Leaps and bounds
Meg Walker chats to Riverdance Executive Producer and Associate Director Padraic Moyles about his 27-year career with the company and why the show continues to surprise and enthral audiences.
Born in Dublin, Padraic Moyles emigrated to New York when he was nine. Irish dancing was a way to remain connected to his native Ireland but his talents led him to become part of the longest-running and most renowned Irish music and dance theatrical production in the world. At the age of 18, he joined the cast of Riverdance, going on to become Dance Captain, Principal Dancer and eventually Executive Producer and Associate Director. Now living in Dublin with his wife and two children, he’s witnessed the show’s evolution over the last three decades and believes it’s never been better.
What makes so unique is the people on stage. The dancing and music … the way that magic comes together is breathtaking. Our hope is that we exceed audiences’ expectations and if they’ve seen the show before, they leave feeling they’ve never seen it like this; and if they haven’t seen it before, they want to come back. Having been a part of the show for the last 27 years, I can honestly say the level of talent we have today is extraordinary. The costumes are dierent, the backdrops and the set … Bill Whelan has completely rescored and remastered the soundtrack. If you’ve seen or heard the show before, you’re going to say to yourself, “There’s something new, a new vibrancy and energy.” That all comes down to every creative element that has been put into the production.
Getting into the show in 1997 was one of the proudest moments of my life, and later performing in New York’s Radio City Music Hall as lead dancer was a huge moment. I met my wife Niamh in the show and our daughter was present for my final performance. She was three months old (she’s nine now and has an eight-yearold brother). Taking on my current roles was another career highlight. Now, I’m proud to sit at the back of the theatre and watch the lights go down and see this next generation take over. To still be with the company, having watched it evolve over the last three decades, has been a dream come true. I’m the luckiest person to get to work with John McColgan, Moya Doherty, Bill Whelan and the entire team on and o stage. I’ve had the honour of working with some of the most talented people not just in Irish dancing but musical theatre.
I’ve performed in some of the greatest venues in the world, but there’s nowhere you get to see as up close and personal as you would in Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre. After so many years performing there, it feels like home, and that sense of comfort allows us to explore more of the performance. I’d watch the cast rehearse and see the joy in their faces so clearly and the intricacies of the feet.
There are other destinations on the tour I look forward to, too. In 2025, we’ll perform in the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC and Radio City Music Hall in New York. Last year we were in the Dolby Theatre in LA. We’ve performed in venues like the Great Hall of the People in China, and Hammersmith Apollo in London, which is the first place Riverdance ever played outside of Dublin. When we get the opportunity to once again perform in Dublin’s 3Arena, that will be special because we’ll be on the stage where this all began in 1994, when it was the Point Theatre.
We’re lucky to have so many magical places on our doorstep in Ireland. The history, the scenery … For me, there’s nowhere like Mayo for a weekend, whether it’s to Foxford, Achill Island, Keem Beach or Keel Beach … I love the greenery, the smell in the air – there’s a dierent sense of peace and freedom. Two nights in Mayo and I feel like a new person. I’d love to explore Kerry and Cork more. One place I’m determined to visit is the Giant’s Causeway. We’d also love to take the kids to Center Parcs Longford Forest.
For anyone living in Ireland who’s yet to experience live on stage, I’d encourage them to come and see what Ireland is known for around the world and the world-class talent we have on that stage. Come and be proud of who we are, what we represent, and what we can do, because the rest of the world see this as extraordinary and so should we. This belongs to us as a nation.
runs at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin from 5 June to 8 September, riverdance.com.