I remember being blown away by this on the night. For my money, it's still the single greatest ever performance at ANY Eurovision, and that includes the songs!
I saw Riverdance in New York City some 25 years ago - and I agree: it was mesmerizing! One of the vocalists had such an ethereally beautiful voice - and she was just the understudy! It really was an assemblage of amazingly talented performers. 🤩
When Riverdance was airing on PBS I was getting off work at midnight. I stumbled on to it with my conventional TV. I'd watch it for a while captivated but annoyed that I was not seeing it from the beginning and moved to something else. It was not until sometime later that I got to see it start to finish. My take: the finale by itself is worth the price of admission and then there was Jean Butler. I was in my early 40s by then and one never given to celebrity crushes but I had stars in my eyes for several years over her.
I remember watching it live and being blown away. The whole country was infatuated with it. Nobody can remember the Eurovision itself but everybody remembers Riverdance.
When the world knew Ireland for the Troubles and U2 this largely forgotten ancient Irish subculture hit the whole world like a glorious happy hammer. 👍👍
World, meet Riverdance… Riverdance meet world! This is the place where history was made that forever changed the world. They raised the bar of dance artistry, to its highest level. Plus, everyone who saw them somehow gained some Irish DNA from that day through today and beyond. It will continue until our sun sheds the last of its light…
I remember seeing both these two dancing as I was in the front row with my aunt who is now 93 years old and I still visit her every week to shop for her. Afterwards we got to meet him in person. I had a camera with a setting for long horizontal which I'd turn 90 degrees to get the full length of a body. I got one of me holding my arm around Michael Flatley's shoulders and he's quite small and about as wet as a man getting out of a swimming pool after all that dancing. He was surprised for the picture, but it was a great shot of the full length of both of us. I think asked my aunt who was in her 60s if she wanted a picture with him and she said, "When he smells like that? Hell, no" and Michael Flatley just busted up laughing.
I wish my parents were like this. I had an avid love for Michael Flatley, Riverdance, and the saxaphone of all things.. Never did any of them as a child or a teen; I didn't do much extra curricular, if at all. Now I'm an agoraphobic adult, and avoid my parents like the plague 😅 Please keep doing what you're doing ❤
This performance also made me want to do Irish dancing. I was 8 at the time and I danced and competed for around 10 years, my mum and nan made my costumes. I loved every minute of it and I’m forever grateful for my parents support
I'd seen clips of the original, but this is the first time I'd seen it all the way through. I now understand why it was such a phenomenon! IMHO Jean Butler deserved way more credit for her part.
This still gives me goosebumps. No country has ever, or will ever beat this amazing performance. I had the pleasure of seeing the Riverdance show 10 yrs ago at the NIA in Birmingham. It was a present for.my 60th birthday off my 2 best friends. Fabulous show, though nothing can match the original 1994 performance ..
Still gives me huge smiles, and chills of joy watching, and listening to the Pure Magic of Such a Great performance. Can't stop watching it after all these years. AMAZING.
Astonishing performance! There are very few moments when everything - the music, the choreography, the dancing, the set, the lighting - all work seamlessly to create pure magic. This was one of those moments. When they created magic on a stage at Eurovision. Who could have seen it coming? Fantastic!
Our youngest daughter started Irish Dancing in 1997 and qualified for the World Championships with her team in 1999. They eventually went to two World's competitions, first in 2002 and again in 2005. She danced for a total of 12 years and her mom andI enjoyed all of it, especially the travel to cities where she competed and met some real nice folks.
I used to watch the Eurovision contest every year with the family at home. I immediately recognized Jean Butler, also my maternal grandmother who called me so that I didn't miss her performance. I met Jean Butler on May 1, 1986 in Paris, I was at the party organized by the community of North Americans and Nordics, being Finnish. There was to be a dance performance, one of my friends came to pick me up because according to him an important dancer was missing, they asked me to replace her at short notice. We danced covers of scenes from shows, "West Side Story" "Grease".... plus other dances from all eras, Jean Butler danced with us in the Celtic dance part, she was already wonderful. she signed an autograph for me, I signed one for her. I was happy to see her dancing during the Eurovision contest, I remembered her but until the beginning of the 2000s I didn't know if she remembered me, but a friend told me in 2010 that Jean Butler spoke about me on her TV show, too bad I never saw that clip but it made me happy that someone remembered me as a dancer.
This was on my 9th birthday and as an Irish person it still gives me a lump in my throat to this day especially since it was performed on home soil. Simply breathtaking ❤
I have watched the original performance hundreds of times, and it still gives me goosebumps at the end! When Jean and Michael look at each other, you know they're so proud of what they have done.
Jean Butler & Michael Flatley were incredible in the beginning years -- 30 years ago the Irish Step-Dancing they epitomized here started a true phenomenon which is RiverDance! ☆☆☆☆☆ ♡♡
The first time I saw Riverdance was on a PBS special presentation of the first full show. I and my two roommates were so astonished that we sat through the whole show with our mouths hanging open, not speaking a word. I took my mother to the live show on tour in San Francisco in 1998. I was even more mesmerized, as was my mother. The best show ever.
Dear God, compare this masterpiece to Eurovision 2024. There is no comparison. 2024 feels like it scraped the gutters to find any old crap to put on stage. I watched 1994 in real time and at every step change in the performance I felt “it can’t get better” but it did, and then it hit another level and I said “it can’t get any better” but it did, until we had a line of dancers in perfect step with uillean pipes going full tilt, the look on Jean Butler’s and Flatley’s faces was sublime, it just said, “we know this is f****n’ brilliant, and we’re loving it”. It was the greatest Eurovision ever beyond doubt.
I'm a black woman living in Philadelphia and I, along with some friends, have tickets for the show next April. Already excited... 1 year ahead of time !!!! ❤❤❤🥰
Hi I’m from S Jersey.. and I’ve been following river dance since 1995.. I first saw them while I was at work and fell in love.. I’ve never been able to go see them. I’d be excited too.. are they at the convention center again? I hope it’s a nice day and your heart filled with joy..God bless
@@davidhryan thank you for that compliment !!! 🤗 My dad was in the Air Force in the 1950's and he was stationed in England where my older sister was born. So even though she's not Irish, she came close !!! Lol !!! Ironically she is a professional dancer. ( Ballet). I turned her onto Riverdance and Lord of the Dance and she loooves it !!! I found out last year, watching videos of competitions, that there are Irish dance troupes for people over 50.. I'm looking to see if they have classes. I'm 59 and may be too old for the jumps and kicks but I love a challenge and it would be fun to try !!! 😃
I saw Riverdance when it first appeared in London many years ago. Its still one of the best shows I've ever seen. Amazing talent and great entertainment.
I remember this well, probably the finest interval performance in Euro history. Watching it back again it’s interesting to hear the half hearted audience applause before, and then the bedlam and standing ovation afterwards. 😊
I remember watching this at home with my mam and being utterly blown away by what we had just watched. I had never seen anything like this before in my life. Just magical. Brings tears to my eyes still 🇮🇪
Me too. It was one of the last things I saw with my mum, so very special memories. We just had the TV on in the background and were blown away when this came on. I've seen a version in Canberra, Australia some years ago
I was 12 years old watching this at home in Ireland with my family when it aired.. We were all gobsmacked and now 30 years later it's still just as spectacular now. Seen the live show in person last December.
I was 14. It was one of those tv moments you don’t forget. People talk about the dancing of course but the singers and drummers and musicians were all brilliant too.
I remember watching it in 1994 (I don't watch the Eurovision Song Contest any more!) and being just as gobsmacked as the live audience there clearly were! It's still magical, such precision.
I saw this on television at the time and it. Was. Magical. I was completely dumbfounded by it. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before or since. A proud time to be Irish 🇨🇮
I'm with you! I stumbled on it while channel surfing and after intensely watching for a few minutes, leaning into the t.v. set, I realized I hadn't closed my mouth the whole time. Truly a "jaw-on-the-floor" moment. Can't believe it's been 30 years!
No other country will EVER beat this. I can't even remember who won but will never forget this. From the sublime voice to the dancers was perfection. I have since seen the actual show 3 times. As good as they all have been no one can equal Michael and Jean
@@Jesakin-rl7zq Absolutely.....Michael was a supreme showman on top of his dancing genius. The only dancers I see even coming close are the Gardiner Brothers. Unfortunately, since Michael.retired, Irish dancing has slipped in general public attention which means many people have not heard of the Gardiner Brothers. 😔
@snowysnowyriver I have been seeing them on video, in USA, especially when Beyoncé's Texas Hold'em first came out and everybody was dancing to it. I might be Australian but Ireland is my spiritual home.
