More than 10 years after its inception, the Irish step dancing phenomenon Riverdance is still going strong with plans for a new North American tour this year. The extensive 29-city trek begins with a January 13-18 residency at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando, FL, and wraps after a June 26-28 run at Wolftrap in Vienna, VA.
Other highlights for the tour include a stretch from February 24 to March 1 at Jackson Hall in Nashville, TN, a run from March 31 to April 5 at Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, PA, and a May 1-3 stint at Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI. Two Canadian cities are also included on the tour, with the company residing from May 19 through June 21 at the Canon Theatre in Toronto, ON, before completing a brief June 22-24 run at the John Labatt Center in London, ON.
Tickets for the tour range from a low of $20 to a high of $100, with individual prices varying at each venue. Onsales have already begun for several cities on the itinerary, but full ticket details are available at the Riverdance Web site.
All dates of the North American run will be performed by the Boyne Company, one of three official Riverdance companies that will be on tour in 2009. The Boyne (named after the Irish river) is lead by Liam Ayres, Marty Dowds, Christina Havlin, Alana Mallon, Craig Ashurst, Padraic Moyles, and Caterina Coyne, and features more than 20 other dancers, as well as musicians and vocalists.
The Riverdance show was first performed in 1994 and featured the franchise’s best-known dancer, Michael Flatley, along with co-lead Jean Butler. However, Flatley left the production shortly thereafter to pursue his solo career, which included creating, choreographing, producing and leading the popular Irish music and dance off-shoot, Lord of the Dance.
The on-going international popularity of Riverdance had led to the creation of a growing number of Irish- and Celtic-music groups. Vocal groups Celtic Thunder and Celtic Woman have both announced extensive North American tours in recent months.
Riverdance itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)
| January 13 – 18 | Orlando, FL | Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre |
| January 20 – 25 | Tampa, FL | Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center |
| January 26 – 28 | Gainesville, FL | Phillipps Center |
| Jan. 30 – Feb. 1 | Birmingham, AL | BJCC Concert Hall |
| February 3 – 8 | Naples, FL | Philharmonic Center |
| February 10 – 12 | Columbia, SC | Koger Center |
| February 13 – 15 | Jacksonville, FL | Moran Theatre |
| February 17 – 18 | Knoxville, TN | Knoxville Civic Auditorium |
| February 20 – 22 | Memphis, TN | Orpheum Theatre |
| Feb. 24 – Mar. 1 | Nashville, TN | Jackson Hall |
| March 3 – 8 | Charlotte, NC | Blumenthal Performing Arts Center |
| March 10 – 15 | Baltimore, MD | Hippodrome |
| March 17 – 22 | Rosemont, IL | Rosemont Theatre |
| March 24 – 29 | Hershey, PA | Hershey Theatre |
| Mar. 31 – Apr. 5 | Philadelphia, PA | Kimmel Center |
| April 7 – 12 | Detroit, MI | Fox Theatre |
| April 14 – 15 | South Bend, IN | Morris Performing Arts Center |
| April 17 – 29 | Appleton, WI | Thrivent Financial Hall |
| April 21 – 23 | Rockford, IL | Coronado Theatre |
| April 24 – 26 | Indianapolis, IN | Murat Theatre |
| April 27 – 29 | Saginaw, MI | Dow Event Center |
| May 1 – 3 | St. Louis, MO | Fox Theatre |
| May 5 – 7 | Cedar Falls, IA | Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center |
| May 8 – 10 | Minneapolis, MN | State Theatre |
| May 12 – 14 | Paducah, KY | Carson Four Rivers Center |
| May 15 – 17 | Cincinnatti, OH | Aronoff Center |
| May 19 – June 21 | Toronto, ON | Canon Theatre |
| June 22 – 24 | London, ON | John Labatt Centre |
| June 26 – 28 | Vienna, VA | Wolftrap |
