Zhu attends special `Riverdance' show

Security was tighter than the dancers' shoelaces for a special performance of Riverdance in honour of the Chinese Premier and his wife in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, last night.

Gardai from the Emergency Response Unit patrolled the roof of the building, wearing balaclavas and baseball hats and using binoculars to scan the surrounding area. A helicopter hovered overhead while gardai with sniffer dogs covered the fields around the site on the first day of the visit by the Chinese leader, Mr Zhu Rongji.

Mr Zhu and his wife, Madame Lao An, were greeted on arrival at the Royal Hospital by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and his partner, Ms Celia Larkin. Their host for the evening was Ms de Valera, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.

Mr Zhu waved to assembled members of the press before going inside to watch the show. A special bilingual programme had been prepared for the evening.

If Mr Zhu was expecting a celebration of traditional Irish culture he might have been a little surprised at the sight of the leather-clad male dancers and women in shorter-than-short skirts - not to mention the whoops of the participants as they danced to flamenco and jazz beats.

Mr Zhu made no comment about that but took to the stage at the conclusion of the performance to shake hands with all the dancers and musicians involved in the production. He was introduced to Ms Moya Doherty, the show's producer, and Mr John McColgan, the director. The premier went on to invite the Irish dance troupe to come and perform in China.

The Chinese members of the audience received the dancing, singing and drumming performances with great enthusiasm. One young Chinese man said that Riverdance was already extremely popular in his homeland. He said that many of his friends thought it "very fantastic". It seemed as good a description as any.