SEVENTEEN YEARS after the 1994 Eurovision song contest, the global impact of Riverdance was evident yesterday at the opening of the World Irish Dancing Championships in Dublin.
Officially called Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne, for the 4,500 dancers competing in Dublin’s Citywest Hotel over seven days the competition is known more simply as The Worlds.
Now in its 41st year, The Worlds is a fitting nickname for a truly global event.
Whether you are watching the action in one of the three performance areas or buying anything from handbags to musical instruments in the adjoining stalls, you are just as likely to hear English and American accents as you are Irish.
When 12-year-old Hannah McNeill from Boston, Massachusetts, was asked how she came to Irish dancing, she simply replied, “I watched Riverdance”.
It was a common reply from many youngsters, often said in an “isn’t that obvious?” kind of way, which perhaps reveals the true impact of the Riverdance world tours in spreading Irish culture.
Opening the championships at the weekend, Seán McDonnchadha, chairman of An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, said that more than 30 countries had registered Irish dancers.
The quality of dancing on show even attracted foreign spectators to the Citywest Hotel for the week.
Laura Majko and Katie Cannon from Kent and London respectively are dancers themselves, and said they wanted to see how the best in the world performed.
“It’s been brilliant, the dancers here are the best, so it’s well worth coming over for,” said Katie.
It is the first time in 15 years that The Worlds has come to Dublin.
Past championships were held as far afield as Glasgow in Scotland and Philadelphia in the United States.
While the competition was officially opened yesterday by President Mary McAleese, the dancing began on Sunday, and will run until Saturday.
Dancers are competing in 24 age groups (12 boys, 12 girls) from 10-year-olds up to seniors.
There are also seven categories for céilí dancing as well as six categories for 16 hand-figure choreographies and two categories for dance dramas.