life music and performances, the young people today can't even fathom what this means!
When I was a little girl, I remember watching Michael and Jean walking away at the end of Lift the Wings, and seeing her in that green dress. 4 year old me thought it was the most beautiful dress in the world, and to this day, that humble outfit still remains in my head as one of the most beautiful creations I have ever seen.
It takes dedication and self-discipline to achieve such perfection. Hats off to each and every one of the dancers involved👍👏 I'm watching this in 2024. I'm sure people will be watching this in awe for many years to come 🥳💞
My mother and I saw it in the late 90s when it came to the Twin Cities. My mom died not too much after we saw it together, so I kind of have an emotional attachment too it.
An amazing show to me as a kid...a MINDBLOWING SHOW as an adult!! GOD BLESS everyone connected with RiverDance! Thank you for inspiring a lonely, little boy in the mountains to dance and sing.
Growing up my parents didn't allow us to watch TV a lot but I remember being 5 or 6 years old and this being one of the first things I ever watched with my older brother....loved it so much that I wore our vhs out 😂😂 The way the music made me feel, the graceful movements and the way the dancers all came together like family It made me want to grow up and become an Irish step dancer.....and so I did😂❤
Being of ScotIrish descent on maternal side great grandparents migrated to America from Belfast Northen Ireland this fantastic performance awakened my deep love for the music of my ancestors.
I watched this on a crappy burnt to vhs copy as a kid thousands of times! Watching it as an adult and im still brought to tears. It’s all so beautiful to listen to and watch! Thank you for sharing!
Im not trying to be a smart aleck or mean. Just want to say we called it "taped VHS" or "recorded VHS". Burning a cd or DVD was done on a computer or DVD writer. Most of the time both cassettes and VHS were casually called tapes. Sorry, as someone who was always recording my favorite shows, making mixed tapes and cd's, I had to say something. 😊
Me to, in July, and yes, a fantastic experience! I was moved to tears several times, at the beauty and talent, and the joy of finally being able to see the show! Michael Flately's "ghost"was everywhere! 😍
@@marcybrooks3425 I was born in 1992 so I have to base my opinion on a show that I actually saw live and one that I’ve seen on video + I don’t remember every detail of the 25 years show but: - Seems to me like there are more dancers in the original version, which makes it even more impressive (though this may be due to the size of the stage?) - Music is almost identical, but not as much musicians on scene as the original, which I think is a shame. Riverdance is not just about the dancing, the music plays a huge role. Though the musicians in the 25 years were amazing. Also the gospel parts were not in the 25-year show (or at least not like this?) which is a shame because it is amazing. That being said, I prefer the “Harlem to Hollywood” version now. But that is more thanks to the dancers, who had incredible stage presence, than due to the music. - The coordination among dancers at some points seems better in the 25 year version I than the original version, but that might be just very subjective. - I personally prefer the female main dancer from the 25 years version, but again, that’s my opinion ;-) but she had this energy about her … Though I think I might prefer the male main dancer (is he also the one playing the clarinet at one point??) from the original one (though the male dancer from the recent version is excellent) - Also prefer the dancer from Firedance today. This lady has an indescribable aura about her. Mesmerized from start to finish as soon as she stepped on stage. (Not saying that the original version is not as good, but this lady in the recent version had an incredible impact on me) All of that being said, I think both versions are amazing and I like the fact that 25 years later, they still stuck to tradition with a little touch of “new”. But you asked for my opinion, so here it is 🙂
@@marcybrooks3425 it doesn't. There is no comparison. I saw the original as a kid (I was about 11) and the anniversary show last night. Side by side, the anniversary show is a fraction of its former glory. The music is the same in some places but from the audience it is very clear that this is an incredibly scaled-down version. It's meant to fit into smaller venues, so I understand why it is smaller. But it also FEELS smaller, if that makes sense. Kinda like the difference between going to the Super Bowl vs going to a high school football game in a big city with a dozen high schools and no championship dreams. It was honestly disappointing. I get that you can't make it as big and splashy as the original, but you can try. Feels they didn't. The new kid at the helm is a great dancer, but he just doesn't have the flair and passion of Michael Flatley. He just seemed rather dull and automated. Watching Flatley dance in person was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that simply cannot be matched. The lead male dancer in the anniversary show was very good, but he was very obviously lacking the charm, charisma, and energy of Flatley. The show has replaced Flatley's big solo towards the end with a drum solo and there's much less dancing overall in the new version. Also the new show seems much less cohesive. There's not really storyline in either iteration, because that's the point; it's a series of vignettes rather than a full story. It seems pretty disjointed. The canned music was louder than the singers/dancers at several moments and the lighting team had trouble keeping up. All in all, the anniversary show felt like a really well-funded high school theater production
Thanks for the higher quality upload. Here is a group of people who 100% believed in the job they were doing, must have been tough work but magical at the same time. The dedication is evident. Nothing has matched this early performance, nothing. The massive high level talent of Flatley and Butler was unparalleled. Pure passion. Jean Butler literally floats, amazing. All the other artists, musicians and performers just took it to the top. All those years ago but like new every time I watch it.
