Riverdance Stirring dance spectacle stepping out in style

By John Benson

Debuting in 1995, Irish dancing sensation “Riverdance” has been performed 10,000 times in front of more than 22 million people across four continents. Among the 1,500 dancers who have appeared in the show is Australian native Craig Ashurst, 26, who is in a lead role for the North American tour, which comes to Powers Auditorium on Tuesday through Feb. 25.

What makes the current production unique is that it’s being billed as a farewell tour. This also explains why it’s returning to Youngstown.

“We’re revisiting all of the cities that we’ve performed in over the last 15 years from when the show began,” said Ashurst, calling from Amarillo, Texas. “It just takes some time to revisit all of those cities. It’s like a three-year farewell tour, and it’s concluding in June. So far, people seem to be really thrilled coming to see it. Everyone seems to grasp it’s the farewell tour, and more and more people are coming to the backstage door for signatures and jumping up and down. It’s a pretty good reaction, and it’s good for us, too. You feel a bit more inspired to do a better job.”

That job isn’t really a job as much as it is a passion for Ashurst, who started a compet- itive dancing career at age 5 in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia. By the age of 17, he had won nine state and 10 national titles. After moving to England, he went on to win various major titles before going professional and performing at Busch Gardens theme parks, as well as in productions “Dance of Desire” and “Celtic Reign.” Naturally, “Riverdance” was always on his radar, and finally, five years ago, he got his shot with tours in Asia, North America and Europe.

As anyone who has ever witnessed the production — which made dancer Michael Flatley world famous— knows, “Riverdance” is quite demanding on its performers. Having performed as both a lead and in the ensemble, Ashurst offers a unique perspective.

“In terms of being in the lead, I would never say it’s hard,” Ashurst said. “It’s more just enjoyable, and it is very different from being in the troupe because you’re more in the spotlight and more being seen the whole time. But I just enjoy it more than find it hard. Sometimes it can be demanding on your body. Sometimes your legs [hurt and] you need to jump in an ice bucket after the show to take the inflammation down. But it’s definitely an enjoyable experience and an honor to be a part of and perform the lead role.”

Finally, what exactly is it about “River-dance” that has garnered so much interest for so long?

“I’ve watched old and new videos of the show — seen the show from the start — and the standard has definitely been kept up,” Ashurst said. “It’s continually catering to people’s needs, and there are just too many different elements of the show for people not to be inspired, I suppose. In a sense, I guess we just have the best performers from around the world in different genres. And I think that’s what makes people just love it.”