One of the best interval acts at Eurovision I've ever seen. From the choir to the dancers and music everything came together for 7 minutes and transported people away from the 1994 contest for a second. The man hours it took to rehearse this making sure everyone tapped in sync must be commended. This made Irish Dancing more mainstream making everyone in the world notice than just people in Ireland who already knew about it and certainly eclipsed every else that night as often has been stated. As Sir Terry Wogan said, "You didn't need to be Irish to like that." which I completely agree with been accessible to anyone whatever country they're from and having loved the show myself ever since and seen live for their 20th anniversary and will see again next year for their 30th then.
Saw this in Birmingham all those years ago and I still get goosebumps when I see and hear it,it was in the week before Princess Diana's funeral which made I'd even more poignant they had a 2 minute silence for her and you could have heard a pin drop so emotional and so wonderful 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤
My husband and I saw their first tour in the US here in Detroit I believe in 1996. It was the breathtaking performance of a lifetime. I sat at the edge of my seat through the entire show.
Perhaps you can envision the experience for us in Europe, witnessing this live on Europe's grandest stage, broadcasted in every country, an event rivaling the magnitude of the Super Bowl. It was utterly enchanting; it took our breath away…
I was lucky to watch this thrilling show live, when Riverdance had been performed in Los Angeles for the first time. It absolutely astounded me! It was spiritual and artistic revelation to me! And it's still is! Forever! Dear, Michael, thanks to your indomitable energy, believing in you dream and dedication, we are able - again and again, to enjoy your Masterpiece -- River dance! You gave us, collectively, your invaluable gift -- Riverdance! Thank you, Micheal, incomparable Jean Butler and all your brilliant artists and musicians for that!!!
The phenomenon that is Riverdance, the best 7 mins ever to grace our TV screens. Gave me shivers as much today as it did 30 years ago, truly spectacular. 🌟🌟🌟
This performance is 30 years old and I still remember this as if it was yesterday; my girlfriend at the time and I were blown away by it. It was my first introduction to Irish culture.
You should be proud. Riverdance was the show that got me hooked on Irish music. I saw it and Celtic Woman in person several times when these shows toured America. I never tire of this dance and music. Some of my ancestry is Irish and Scottish and maybe that's why I got hooked on it, a racial memory maybe?
Couldn’t believe what we watched. We were a group of 6 watching the esc that night which wasn’t very good that year and then this happened and we were just lost for words. Remember all 6 of us going wtf was that. Brilliant
It was incredible to see it live on TV. You just knew something very special was happening. The roar from the audience at the end is just magical, and all from a Eurovision interval piece which was usually very quickly forgotten and something of a 'throwaway' to fill in time! One of the most unexpected triumphs I think I have ever seen in my life. And not just the dancing, which of course is impeccable and mesmerizing, but the music, too. The whole thing is brilliant, but the finale beginning 4:13 is one of my all-time favourite pieces of music. So special.
The first time I saw them on TV was unlike anything I've ever seen before. It tugged at me on the deepest level of my soul, stirring something primal in me. It was almost as if I could see my Viking ancestors in my mind.
Actually this was NOT the first performance of Riverdance. I was privileged to see them perform this at a small theatre in Killarney, Southern Ireland as a full rehearsal before they performed at the Eurovision. We just happened to be staying there to compete in Championship Dog Shows. We knew we had seen something unbelievable. Brilliant.❤
This was the moment. The moment I wanted to take Irish step dance lessons. The best 10 years of my life!!! I'm 39 now and my jig shoes are most definitely retired but Irish step dance will always run through my veins ☘️
Dear God, is it really 30 years since this amazing routine set Ireland alight. I lived there at the time and was told I must watch by a friend who worked on the show. I don't think anyone who saw it could ever forget it. As a review said the next day (I think in the Irish Times) - there wasn't a dry seat in the place! It has just brought tears to my eyes again, and so many memories.
The original version of Riverdance was phenomenal!! I remember working at a retail video store at the time and we could not keep the VHS in stock! We played the store copy all the time! Saw the first tour when it came to Boston and it was just fantastic!!
Totally mindblowing performance. I vividly remember seeing this first performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, and I could not believe what I was seeing, Simply mesmerising.
My mom's friend (an Irish dance teacher) sent us (in the US) a VHS copy of this a week after it aired in Europe. We wore that cassette out. We saw Riverdance live 3 times, and Lord of the Dance 4 times. Had the honor of meeting Michael backstage on most of those occasions. Those kids work out and rehearse for HOURS prior to the show. Wonderful memories!
