Irish dance, music show Rhythm of the Dance to hit Cheyenne on Thursday

We conducted an email interview with lead choreographer and performer Dane McKiernan, due to McKiernan’s travel schedule. (Note: Answers have been edited for length and clarity.)

Question: How did you first get involved with the show?

Answer: I first got involved in 2006 when a friend of mine was going to attend an audition and asked me to go with her. From this, I was offered a position as a dancer in the troupe and started to tour the world with the show in 2007.

Q: How would you explain this show to someone who’d never heard of it?

A: Rhythm of the Dance is a traditional Irish dance show, with a live band and vocalists, featuring 16 dancers. Each night, we take to the stage to bring the audience a variety of styles, from the militant modern style it has evolved to be right back to the very free old style of traditional Irish dance. It’s very uplifting and entertaining to watch.

We’re depicting moments from Ireland’s history, such as our opening number, “Newgrange at Dawn,” where the audience is introduced to the sounds of feet creating rhythms from very simple to layered and complex, building to the powerful music from our band, and back to the older styles rich in tradition in “Dancing at the Crossroads,” where we find some conflict and resolve between the people of the old Ireland.

Q: As choreographer, how do you approach creating the dances for the show?

A: I have been the choreographer since 2014, and I’ve been changing the show every year before we head out on our annual world tour. The most challenging part about bringing a scene to the stage is finding the right music first that creates the right emotion and feel for the scene, then creating the structure for the movement and finally adding all of the steps, be it soft shoe or hard shoe tap. It comes together fairly organically once you have the right ingredients, and our hard-working cast always brings my ideas to life on stage. It’s so rewarding when the audience responds after the show every night. 

Q: How often do you change up the routines?

A: As we are into our 20th year on the road, my 12th year as a cast member and now fifth year as choreographer, it’s important to keep the show feeling fresh, so I add new scenes all the time. Just last year, we brought this almost completely new production on tour, and the response has been amazing. I’m so grateful to be able to have this outlet to express my creativity. 

Q: As an Irish person, why is it important for you to show off the traditional music and dances?

A: I think we all grew up surrounded by this culture of music and dance rooted in tradition, and so it’s simply in our blood. We love to perform, and it’s all the more sweet when it’s something that has been alive as an art form for so many years.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge of performing/choreographing this show?

A: The biggest challenge of performing in the show and also being the choreographer is that you never really get to watch the show to improve it. We record most nights to review, and I occasionally watch the show from the audience, with my understudy taking my place on stage so I can see what needs to be worked on or changed. But really, I just love performing every show; it’s tough to be off the stage at all.

Q: What do you want people to take away from this show, whether they’re seeing it for the first time or have seen it before?

A: Most of all, I want people to feel uplifted. Irish music is so inspiring, you can’t help but tap your foot or clap along. The variety in melodies means there’s always something different to enjoy, so it never feels repetitive. And there’s lots of a capella dancing in the show, too, where you get to experience Irish dance at its most raw and live, but also there are big production numbers that build and build using modern technology, lighting and staging. Overall, it’s an uplifting escape for two hours for both the cast and the audience every night.