Riverdance the Podcast Riverdance

We’re back home in Dublin for our tenth – and final – episode of this series where we visit the Riverdance summer school and catch up with the next generation of Riverdancers.

Plus, principal dancer, Chloey Turner, talks to Darren Casey about her emotional career, the defining influence of her father, and opens up about how nerves and anxiety very nearly held her back.

"I was a very nervous and anxious kid and couldn’t compete because of those nerves," she explains. "But even with anxiety, depression, or lack of belief, as long as you have the passion, determination and discipline you can achieve your dreams."

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When Jason O'Neill put his college education first, he was worried that he had missed his chance with Riverdance and he admits that he suffered depression and anxiety as a result, 'thinking I was missing out on these incredible tours'.

But the day he got his graduation certificate he also got offered the lead on the show.

'It was a surreal day and I’ve never looked back,' he tells Darren Casey on this week's episode of Riverdance: the podcast. 'I ran from my graduation to grab the bus to Dublin to rejoin the show.'

Jason also opens up about what dancing means to him and how he coped with family crises whilst on the road.

"Dancing has always been an escape for me, an escape from family, schoolwork, myself," he says. "As the only boy with six sisters, I wasn’t a talker and being on the road was my time to cry, to share and be open with myself."

And with Riverdance back in the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin, Darren also goes backstage to take you through the rehearsals and preparations for its 13 week summer run.

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We've reached the end of the road for our 2018 tour in North America and join us backstage for tears and heartbreak as the show leaves America and Canada behind.

Another milestone was also reached this year as production stage manager, Marc Anderson, celebrated 10 years and 1500 shows with Riverdance and he gave us some of the insights into how the show is put together.  

'Ten years later, I never thought I would still be here working on the show, having the opportunities I've had,' he says. 'It's been one of the most amazing experiences.  From broken down buses and snowstorms, nothing has stopped us and like a true river we forge on.'

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It takes a certain type of mentality and personality to be a Riverdance dance captain and on this week's episode, Louise O'Sullivan, John Lonergan and Ellen Bonner explain the preparation, mindset and approach needed to lead a Riverdance company on tour.

Plus, as the show hits Kansas on St. Patrick's Day, Darren Casey takes you backstage for a spectacular finale.

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"You can count on one hand the number of shows that have the longevity of Riverdance," explains Producer Julian Erskine who has worked on the show since its Eurovision days in 1994. 

"The music, the choreography, the energy of the dancers is incredible and it brings people together.  It's accessible to everybody, people can forget everything for two hours and come out with a smile on their face."

But, he admits, the crowds weren't there in as big as numbers in the last few years and he tells Darren Casey why a major re-invention is needed for 2020 and beyond.

"There has been a reality check," he admits.  "It's time to give it a break, build it up again and go back out.  After 25 years we need to bring the visual elements right up-to-date and present the show in a fresh, exciting way."

Also on this episode, Jack Quinn's dancer diary is en route to Houston, Texas, with mixed emotions in the air.

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"If you have a goal or dream in sight, most of the time it's not going to be a straight road. You're going to have to take a longer, more difficult direction to get there."

On this week's show, lead dancer, Lauren Smyth, tells Darren Casey how she was rejected for Riverdance but wouldn't take no for an answer and wouldn't give up her dream of dancing on the show.

"What makes you different is also your strength….You have to persist and from a young age I always felt I was going to be on Riverdance."

You'll also hear from musician, Tara Howley, on life on the road travelling through Louisiana and how her music was a grateful memory for one widowed American wife.

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