Getting into the spirit of the dance

Jan 29 2009 Barry Dix

I never thought I’d forgive the Riverdance team for what they did to Irish traditional dancing.

As a veteran of numerous folk festivals, ceilidhs and Celtic gatherings off all sorts from the 1970s onwards, I had sipped more than the occasional pint of Guinness while admiring the graceful innocence of the green and black clad step dancers, the girls’ dresses emblazoned with embroidered patterns.

The hyped-up, sexed up version that emerged in the Riverdance version seemed as sacrilegous as building a fast food restaurant on top of the Mountains of Mourne.

My scathing opinion of the whole Riverdance phenomenon remained unchanged for years, right up to this week in fact.

As a reluctant attendee at Spirit of the Dance at The Theatre Royal, Windsor, on Monday evening, I was expecting to spend the entire show growing ever more outraged.

Well, I have to admit, I was astonished by the fact that I actually enjoyed myself - immensely!

Spirit of the Dance was a very agreeable antidote to the Monday evening blues and a headful of credit crunch, road rage, deadline-induced stress.

A near-capacity crowd – I hadn’t seen so many people in the Theatre Royal for a very long time – was treated to a blisteringly-fast, visually-stunning extravaganza inspired by many of the world’s dance styles, from flamenco to hoe down and beyond.

With as much energy as the Grand Coolie Dam and as many costume changes as a chameleon in a kaleidoscope, it was as stunning anything I’ve seen.

Kimberly Brightcliffe was a lithe and tuneful Spirit, while principal Irish dancers Claire Duffy and Jamie Meek proved versatile in every role they were asked to tackle.

And with a cast of 17 other dancers, you can imagine the smallish stage at the Theatre Royal was bursting with action for the entire show.

It raced along at such a pace that I found it difficult to believe the interval had been reached.

The entire cast and crew will be off to South Africa next week, but there’s a chance to catch the Windsor show until this Saturday (January 31).

Contact the box office on 01753 853888.