Latest news with #Riverdance30—TheNewGeneration
Chicago Tribune
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
‘Riverdance' cast members lead a workshop in Irish dance: When in doubt, jump and smile
In a sunlit studio at the Irish American Heritage Center, approximately 30 people spent the Monday morning of St. Patrick's Day learning Irish dance steps from Brianna Doran and Samantha Felling, two professional dancers from 'Riverdance,' the globally touring production that's become nearly synonymous with the art form that it's helped popularize over the past three decades. Open to participants of all ages and experience levels, the free workshop was organized by downtown theater owner Broadway in Chicago, which will present a one-week engagement of 'Riverdance 30 — The New Generation' at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in April. Beginning with basic steps such as 'point' and 'cut,' Doran and Felling demonstrated the proper techniques of the dance form known for juxtaposing intricate footwork and athletic leg movements with rigid posture in the upper body. For 75 minutes, they taught the group an excerpt of the choreography to the eponymous musical number that closes the show's first act Several participants had previous training in Irish dance, while others were new to the genre, but everyone gamely embraced the experience, cheering each other on and sharing some laughs as they tried to keep time with the music's brisk tempo. If in doubt, just jump and smile, the instructors joked. Emily Harriott, a Northwestern University graduate who lives in Nashville, attended the workshop during her annual St. Patrick's Day trip to Chicago. 'There's literally no better place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in America than Chicago,' she said. Harriott has been Irish dancing since childhood and now teaches it, so she was excited to learn about the workshop through Instagram. 'I had a blast,' she said afterward. 'I have to admit I know a fair bit of the ('Riverdance') choreography already because literally in my spare time, I learned it off of YouTube for fun. But it was so fun to get to learn it from two dancers who are in the cast. … It added so much.' 'Riverdance' typically has several casts touring simultaneously, and Doran performed on the North American tour in 2022 and 2023. Since joining the company in 2023, Felling has toured North America and Europe, and she returns to the show this year. Before becoming professional performers, both grew up Irish dancing in competitions, and Doran won a world championship with her former team. In addition to performing, Doran and Felling teach at the Riverdance Summer School, an annual training program that doubles as a weeklong audition for new company members. Originating as the interval act at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, 'Riverdance' was developed into a full-length stage show by producer Moya Doherty, composer Bill Whelan and director John McColgan. With its crowd-pleasing blend of Irish and international dance, live music and theatrical spectacle, the production quickly took off in Dublin, London and New York before touring more extensively. Since then, it has played on six continents and won a Grammy Award for Whelan's score. For the 30th anniversary tour, the company comprises dancers who were all born after the show premiered. 'It is an incredible privilege and honor to be a part of the next generation,' Felling said in an interview after the workshop. 'I have not known life without 'Riverdance.' I started Irish dancing because I went to see it when I was 5 years old and just never looked back. I knew exactly in that moment that I wanted to do that.' Doran shared one of her favorite tour memories: a performance in her home state of North Carolina. 'It was amazing. You could hear all the students from my [dance] school; my teachers got to see me. It was probably one of the best days of my life,' she said. 'I came out of the stage door, and they were all there. It was a big crowd, and I just felt so loved in that moment.'' When the tour comes to Chicago, audiences will see a refreshed version of the original show with new choreography and costumes, as well as upgraded lighting and projections. 'Everything has been elevated,' said Doran. 'And then, the dancing, the athleticism — dancing has evolved in the past 30 years, so the dancers in this are just the best of the best.' Reflecting on this legacy, Felling said, 'Even just thinking about it, I have the chills now. For 30 years, our producers, John McColgan and Moya Doherty, and our composer, Bill Whelan, have just cultivated this show that's full of energy and passion and just the most talented cast and creatives to keep the show running. For a show to be running for 30 years and have the consistent love and support that it does is just absolutely incredible.' Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Announces That He's Been Elected Chairman Of The Kennedy Center; Ben Folds Resigns As Artistic Adviser