Still get chills when Flatley bursts onto the stage full speed at 5:22 and then at 6:23 when he leads the troupe. The music is so epic and has so much emotion it’s just incredible.
This has been music for my soul since I was four years old! I’ve loved Irish music for so long and I believe this is what sparked it! ❤ This will always bring tears to my eyes!!!
Happy St Patrick's Day, saw this show in NYC circa 95. Met Michael in Westport Co Mayo around 2002, he was visiting Matt Molloy his friend from chieftains who has a pub there. He was hands down the best dressed man I've ever met, he oozed class and I'm not easily impressed but told him that when I see him dance the tears roll down my cheeks. Happy St Patrick's day,!!
The nostalgia; VHS, only one TV in the house and mom's reaction every single time; "you're watching Riverdance again?!" The tape was collecting dust the first 3 years we had it till one Saturday morning, I woke up early and while everyone was still sound asleep, I accidentally watched this as I actually wanted to watch Snow White :) come to think of it ...1995 is just as far away as 2051....
I was in Dublin in February, 1995 visiting my fiancé. Lisa had gotten tickets to an amazing new show at the Point Theater she wanted us to see. I did not really want to go. As it turned out, that show was Riverdance that was in its second week of production. The show was sold out. At the end of each number the cheering and applause was so loud you could not hear anything else. It was the greatest show I had ever seen, then and now.
This is the Best version you can listen to it was recorded in 1995 with the original dancers, singers and musicians that first brought it to beautiful Life.
my mom is german-irish. i grew up on Celtic music. this show premiering was a huge deal for her. i asked a lot of questions naturally!! So proud of my Scots-Irish heritage. Thank you for showing the entire show on youtube. So soothing for me. I play it while cleaning\ doing college homework or around my birthday in April. Sincerest thanks. Victoria Elisabeth Ingram!!
From the very first time I watched RIVERDANCE, each & every time since I have held my breath in awe of this truely beautiful demonstration of Irish dance. I’m not getting any younger as time goes by, but I still at each & every time I play the video, or any part of the video, proudly shed tears of utter joy, listening to the dance so wonderfully portrayed by the master, Jean & the team, I’m honoured to say I’m Irish, & this dance is timeless….
Thank you, Michael, flatly for bringing the lord of the dance to our screens over the years. Your dance is magic. God bless Ireland 🇮🇪 I've got a lot of irish ancestry. I love your music, Michael, flatly. Thank you again, and God bless you, bye .
thank you for uploading this piece of my childhood. I grew up watching this on VHS and it sparked my passion for all things Celtic which lead to me discovering my own celtic heritage.
This was my childhood. My father used to watch this all the time when I was a kid. He would tell me how much he desired to be a part of Riverdance. I’m glad I can hold on to these good memories. Back when times were much simpler.
