Eternal Encore: In Conversation With Ciara Sexton

Taken from Issue 001 of The Irish Dance Globe. Purchase any remaining copies here while stocks last.

When Riverdance burst onto the stage almost 30 years ago at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, Irish dancing finally had mainstream entertainment appeal. On a global stage, audiences saw Irish dancing in a new light — a traditional art form that now had a commercial future. Since then, the industry has boomed, as countless new productions have only become brighter, bolder, and bigger.

One of the witnesses to this evolution is professional dancer, choreographer, teacher and producer Ciara Sexton — a notable authority when it comes to the professional world of dance who is something of a legend in Irish dance showbiz.

Ciara reflects on the progression of Irish dance shows since those early stage pioneers, and asks how live productions can continue to innovate and expand the boundaries of what Irish dancing can be.

How did Riverdance’s debut at the 1994 Eurovision contest help bring Irish dance to a bigger stage and change the way people saw it as an entertainment form?

It was presented in an entirely different fashion. Pre-Eurovision, if you were lucky enough to see an Irish dance performance, it could be with the Chieftains. And it could be with the Kilfenora Céilí Band where they would usually hire one Irish dancer to come out and dance — and that still happens. It was really all the world knew, and not that much of the world knew.

But I think one person had to see it in a different way to make that change. And that was Moya Doherty, who produced the Eurovision Song Contest. She had a trailblazing vision of bringing a line of Irish dancers to our screens for this seven-minute interval piece. And that’s what it was: they were the interval act. It could have gone such a different way. And by all accounts, the world stood still. We can’t repeat that moment in history.

From that, Riverdance grew legs and acquired many other numbers, many other pieces of Grammy award-winning music. And they formed a show — a two-hour performance of just magic, which then opened the doors for other people to create different productions.

How did the concept of a live Irish dance show suddenly find global commercial appeal?

It was Riverdance that brought the live Irish dance show to the forefront. And Michael Flatley was only a part of that for a very short amount of time. He left before they reopened at the Hammersmith Apollo, and the story was, whilst discussing with the creative team, whether they give in to Michael’s demands. He had his own vision for what he wanted to see, but then so did 10 other people on the team.

I wasn’t there, so I can’t comment on it. But the famous line was Moya said to the other producer, John McColgan, “We either have a star, or we have a show. Can the show go on without this person? And if it can, then we’ll open the curtain tonight,” and it did. And it’s still going on. So it’s a true testament to the work that Michael did with Riverdance, the work that the creative team did all together and have continued to do for the last 30 years.

Michael obviously had his own visions, his own ideas. It appears he was born with this bravado, this showmanship. He really wanted to bring his flair to what a frontman should be. And why shouldn’t he? No one else had ever done it. It was the first time any of this was happening.

Michael’s show Lord Of The Dance and Riverdance were very different. Riverdance was considered a cultural, rich experience, a journey around the world where we celebrate different native dances. Like every Irish dance show, it’s rooted in Ireland, it’s bound together through Irish dance, but it doesn’t just showcase that. On the other hand, Lord Of The Dance is a bit more Vegas-style glitz and glam. He wanted the story, and what story is better than good versus evil? It’s simple to follow, we understand it. It’s for children; it’s for adults. And, clearly, it was for a huge fan base around the world.

Tell us about Heartbeat Of Home — the Broadway-style show made by the team behind Riverdance — and its journey to the stage.

I didn’t know if that would ever happen to me again in my lifetime, where I’d be a part of a production with a budget that big. We had 47 projectors, and the stage was humongous. The bandstands moved like they were little robots — and this was 2013; I didn’t realise that any of this could happen in a production. But it was truly, for me, the closest thing to building a West End show from the start.

From the beginning, they weren’t bashful about what they wanted; they wanted a spectacle. And they truly built that. For me, it was Riverdance 20 years later. It was that gathering of dancers celebrating more than just their cultural dance; they were flamenco dancers, street dancers, tap dancers.

We’d seen the gathering of the dancers in Riverdance, but we’d never seen the true scope of what Irish dancers could actually do. It’s tough for new productions, though. And it’s been tough since 2020. But I do feel like we are coming out of it. We are witnessing a renaissance of Irish dance productions, of shows in general.

Your own personal journey is so entwined in this history. What are some highlights from your career, as well as some of the challenges that you’ve faced?

Any sort of opening night. Opening night with Michael in Lord Of The Dance, I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life, ever. Dancing alongside him, dancing alongside Bernadette Flynn — it was absolutely terrifying.

And then I remember before we opened Heartbeat in Dublin, I turned to Bobby Hodges, who was my lead partner, and I said to him, “Do you think anyone’s going to clap at the end of this?” And he said, “This is fantastic. And it’s always going to be bigger than you or me. You need to not rely on how you think that performance went, or that dance went, or how people will react to you as an individual, because it’s a whole production. And here it’s a spectacle.” That was all I needed. He’d confirmed this was something incredible. And now we just had to get out and deliver it.

What was it like creating your own production Fáinne Óir for Broadway?

There were so many obstacles in our way. I had the cast on stage, and we were rehearsing up to the half-hour call. They were exhausted, I was exhausted. I remember trying to juggle work and be a part of this production. It was a small creative company, so I was responsible for costumes, lighting, sound effects, direction, and choreography.

On top of that, there were 50 people in the orchestra and 25 dancers on stage — dealing with 25 personalities was tough. It was a lot of work. I’m so glad I did it, but my goodness, I don’t know if I could go back and do it again. But the things that feel hard at the time become some of the best times in your life. That will drive you in your career and mindset.

There are countless other shows out there at the moment that all showcase the diversity and range of Irish dancing. What do you think is next for the industry? How can choreographers, dancers, and directors continue innovating?

I mean, does anyone go out with the thought of, “Are we going to be really innovative?” I certainly have never. But I can only be me. There’s only one person thinking, feeling these thoughts, this vision. There’s only one creative team that you’re in contact with. You can only do your very best.

Another choreographer could have taken it in a different direction. It’s how productions end up the way they are. A Taste of Ireland bringing out Tara, that’s a female-led dance show. Knowing the two creators, Brent Pace and Ceili Moore, I can see inside Ceili’s mind when I watch her work. If someone else took the same concept it would be a different show. So, how can we continue innovating? We can only be ourselves. [Riverdance lead] James Greenan is working with Rhythm Of The Dance. He’s taken it in his direction, and when I see the choreography, I see him. Alan Kenefick, anything that he works on, I see him through and through. You see the fast rhythms, you see the tap dance influence that Michael also had 30 years ago.

But it also depends on how far we’re willing to push Irish dance. I’ve heard it so many times, “Irish dancers can do so much more than just Irish dance.” Why do we have to say that all the time? Do ballerinas say that? Does the orchestra say that? I don’t know what we have left to prove. But I’d like to think the root of it is the fact that it hadn’t been taken seriously as a dance form for many years until possibly Riverdance, until that global explosion of the professional Irish dancer.

Can you tell us what you’re working on next?

We’re working on a smaller show at the minute, but it’s equally as challenging because it’s in Foynes Aviation Museum in Ireland. They want that aviation theme all throughout, but they don’t want the story. They’re very hands on with what they want and what they don’t want. And myself and my husband, Cian, have to deliver that. So again, it’s going into someone else’s mind, into their world, and trying to live that vision through Irish dance.