Donald Trump announced that he has been elected the new chairman of the Kennedy Center, after he ousted about half of the arts organization's board members who were appointed by Joe Biden. Trump posted on Truth Social, 'President Donald J. Trump was just unanimously elected Chairman of the Board of the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The President stated, 'It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees. We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!' More from Deadline Donald Trump Blames Biden For Hot Inflation Data As Fed Chief Jerome Powell Grilled On Capitol Hill Rebecca Kutler Named President Of MSNBC After Serving In Interim Role White House Press Secretary Says AP Was Blocked From Oval Office Event To Hold It "Accountable" For Not Changing Name Of Gulf Of Mexico The unanimous vote is not a surprise: With Trump's purge of Biden's board members, the body that elected Trump is made up of his appointees. They include his chief of staff Susie Wiles, longtime aide Dan Scavino and Second Lady Usha Vance, joining some of those picked in the president's first term. Those include Lee Greenwood and lobbyist Brian Ballard. Shonda Rhimes, who was first appointed to the Kennedy Center by President Barack Obama, is still listed as the organization's treasurer. Earlier today, Ben Folds, who has been serving as artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, announced that he was resigning. Shortly after Trump's announcement, Folds wrote on Instagram, 'Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic adviser to the NSO. Not for me.' Trump has railed against what he sees as the Kennedy Center's 'woke' programming, even though this year's line up includes pretty standard fare like Les Misérables and Riverdance 30 — The New Generation. The Kennedy Center is also scheduled to be the venue for one of the World Pride Events taking place in Washington, D.C. in June, with organizers billing it as a 'celebration of diversity and unity.' Earlier this week, Trump named Ric Grenell, a special envoy, as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center, putting him in charge of day-to-day responsibilities. That has left some question as to the future of Deborah Rutter, the Kennedy Center president. Last month, before the purge of board members, she announced that she would be stepping down at the end of the year. The previous chairman of the board was David Rubenstein, a philanthropist and co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group. He had announced plans to exit as chairman last year but, before Trump's actions, had agreed to stay on through 2026. Best of Deadline 'Paradise' Episode Release Guide: When Are New Episodes Streaming On Hulu? 2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More Everything We Know About Christopher Nolan's Next Film – 'The Odyssey': Release Date, Cast And More
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Calls Kennedy Center Shows 'Terrible,' But Admits He's Never Seen One; Biden-Appointed Board Members Removed From Roster
Donald Trump's move to fire about half of the board of the Kennedy Center was reflected in the arts organization's roster, with a list of Joe Biden-appointees no longer named as trustees. Also missing was the center's chairman, philanthropist David Rubenstein, as Trump has said he plans to appoint himself to that position. More from Deadline Donald Trump Trolls Taylor Swift Sharing Video Of Singer Getting Booed At Super Bowl Kendrick Lamar Goes Full Carpe Diem In Super Bowl Halftime With A Fresh Swipe At Drake, Appearances By Samuel L. Jackson & SZA - Review "That's History In The Building": Trump Takes Over Super Bowl As First Sitting POTUS To Attend NFL's Big Game Trump defended his plans, which he announced on Friday, telling reporters that 'I want to make sure it runs properly.' 'We don't need woke at the Kennedy Center. Some of the shows were terrible. They were a disgrace that they were even put on. So I will be there until such time it gets to be running right.' But he told reporters that he has not seen any shows at the Kennedy Center. 'I got reports it was so bad. I didn't want to go. There was nothing I wanted to see,' he said. The Kennedy Center slate this year includes a pretty standard, safe and apolitical slate of shows among its major titles: Shear Madness, Riverdance 30 — The New Generation, Les Miserables, Legally Blonde, Sesame Street the Musical, Parade and The Sound of Music. In March, the center is hosting EARTH to SPACE: Arts Breaking the Sky, with performances designed around exploration. Among the Biden appointees removed were Elizabeth Alexander, who served as First Lady Jill Biden's communications director; musician Jon Batiste, who sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, which Trump attended; political strategist Stephanie Cutter; former Biden adviser Mike Donilon; former White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo; former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre; attorney Chris Korge; activist Henry Munoz; Katherine Lynn Petrelius, who served as White House deputy director of personnel; event planner and designer Bryan Rafanelli; Amy Blanchard Ricchetti; former White House cabinet secretary Evan Ryan; and attorney Robin Wiessmann. Seventeen board members remain, including Brian Ballard, the Trump-aligned lobbyist; Pam Bondi, the attorney general; Elaine Chao, who served as Trump's secretary of transportation in his first term; and singer Lee Greenwood. Still listed as treasurer of the Kennedy Center is Shonda Rhimes. She was appointed to the board by Barack Obama. The Kennedy Center said in a statement on Friday that the chair of the board is appointed by the trustees, but 'there is nothing in the Center's statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center's board.' Trump declined to attend the Kennedy Center Honors in his four years as president. In his first year in office, in 2017, honorees including Norman Lear said that they would boycott a traditional pre-ceremony White House reception to protest Trump's proposed cuts to arts funding. Rubenstein, who has poured tens of millions of dollars into restoring monuments and historic sites, had planned to step down from the board of the Kennedy Center last month. But last year, he agreed to remain in that role through 2026. The center's president, Deborah Rutter, announced last month that she would exit later this year. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Christopher Nolan's Next Film – 'The Odyssey': Release Date, Cast And More 2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More 2024 Hollywood & Media Deaths: Photo Gallery & Obituaries