Wow wow wow!!! Still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up...👏👏👏 Went to see River Dance in The Point. Amazing!!! And of course the fabulous Gerry Ryan ❤❤❤
I remember being blown away by this on the night. For my money, it's still the single greatest ever performance at ANY Eurovision, and that includes the songs!
Yes I remember seeing this on the night. It was stunning and mind blowing never having ever seen Irish Dancing before even this was on a new level.
The bar is a bit low though isn’t it?
Can YOU do it?
I saw Riverdance in New York City some 25 years ago - and I agree: it was mesmerizing! One of the vocalists had such an ethereally beautiful voice - and she was just the understudy! It really was an assemblage of amazingly talented performers. 🤩
Agree with you.
Still get chills 30 years later watching this performance.
When Riverdance was airing on PBS I was getting off work at midnight. I stumbled on to it with my conventional TV. I'd watch it for a while captivated but annoyed that I was not seeing it from the beginning and moved to something else. It was not until sometime later that I got to see it start to finish. My take: the finale by itself is worth the price of admission and then there was Jean Butler. I was in my early 40s by then and one never given to celebrity crushes but I had stars in my eyes for several years over her.
in tears here. Way better than the shit we'e got going forward today -
And I'm just seeing it for the very first time in 2024!!! 💖
@@JonathanMullan25 I am chuckling here at your directness,not mincing words.and i agree completely !!!
@@djangorheinhardt just speaking my mind, I'm a fairly blunt person
All these year later and I still find it thrilling, no other word. What a show!
The original performance the best stunning
I remember watching it live and being blown away. The whole country was infatuated with it. Nobody can remember the Eurovision itself but everybody remembers Riverdance.
well i don’t know what country your on about but the trainers / dance teachers wasn’t in Ireland
@@paulcrawley5687 Never said they were. Think you must have commented on someone else's comment. I can only assume
When the world knew Ireland for the Troubles and U2 this largely forgotten ancient Irish subculture hit the whole world like a glorious happy hammer. 👍👍
You had and have every right to be infatuated with this. It's just perfect.
World, meet Riverdance… Riverdance meet world! This is the place where history was made that forever changed the world. They raised the bar of dance artistry, to its highest level. Plus, everyone who saw them somehow gained some Irish DNA from that day through today and beyond. It will continue until our sun sheds the last of its light…
It remains as fresh and magical today as it was all those years ago. I will never tire of watching
A moment in time that still has the same impact years later
Magical, beautiful and everlasting
I remember seeing both these two dancing as I was in the front row with my aunt who is now 93 years old and I still visit her every week to shop for her. Afterwards we got to meet him in person. I had a camera with a setting for long horizontal which I'd turn 90 degrees to get the full length of a body. I got one of me holding my arm around Michael Flatley's shoulders and he's quite small and about as wet as a man getting out of a swimming pool after all that dancing. He was surprised for the picture, but it was a great shot of the full length of both of us.
I think asked my aunt who was in her 60s if she wanted a picture with him and she said, "When he smells like that? Hell, no" and Michael Flatley just busted up laughing.
I was 13 when this aired. All the main acts are forgotten but riverdànce still captivates new audiences. This was a once in a lifetime event.
I will never tire of watching this it still gives me goosebumps even today in 2024 ❤
2024 and I'm still so amazed by this unbelievable performance 👏👏👏👏👌
After all these years it is still spine tingling!
This will never age. It still gets the spirits soaring and it brought Irish dance to the world. The singing at the beginning it magical. Superb
totaly agree I also love the drums has well the whole peformance was spellbinding
Magic, best ever, music, dancing just outstanding
You can keep the music and the dancing thanks
Irish dancing kept pretty quiet for 100s of years then BOOM! 👍👍
I actually wished that they got to the dance sooner.
This made my little girl want to learn Irish Dance. 28 trophies and many feis later, my daughter was fantastic and it was worth every minute!
I wish my parents were like this. I had an avid love for Michael Flatley, Riverdance, and the saxaphone of all things..
Never did any of them as a child or a teen; I didn't do much extra curricular, if at all.
Now I'm an agoraphobic adult, and avoid my parents like the plague 😅
Please keep doing what you're doing ❤
This performance also made me want to do Irish dancing. I was 8 at the time and I danced and competed for around 10 years, my mum and nan made my costumes. I loved every minute of it and I’m forever grateful for my parents support
@@xbluebae I didn't do too much either. My parents were broke and couldn't afford anything outside of the basic school curriculum.
