By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The original dance performance ``Riverdance'' is coming to Korea for the first time.
``Riverdance'' is a theatrical spectacle where dancers perform traditional Irish step dancing, famous for its rapid and energetic leg movements, while the upper body and arms are kept still.
More than 50 dancers and musicians will put on the renowned work at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, complete with stage settings, lightings, costumes and props.
``Everything the viewers see will be the same as the original production, including the dancers who will be coming from Europe,'' said an organizer from Mastmedia, a local production company.
The show is comprised of 18 acts, with the dancers interpreting life and the environment through movements and music.
Fascinating to watch, the performance is famous for the quick-footed tap dancers, and Korean viewers will get to watch the heart-pounding movement firsthand.
Not only does the performance include Irish dance techniques, but it also blends various traditional dances, including tap dancing, flamenco and Russian dance.
Enveloped in a mysterious atmosphere, the dancers' graceful movements symbolize the rain, rivers and the sea.
The music is also a striking feature, providing inspiring lyrics set to mystical and poetic Irish tunes.
``They have sold over three million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD,'' organizers said. The show was also made into a video, selling 10 million copies, making it one of the best selling entertainment videos in the world.
Praised as ``fabulous, wonderful and exciting'' by The Irish Times, Riverdance was first performed in 1994 as an interval at the Eurovision Song Contest. The audience loved the seven minute show _ giving it a standing ovation _ and it was voted as the most popular interval act at the Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Produced and directed by husband-and-wife team John McColgan and Moya Doherty, the full-length performance of Riverdance premiered in 1995, which ran for five weeks attracting more than 120,000 people.
``Riverdance'' runs from March 3 to 14 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets cost from 50,000 to 150,000 won. For more information, visit www.interpark.co.kr or call (02) 541-6235.