I was in awe when I saw this show for the first time in 95. Coming from a background of being a ballet dancer, I can appreciate the effort put forward by each and everyone who participated in Riverdance. To me, nothing has compared in beauty and excellence.
@@elizabethmullhall8226 i think that overstates things a bit. He was great, but everyone in this show was great, especially the music and general production.
Мама в 1995 году на кассете принесла это шоу домой.Мне было тогда 17 лет.Сейчас мне 46 и я плачу.Я как будто вернулась в то прекрасное время,где я учусь в университете,я полна планов и надежд и мамочка жива.Спасибо создателям шоу.😢😢😢😢😢❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
In the part of the world where I live we can't dream of watching them alive so to find them on RU-vid with such high quality is a privilege... Really thanks and i would appreciate another works
It’s a bit strange to watch this without commercial break with some dude, asking you to make donations 😂 And I really wanted to make a check or money order to get a coffee cup. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to go on Amazon. 😅
This came out the year I was born, and we had a copy on VHS, and was the closest thing I had to my Celtic heritage growing up in Australia. My sister and I used to watch this regularly as kids, in absolute awe of the dancers! It was so influential it made us take up tap dancing for a few years. So grateful a quality version is available to take me on this massive nostalgia trip! Every performance still gives me goosebumps!
Same for me on all three counts, except I grew up in Idaho USA! I have a great deal of Celtic heritage and this music and dancing was more enchanting than anything in the world. I would have taken Irish dancing but I was too remote to find a class. At least we can watch it here :)
And who doesn’t like this?? Then I would say your vibrations are low! Growing up in the 60s 70s we did country dancing at school, and have to say the only time I smiled and laughed so hard as a child. Dancing is great for the soul! Going to have to go see this…..and thoughts are with Michael and his family at this hard time! Prayers 🙏🏻
It's amazing how many of her joints she is using to express herself the entire time...the DETAIL...She is NEVER mailing it in...She is always ALL in.,!
Watched this with my Grandmother a few years before she passed away. She was in awe and really enjoyed it. I have to be honest I love it too. I can picture her sitting in her chair at my Grandmother's house watching the Tube TV memorized at this performance. She would look at me and say, "how can they do that." It's awesome.
I was just 13 years old when my teacher at school Mrs. Lumsden put this show on for the friday afternoon assembly and to say I loved it is an understatement!
We wore out our VHS copy growing up… Not enough people talk about Spillane’s performance. It’s almost at the level of Tolkien world-building in a music format. 20 years later, and the first few lines of Caoineadh Cú Chulainn still nearly bring me to tears. I can’t hear a single performance on uilleann pipes without immediately thinking of Spillane.
I'm so glad this is on youtube since I have no way to play my old VHS! It's Bill Whelan's music just as much as the dancing that makes this version of the show so incredible, the feeling and drive and excitement behind the songs and the rhythms just never gets old!!
Wow, I just found this video on RU-vid today. I saw the original TV broadcast back when it first aired in New York PBS and I didn't know that there were all those other performances that were cut out of the broadcast and the VHS tape afterwards. I'm seeing the full Riverdance show on here for the first time now! What a shame that the African American singers (except for just the one song they sang) and the 3 tap dancers were not seen at all by the PBS audience back then. And years after they still were not included, as if they didn't even exist. They must have felt terribly cheated at how they were edited out. Thank you for posting this original full version of Riverdance 1995 in 720p with the great Michael Flatley and Jean Butler and ALL of the wonderful singers and dancers who performed on that stage. Much appreciated!
One of the best shows I've ever seen. Wonderful variety of music and dance, outstanding talent. Everyone appeared to be having a marvelous time performing. Loved it!
We have the original PBS VHS tape from 1995, and hadn't watched it in probably 15+ years or so. This remaster is fantastic!! We watched it on our Samsung 55" curved screen tv last night and couldn't get over how sharp the picture was. Plus, this is the full uncut version and had scenes that weren't included in the VHS tape we have. Well done, and thank you!