@@xbluebae a shame you had that experience, but it's never too late to find joy
Gosh - i can remember seeing this as it went out. We'd never seen anything like it before!
Absolutely stunning 😍
Even after all these years it still hasn’t diminished its appeal.
I swear in my memory there were about a thousand dancers on the stage that night! 😆 That’s the impact they all had, sounding like an army! Bravo.
I remember it the same way! At the age of 6, I couldn't believe that so many thousand people knew how to move their legs that fast!
Same thing here . Watching it now I go like “where are ethe other thousand dancers I saw that night” brilliant
I'd seen clips of the original, but this is the first time I'd seen it all the way through. I now understand why it was such a phenomenon! IMHO Jean Butler deserved way more credit for her part.
Yesss her part at the beginning is so much more emotional
You NEVER SPOKE A TRUER WORD!!!!!!!!! Julie Gill, Glasgow, Scotland.
This still gives me goosebumps. No country has ever, or will ever beat this amazing performance. I had the pleasure of seeing the Riverdance show 10 yrs ago at the NIA in Birmingham. It was a present for.my 60th birthday off my 2 best friends. Fabulous show, though nothing can match the original 1994 performance ..
Unbelievable to think this is 30 years old today. As electrifying now as it was then.
Still get goosebumps watching it, simply brilliant
The first time I saw this - I thought it was the best thing I had ever seen. It still makes me feel good
It is the best thing I have ever seen
No matter how many times I watch this, I never get bored, it's awesome
After all these years, still absolutely amazing!!
Still gives me huge smiles, and chills of joy watching, and listening to the Pure Magic of Such a Great performance. Can't stop watching it after all these years. AMAZING.
This never gets old! 2024 I still get the chills watching it.
Absolutely, remember it so well. I live in Zimbabwe and flew to Johannesburg as the show brought out with Michael Flatley sensational.
@@normacoope8239 superb indeed
Astonishing performance!
There are very few moments when everything - the music, the choreography, the dancing, the set, the lighting - all work seamlessly to create pure magic.
This was one of those moments.
When they created magic on a stage at Eurovision.
Who could have seen it coming?
Fantastic!
Our youngest daughter started Irish Dancing in 1997 and qualified for the World Championships with her team in 1999. They eventually went to two World's competitions, first in 2002 and again in 2005. She danced for a total of 12 years and her mom andI enjoyed all of it, especially the travel to cities where she competed and met some real nice folks.
That is really cool! Such an astounding dance.
Wow❤🎉😮
No one cares
@@MB-tr5sz I wouldn't be so sure ...
Irish dance is incredibly athletic. It takes talent and hard work to get to Worlds!
The two best things to come out of Eurovision, Riverdance and ABBA!
Celine Dion might want a word with you (but otherwise I agree).
And Hard Rock Halleluja.
Northern Kings
Agreed. Picton, NZ.
In that order....😅
I used to watch the Eurovision contest every year with the family at home.
I immediately recognized Jean Butler, also my maternal grandmother who called me so that I didn't miss her performance.
I met Jean Butler on May 1, 1986 in Paris, I was at the party organized by the community of North Americans and Nordics, being Finnish.
There was to be a dance performance, one of my friends came to pick me up because according to him an important dancer was missing, they asked me to replace her at short notice.
We danced covers of scenes from shows, "West Side Story" "Grease".... plus other dances from all eras, Jean Butler danced with us in the Celtic dance part, she was already wonderful. she signed an autograph for me, I signed one for her.
I was happy to see her dancing during the Eurovision contest, I remembered her but until the beginning of the 2000s I didn't know if she remembered me, but a friend told me in 2010 that Jean Butler spoke about me on her TV show, too bad I never saw that clip but it made me happy that someone remembered me as a dancer.
This was on my 9th birthday and as an Irish person it still gives me a lump in my throat to this day especially since it was performed on home soil. Simply breathtaking ❤
A mere interval act changed the dance world. 💪
I was 17 and I rarely watched Eurovision, but I was glued to this. Unforgettable.
I have watched the original performance hundreds of times, and it still gives me goosebumps at the end! When Jean and Michael look at each other, you know they're so proud of what they have done.
This is still thrilling 30 years later. Incredible
Jean Butler & Michael Flatley were incredible in the beginning years -- 30 years ago the Irish Step-Dancing they epitomized here started a true phenomenon which is RiverDance! ☆☆☆☆☆ ♡♡
The first time I saw Riverdance was on a PBS special presentation of the first full show. I and my two roommates were so astonished that we sat through the whole show with our mouths hanging open, not speaking a word. I took my mother to the live show on tour in San Francisco in 1998. I was even more mesmerized, as was my mother. The best show ever.
