Rhythm of Dance run off its feet at Cork Opera House

You may hear lively sounds echoing from the Cork Opera House this week: the Rhythm of the Dance troupe, with director/ producer Kieran Cavanagh, choreographer Doireann Carney, and composer Carl Hession are rehearsing for their new show, which kicks off its international tour on Sunday. From Cork, they will journey across the UK and Europe, as far as Russia.

The ravenous worldwide appetite for Irish dance and music is not abating. Since Riverdance amazed the Eurovision audience in 1994, a demand was born. Rhythm of the Dance, now in its 15th year, has performed to 5m people and is booked wherever it goes.

“It was a complete accident that I started it,” says Cavanagh. “I was asked by the head of music at RTÉ to put together a dance troupe to work with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, for a tour back in 1998. That was such a success that the agency which handled us in the States asked if we could bring back the troupe for another tour. I put together 20 dancers and a band, and off we went. Rhythm of the Dance was born from that. It was a happy accident that worked.”