To see Riverdance was to be part of a remarkable moment of popular culture. Seen live, the moment was simply burned into memory.
It was a moment when an audience of 3,000 shot to its feet in ovation as if propelled by an external force. The full-throated roar of acclaim and the thunder of applause physically impacted on the eardrums.
The statistics of Riverdance's subsequent commercial impact are not enough to explain the wave of passion released that night. The roar of approval still resonates in the memory. It came from deep, deep down.
Riverdance - The Show - The Original Cast
Riverdance - The Show - The European Cast