I totally agree
Jean Butler was absolutely gorgeous!
*Is
Jean Butler in my opinion stole the show with her beauty, talent and grace, Michael Flatley was very much a 2nd in comparison to Jean Butler.
@@johnwhite626
AGREE 100‰
What a beauty and talented
"Beauty"? It is in the eye of the beholder - don't minimise her dancing
I remember watching this in the Beachcomber pub in Killester and thinking it was extraordinary and also that Jean Butler was an absolute fox.
Dear God, compare this masterpiece to Eurovision 2024. There is no comparison. 2024 feels like it scraped the gutters to find any old crap to put on stage. I watched 1994 in real time and at every step change in the performance I felt “it can’t get better” but it did, and then it hit another level and I said “it can’t get any better” but it did, until we had a line of dancers in perfect step with uillean pipes going full tilt, the look on Jean Butler’s and Flatley’s faces was sublime, it just said, “we know this is f****n’ brilliant, and we’re loving it”. It was the greatest Eurovision ever beyond doubt.
Dont ask God he doesn't care but yes on all levels you are right
This is exactly what I think about it ❤ Thank you for this comment ❤
"And the winner of the 1994 Eurovision contest is .............." crickets.
@@brianloughnane4033 It was Got who gave them all the talent.
What is/was Eurovision?
I'm a black woman living in Philadelphia and I, along with some friends, have tickets for the show next April. Already excited... 1 year ahead of time !!!! ❤❤❤🥰
Hi I’m from S Jersey.. and I’ve been following river dance since 1995.. I first saw them while I was at work and fell in love.. I’ve never been able to go see them. I’d be excited too.. are they at the convention center again? I hope it’s a nice day and your heart filled with joy..God bless
@@katieks48 Hi. They are going to be at the Kimmel Center. That's on the campus at Temple University.
Hi Jocelyn,
If you’re a black woman…you’re honorary Irish !
🥰
@@davidhryan thank you for that compliment !!! 🤗 My dad was in the Air Force in the 1950's and he was stationed in England where my older sister was born. So even though she's not Irish, she came close !!! Lol !!! Ironically she is a professional dancer. ( Ballet). I turned her onto Riverdance and Lord of the Dance and she loooves it !!! I found out last year, watching videos of competitions, that there are Irish dance troupes for people over 50.. I'm looking to see if they have classes. I'm 59 and may be too old for the jumps and kicks but I love a challenge and it would be fun to try !!! 😃
What relevance is your colour?
I saw Riverdance when it first appeared in London many years ago. Its still one of the best shows I've ever seen. Amazing talent and great entertainment.
I now cry over the passing of the finest pure moments that were these people and time.. The world will never again be like this. RIP.
Well said. A flashpoint in history. Transient but indelible
I remember this well, probably the finest interval performance in Euro history. Watching it back again it’s interesting to hear the half hearted audience applause before, and then the bedlam and standing ovation afterwards. 😊
THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!! Julie Gill, Glasgow, Scotland.
I remember watching this at home with my mam and being utterly blown away by what we had just watched. I had never seen anything like this before in my life. Just magical. Brings tears to my eyes still 🇮🇪
Me too. It was one of the last things I saw with my mum, so very special memories. We just had the TV on in the background and were blown away when this came on. I've seen a version in Canberra, Australia some years ago
I remember this too and have been fascinated by Irish dancing ever since. Bravo!
The song is beautiful at the beginning. Those clusters!
One of the most exciting dance performances I have ever seen. That was electric!
So nostalgic! I haven’t thought about or heard this song in years but it all came back
Tears of joy stream from myself as I watch, not only the amazing dancers but also the wonderful , clear beautiful singers , slainte Eire xxxx
I was 12 years old watching this at home in Ireland with my family when it aired.. We were all gobsmacked and now 30 years later it's still just as spectacular now. Seen the live show in person last December.
I was 14. It was one of those tv moments you don’t forget. People talk about the dancing of course but the singers and drummers and musicians were all brilliant too.
I was 12 too and remember this as truly magical!
Jeez, I watched it live and here in 2024, ALL the goosebumps all over again!!!!!!! ;-)
They were truly phenomenal dancers.
Just seen the show for the first time tonight in Dublin. Absolutely mesmerised….. just amazing ❤
I watched this on PBS in 1997 !!! and was mesmerized.
It upstaged everything else from EuroVision, by a _long_ shot!
I remember watching it in 1994 (I don't watch the Eurovision Song Contest any more!) and being just as gobsmacked as the live audience there clearly were! It's still magical, such precision.
I saw this on television at the time and it. Was. Magical. I was completely dumbfounded by it. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before or since. A proud time to be Irish 🇨🇮
I'm with you! I stumbled on it while channel surfing and after intensely watching for a few minutes, leaning into the t.v. set, I realized I hadn't closed my mouth the whole time. Truly a "jaw-on-the-floor" moment. Can't believe it's been 30 years!
The most awesome experience of my life to see Riverdance live with Michael Flatley.
Wow wish I could have been there
It blew me away thirty tears ago, and it still does. An absolutely stunning display!
No other country will EVER beat this. I can't even remember who won but will never forget this. From the sublime voice to the dancers was perfection. I have since seen the actual show 3 times. As good as they all have been no one can equal Michael and Jean
Ireland for the third time in a row!! The winning song was "Rock 'n' Roll Kids",
performed by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan.
Of all the wonderful female dancers that partnered Michael Flatley over the decades, Jean Butler was the best. ❤
And Michael was better than them all
@@Jesakin-rl7zq Absolutely.....Michael was a supreme showman on top of his dancing genius. The only dancers I see even coming close are the Gardiner Brothers. Unfortunately, since Michael.retired, Irish dancing has slipped in general public attention which means many people have not heard of the Gardiner Brothers. 😔
@snowysnowyriver I have been seeing them on video, in USA, especially when Beyoncé's Texas Hold'em first came out and everybody was dancing to it. I might be Australian but Ireland is my spiritual home.
@@kalayne6713 It's excellent if they are getting a wider audience. They deserve it! 👍
30 years later . . . still goose bumps. Powerful performance!
One of the best interval acts at Eurovision I've ever seen. From the choir to the dancers and music everything came together for 7 minutes and transported people away from the 1994 contest for a second.
The man hours it took to rehearse this making sure everyone tapped in sync must be commended.
This made Irish Dancing more mainstream making everyone in the world notice than just people in Ireland who already knew about it and certainly eclipsed every else that night as often has been stated.
As Sir Terry Wogan said, "You didn't need to be Irish to like that." which I completely agree with been accessible to anyone whatever country they're from and having loved the show myself ever since and seen live for their 20th anniversary and will see again next year for their 30th then.
Absolutely THRILLING. I can’t wait to see my next live Riverdance performance. A historical and cultural treasure.
Saw this in Birmingham all those years ago and I still get goosebumps when I see and hear it,it was in the week before Princess Diana's funeral which made I'd even more poignant they had a 2 minute silence for her and you could have heard a pin drop so emotional and so wonderful 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤
My husband and I saw their first tour in the US here in Detroit I believe in 1996. It was the breathtaking performance of a lifetime. I sat at the edge of my seat through the entire show.
Perhaps you can envision the experience for us in Europe, witnessing this live on Europe's grandest stage, broadcasted in every country, an event rivaling the magnitude of the Super Bowl. It was utterly enchanting; it took our breath away…
This performance brings tears to my eyes,not of sadness but of joy and pride,proud to be Irish
this is my favourite piece of Eurovision ever
I've seen this perform live n it was the best thing ever
❤ Greetings from coastal Mississippi. I have witnessed Riverdance many times. Have even been privileged to meet the cast❤
Ye brings tears to your eyes, what passion and bloody natural pride, 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪☘️☘️☘️👏👏👏👏👏👏
The Interval Show that blew the main event completely off the stage - incredible. Never been seen before!
*Masterful, Elegant, Graceful, Magnificent, Exquisite, Stunning, Mesmerizing, Enchanting and Absolute Perfection! A Phenomenal Performance!* *BRAVO!*
Every fiber in my old dancer's body comes to life when I see this.
I was due to give birth to my youngest son any day and I can remember watching this and my son was kicking like crazy during the whole thing.
That's neat! Maybe he'll be the future star😊
I was lucky to watch this thrilling show live, when Riverdance had been performed in Los Angeles for the first time. It absolutely astounded me! It was spiritual and artistic revelation to me! And it's still is! Forever! Dear, Michael, thanks to your indomitable energy, believing in you dream and dedication, we are able - again and again, to enjoy your Masterpiece -- River dance! You gave us, collectively, your invaluable gift -- Riverdance! Thank you, Micheal, incomparable Jean Butler and all your brilliant artists and musicians for that!!!