I saw the Rockettes at Radio City when I was very young, I played classical music throughout school, earned my BFA from VCU in Lighting and Sound Design… as far as performing groups go these guys make everyone look like they are going in reverse at 3x the speed of sound. Theses guys are a MACHINE, absolutely beautiful, poetry in motion.❤
River dance 1995 I found to be absolutely exhilarating and fresh, exotic and greatly inspirational and also impressive in dancing, footwork, and kicking up and much more ! I was blessed by it ! Johan Badenhorst Theatre Designer, South Africa.
Δεν υπάρχουν λόγια για να χαρακτηρίσει κανείς αυτή την αριστουργηματική παράσταση! Οποιοδήποτε θερμό λόγο και έπαινο να πει κανείς, είναι λίγος! Ο Michael Flatley είναι πάνω από καταπληκτικός και στο ίδιο επίπεδο κινούνται και η Jean Butler και η Anuna. Αλλά και οι υπόλοιποι χορευτές, χορεύτριες, τραγουδίστριες και μουσικοί είναι πραγματικά υπέροχοι. Αυτά το απίστευτο καλλιτεχνικό επίτευγμα έφερε το Riverdance στην κορυφή των πολιτισμικών εκδηλώσεων σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο.
Born in 1990, this was one of my favorite VHS tapes growing up as a kid. Even in later years when CDs were more popular, I had the CD Soundtrack of this show and would listen to it all the time. Whether it be on my bike to and from school, while cleaning the Kitchen after Dinner or when in bed with my boombox next to my bed. I feel this show is what really made me enjoy the music of other cultures outside of America whether it be Celtic, K/J-Pop or even Bollywood. This is the show and music that started the journey of Cultural Music Fascination for me.
I told several people you have to see them , yes in NYC they did. Brillant strong they were shocked what a great time they had bought booklet s & several cd's Thankyou I never got the chance but I knew no one would be disappointed .
Have been in absolute awe of this treasure since I was a toddler. I enjoyed watching it with my dad and grandma and since they’ve been gone, this will always have a place in my heart in connection to the memory of them ❣️ chills and goosebumps every single time. What a beautiful story
I got to the watch the river dance this year when I was in Ireland. I had a great time in Ireland I felt very welcome . I enjoyed visiting Dublin Galway Killarney and kilrush.
Thank you SO much for posting this!! I grew up watching this show on VHS at my grandmother's house, and hearing the full show again -- this specific version from 1995, exactly the same as when I was a child -- is giving me full-body goosebumps. (Also, come on, admit it, who else tried to dance like them when you were alone, and tripped over your own feet 😂✋)
I saw the live show years ago with Michael Flately at the Stanley Theatre in Utica. It was the most spectacular show I had ever seen. They are all brilliant actresses and actors. A show to be seen at least once in your lifr
My sister and I used to watch this a million times as kids in the 90s (good old VHS). We used to imitate the Russian dancers and some of their moves for our parents hahaha. Such a beautiful show with wonderful dancers and musicians. Absolutely timeless!
Thank you for posting this. I have long loved Riverdance, and the original version with Michael Flatley. I also love Jean Butler and whoever she is dancing with.
Thank You,very,very much!I am living in Hamburg/Northgermany and was never able to see Michael Flatley live on Stage.I just see the short Tapping Scene,in Ireland Grand Prix. After it I only seen Lord of Dance,Feet of Flames,Celtic Tiger.....!But only on DVD!❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉And now,He is not longer dancing!😢😢😢Thank you,for the first Riverdance Show,with Michael Flatley! I love the way he is dancing and how he looks!❤❤❤
This is the first time I've seen this video. Ravished, mesmerized could be some of my feelings toward this music. I'm teary. I can feel my ancestors dancing to this Celtic wonder. Thank you so much.
Watched this live performance 🎭 in London….. God knows how many years ago now ….. there was standing ovation 👏 after standing ovation 👏 nobody had ever seen or heard anything like it before….❤❤❤
