Tapping into Irish roots

Irish tap-dancing show Dance of Desire is an adaptation of the Celtic legend, The Fate of the Children of Lir. Provided to China Daily

Irish tap-dancing show Dance of Desire will be performed in Beijing during Spring Festival. Featuring well known Irish and world champion dancers, Dance of Desire is an adaptation of the Celtic legend, The Fate of the Children of Lir.

In it, an evil stepmother curses the King's children and they are threatened with being turned into swans. The adaptation turns it into a happy ending.

The performance features a number of first-class vocalists and choreographers from Ireland, who fuse flamenco, Latin American, Middle Eastern, ballet and ballroom dancing styles, with some acrobatics.

Colors tell part of the story. The four daughters are symbolized by yellow, pink, green and purple, while the stepmother is black.

Eric Cunningham, co-executive producer with Michael Carr, directed the show and composed the music. The pioneering dance production was an instant success after it was first performed in Dublin, 2003.

Dance of Desire has been described as "edgy, somewhat more adventurous than past Irish dance shows" and takes Irish tap dancing to a new level. The show has been presented at 15 cities around China, including Shanghai and Shenzhen.

China Daily

(China Daily 01/28/2011 page20)