The phenomenon that is Riverdance, the best 7 mins ever to grace our TV screens. Gave me shivers as much today as it did 30 years ago, truly spectacular. 🌟🌟🌟
This performance is 30 years old and I still remember this as if it was yesterday; my girlfriend at the time and I were blown away by it. It was my first introduction to Irish culture.
Was it really 30 years ago???? Times flies! Jean Butler one of the most desirable females ever!
So proud to be Irish. They know how to put on a great show ❤
You should be proud. Riverdance was the show that got me hooked on Irish music. I saw it and Celtic Woman in person several times when these shows toured America. I never tire of this dance and music. Some of my ancestry is Irish and Scottish and maybe that's why I got hooked on it, a racial memory maybe?
Best EVER!!!! I will never, ever forget seeing it the 1st time
Yep, still gets me... Remember when I saw it on telly, true shock and amazement :)
Couldn’t believe what we watched. We were a group of 6 watching the esc that night which wasn’t very good that year and then this happened and we were just lost for words. Remember all 6 of us going wtf was that. Brilliant
It was incredible to see it live on TV. You just knew something very special was happening. The roar from the audience at the end is just magical, and all from a Eurovision interval piece which was usually very quickly forgotten and something of a 'throwaway' to fill in time! One of the most unexpected triumphs I think I have ever seen in my life. And not just the dancing, which of course is impeccable and mesmerizing, but the music, too. The whole thing is brilliant, but the finale beginning 4:13 is one of my all-time favourite pieces of music. So special.
I remember watching it on the night. It was phenomenal back then and still is🎉
Even after over thirty years still as incredible as it was that first night.
Hard to believe that it is 30 years ago tonight that this performance was first performed. Excellent performance by all concerned.
The amazing part is... This show never gets old. Same explosive wonderful energy. Pure joy
The first time I saw them on TV was unlike anything I've ever seen before. It tugged at me on the deepest level of my soul, stirring something primal in me. It was almost as if I could see my Viking ancestors in my mind.
Actually this was NOT the first performance of Riverdance. I was privileged to see them perform this at a small theatre in Killarney, Southern Ireland as a full rehearsal before they performed at the Eurovision. We just happened to be staying there to compete in Championship Dog Shows. We knew we had seen something unbelievable. Brilliant.❤
Incredible when you realise that the dancers touring with this show today weren't even alive in 1994!
Still absolutely breathtaking 😍
This was the moment. The moment I wanted to take Irish step dance lessons. The best 10 years of my life!!! I'm 39 now and my jig shoes are most definitely retired but Irish step dance will always run through my veins ☘️
saw it live in melbourne a couple weeks ago, it was breathtaking
Dear God, is it really 30 years since this amazing routine set Ireland alight. I lived there at the time and was told I must watch by a friend who worked on the show. I don't think anyone who saw it could ever forget it. As a review said the next day (I think in the Irish Times) - there wasn't a dry seat in the place! It has just brought tears to my eyes again, and so many memories.
The original version of Riverdance was phenomenal!! I remember working at a retail video store at the time and we could not keep the VHS in stock! We played the store copy all the time! Saw the first tour when it came to Boston and it was just fantastic!!
Still get goosebumps..so unexpected. Who knew this would be such an International sensation..and still going ❤
Ive got a dvd of them, ( with nothing to play it on). Played the tape a lot. Was absolutely wonderful!🎉🎉
Yes ,I remember being stunned by the energy, the joy, the magic of that first performance .Truly amazing ,I cried ,do not know why❤
Totally mindblowing performance. I vividly remember seeing this first performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, and I could not believe what I was seeing, Simply mesmerising.
My mom's friend (an Irish dance teacher) sent us (in the US) a VHS copy of this a week after it aired in Europe. We wore that cassette out. We saw Riverdance live 3 times, and Lord of the Dance 4 times. Had the honor of meeting Michael backstage on most of those occasions. Those kids work out and rehearse for HOURS prior to the show. Wonderful memories!
Wow wow wow!!! Still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up...👏👏👏 Went to see River Dance in The Point. Amazing!!! And of course the fabulous Gerry Ryan ❤❤❤
Brings back so many great memories!
The first of it's kind in Eurovision program. No act came anywhere close to this before. It set the precedent. Still gives me goosebumps to watch.