The idea for this post came to me as I was deciding what I should post on my Facebook to celebrate the occasion. An easy choice would be a clip from Riverdance as it really brought Irish dancing to the world. However, it is a bit of a cliché at best or patronising at worst. But the problem is that I really love the show because, apart from its popular appeal, it is very well conceived. While distinctly Irish, it is intercultural as it showcased cousin art forms such as flamenco and tap dance. It also launched the career of the choir, Anuna, beyond the Irish borders. After much agony, I decided to post a clip of Colin Dunne (rather than Michael Flatley) and Maria Pages doing a duet; a lesser known number in the show and it reminds you of its intercultural nature.
As I was watching Colin Dunne dance, I was reminded of the time he performed his solo show, Out of Time, in Singapore. It was a rare treat as it was only showing for two nights. I attended the opening night and I sat dead center and was probably three feet away from him. It was an intimate show as Dunne reflected upon his experience as a dancer as well as the roots of the art form. Unfortunately, 10 minutes into the show, he slipped, fell, strained a leg muscle, and had to limp offstage. After another 10 minutes of rest and assessment of his condition, Dunne decided to cancel the show and refunded our tickets. My first impulse was to immediately buy a ticket for the second night even though I was quite busy that day. However, I thought he might not perform the next night and I needed to spend time completing my school assignments anyway. Thankfully, but unfortunately for me, he did not cancel the next night.
I can still remember the shock when I saw him fall right in front of me. Part of me was worried about his career. After all, he pulled a leg muscle and was already in his 40s then. But like any professional, he dust himself off and continued to tour his show. As for me, all I have is this video clip to remember the performance:
